The Ride-Along Report: First Takes From Last Night’s Dinner

"What It Is: A beloved pizza spot that just returned to NYC (after a stint in San Francisco) in partnership with the people behind Wildair & Contra Perfect For: Date Night Roughly eight years ago, there was a pizza place in the East Village called Una Pizza Napoletana. But then the owner moved his operation to San Francisco, where he made some of the best pizza in the city. Now, this place is back in NYC, in a somewhat industrial-feeling Lower East Side space that used to be Whynot Coffee. And the pizza is very good. They don’t offer a lot of toppings, but the margherita pizza is a great example of what a margherita pizza should be, and the crust is worth having on its own. There are also some interesting small plates from the Wildair people (who are partners in this place), including some beef crudo that may actually be better than the pizza. Right now, they don’t have a liquor license, so what should be a lively bar area is pretty dead, and it still feels like they’re somewhat in a soft open phase. Waits can also be unpredictable. We’ll definitely be back. The Verdict: We’re putting this place on the Hit List, but unless you are a pizza fanatic or you’ve been counting down the days until Una Pizza’s return, we’d suggest you wait to come here until they have a liquor license." - hannah albertine, bryan kim, katherine lewin, hillary reinsberg, chris stang, matt tervooren