Pizza Gruppo

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186 Ave B, New York, NY 10009

(212) 995-210

Cuisine:
Pizza
Hours:
Mon: 11:30AM - 11:00PM Tues: 11:30AM - 11:00PM Wed: 11:30AM - 11:00PM Thurs: 11:30AM - 11:00PM Fri:... Read More
Price:
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Pizza Gruppo

by Safiri

Decatur, Georgia

January 3, 2007

Best of IgoUgo Pizza Gruppo, located on Ave B just south of 12th St, is the best pizza for at least eight blocks around. That may not sound like much. But when you consider that almost every block in the East Village has some kind of pizza available, it's pretty ...Read more Pizza Gruppo, located on Ave B just south of 12th St, is the best pizza for at least eight blocks around. That may not sound like much. But when you consider that almost every block in the East Village has some kind of pizza available, it's pretty high praise. Most of the pizza available nearby is sold out of glass storefronts, with slices of pre-fab pies waiting to be heated. Pizza Gruppo, on the other hand, is a to-order-only kind of joint, and the difference in quality is immense.

The restaurant is tiny, with perhaps ten little tables and some seats at the counter. It's not the place to bring a large group, because they won't fit. But like many New York specialty restaurants, they make the most of what they have. What Pizza Gruppo has is an impressive list of toppings, including three kinds of mushrooms, two kinds of olives, pineapple, sausage, feta cheese, goat cheese, a deliciously savory roasted eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes, and grilled asparagus. You can order your pizza à la carte ($6 for a personal-sized pizza or $9 for a large, with toppings starting at $1 for a simple topping on a small and going up to $4 for a special topping on a large) or one of their specials (generally $11 for a small) - they have eleven recommendations, and there's always a nightly special as well.

As those prices indicate, these pizzas are not the same kind of calories-per-dollar as you'd get in one of those glass-fronted slice joints. Gruppo's crust is fairly thin and delicate (and crunchy and delicious), so it doesn't support thick Sicilian-style layers of cheese. So if you're ravenously hungry, you might want to order one of their pretty salads (Greek, spinach, green, or house, $7-11) to start out with, or perhaps an order of garlic bread ($7). There's also dessert - tiramisu! A beer to go next to your pizza will set you back $4-$6.

All of which is to say: Gruppo's pizza is good pizza. It's pizza an Italian would recognize. It's pizza which a pizza snob trained in New Haven is forced to acknowledge as a serious contender. It's got a tinge of elegance (that's the food, not the wait staff or the clients, who are all the usual East Village grouchy 20-and-30-somethings). It's not the "take the guys out for pizza to thank them for helping you move" kind of pizza: it's "a romantic night out with your sweetheart" kind of pizza.

Like every other restaurant in New York, Gruppo delivers. Close

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Pizza Gruppo

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Pizza Gruppo