Day 13, Pizza Month 2010 - Donatella (Chelsea, NYC)

DAY 13: OCTOBER 13th, 2010

LOCATION: Donatella (Chelsea, NYC)

ORDER: half of a personal Margherita, half of a personal Donatella

GUEST: Robin Rothman

REVIEW:
Cowabunga! a pizza Renaissance.
This Chelsea pizzeria will remind you just how good wood fired brick oven gourmet pizza can taste. Trendy enough to be date-worthy and tasty enough to be touted, Donatella provides it all. The spotless and spacious seating area starts on the sidewalk and extends back to the gold coated oven. Yes, the oven's got bling! Maybe that's why everything that comes out of it tastes like a million bucks. Fortunately, it costs much less.

I recommend anything with the stracciatella cheese. It creamy and so soft it is added after the pie is cooked. This cheese comes on the Donatella pie along with rocket (baby argula) and flavorful piennolo del vesuvio tomatoes. A mouthwatering pie that will fill you up. Extra points for creativity too. Of course, Donatella does not need to rely on creativity.
Look no further than the standard Marghertia (which is anything but "standard"). The chef has a tried and true recipe for maximizing flavor and appearance crafting together a pie with just the right amount of fresh mozzarella cheese, basil, olive oil, and San Marzano tomato sauce. It is a pie fit for a king, cooked in an oven fit for King Midas.

Go between the lunch and dinner rush to avoid the crowd. Also, go now, because churning out pies this delicious, popularity is inevitable.

VIDEO CLIP:

RATING:
4.64 out of 5

• VALUE:
  4.5/5


• AMBIENCE:
  3/3


• TASTE:
  9/10


• SERVICE:
  3/3

16/21 = .? x 5 = 3.81

MISCELLANEOUS:
1. Donatella opened in April 2010.
2. Robin Rothman and I learned two new toppings in one pie thanks to the Donatella. The toppings were "rocket" and "stracciatella." We love them both...and each other.