Pizzanini

I stopped by here for a quick slice because it states on their sign that they are a wood fired pizza place You could see from the outside that the pizza sitting in the case was a little thinner and crispier looking than your normal NY slice. I ordered a cheese slice because I have found it to be the most reliable, and the pizza is less likely to be soggy. The pizza was just as it appeared; light, crispy, very thin, and delicious. The cheese on the pizza was slightly more bland that I am used to because it was not as salty as most places. There is nothing wrong with that. There was Parmesan available and it was very fresh, even cut into small ribbons. This might be the best pizza I have had at St. Marks so far.
The counters and tables were clean and the service fast and friendly. My only complaints that there are no bathrooms for customers and that the soda is almost room temperature.

New York pizza varies more than people like to admit. I tend to like my pizza cheesy with a mellow salty flavor with an undercurrent of sweetness from the tomato sauce. This pizza comes close to that balance, but is a thoroughly thin crust. I’m used to hand tossed pizza having a thick chewy crust at the end, so this left me a little unsatisfied. All in all it was good pizza, If a little pricier than a couple of places nearby.

great location, thats about it.
pizza is overpriced and generally not very good. eatable, but not good. I just ordered a mushroom slice, the guy took out a plain slice and dumped a bunch of mushrooms on it :(… and didn’t give me any napkins to wipe all the grease off
go across the street to 2 bros or rays bagel café

Pizzanini has «lighter» slices than a lot of other pizza places. You don’t feel like your getting as much bang for the dollar, but since we all overeat pizza anyways, it does help with managing the ridiculous volume of food that is otherwise consumed on pizza visits. By lighter — I just mean they take it easy on the cheese and dough, not that they’re actually using healthier ingredients.
Their non-​plain slices are the best: margherita, chicken/​tomato/​onion
The guys that work there often look like they really want to be in da club. Maybe that’s where they head for after work drinks.
Reliably open late night and the pizza doesn’t taste like it’s sat out for 24 hours.

When it is late and you are hungry, you usually can’t go wrong with a slice. This place filled my cravings. Not sure if it’s the place I would go to normally, especially with 2 Bros. across the street

Came in here late night and tried a slice of their Tomato Basil as I always do at new places.
The cheese wasn’t the best quality and I guess I expected something that was slightly better for the 5 bucks that they charge for an average sized slice.
There’s so many places nearby including rays that isn’t exactly great but its better then what I had here.

Got home from work really late and just wanted something real quick. I came here hoping for something better than 2Bros and cheaper than Ray’s (which isn’t that great anyway). So I gave this place a try and was pretty disappointed. I got a pepperoni slice and a chicken and mushroom slice. The pepperoni slice was decent, but the chicken/​mushroom was terrible. It had a good crust but it was just all cheese and no sauce, so it was super dry.
The worst part… I paid over $ 8 for two slices. I think I’ll pass on this place from now on and find another late night after work option…

Pretty bad pizza in a great location directly on St. Marks. The popularity of the $ 1 slice at 2Bros across the street has led Pizzanini to also offer their version of a dollar slice. I prefer the slice here at Pizzanini to 2Bros but both are pretty bad in my opinion. I generally avoid the pizza here unless driven by a sudden, drunken craving for a slice and I happen to walk by the place on my way home.

I hate to say it but 2 Bro’s Snuffed this place in the face and changed it forever. There was a time when the pizza here was fairly high in quality… before the existence of 2 Bro’s. Since then there pizza has a taste similar to potatoes, mainly because they don’t use much sauce.
In my opinion their dollar slice is terrible, as well as their pan pizzas, and their calzones/​stromobolis/​chicken rolls are a little on the old side. If they really wanted to do well they should really just focus on single slices with toppings because they do a pretty good job with those. I really enjoy their lasagna slice. They also do serve up beef patties with the best of them. I’d stick with their specialty slices and beef patties; otherwise, there are better selections on the block.

Acceptable.
And where else can you use a clean bathroom in a pizza place off St. Mark’s at an ungodly hour of the night?
That alone raises mediocre pizza to an acceptable level.

So we put our name down @ Ipuddo, but the wait was 1.5 hours… well, sharing a slice wouldn’t hurt right?
Pizzanini was there to satisfy a growling stomach and prepare us for the ramen to come!
OMG! I took a bite of the Lasagna pizza (the one with the ricotta, ground meet, tomato sauce and some basil) YUMMY! The crust was so crispy, the ricotta cheese was so hearty and every one of my senses just heighten when I took my first bite of it while my friend was holding it still… haha you know I can’t wait when the food is in front of me. ^_​^
They had a good amount of tables and friendly pizza makers ^^ I would definitely go back for another slice of this heavenly pizza soon!

I first discovered this place about 1.5yrs ago, it was great. I returned to NY about 4 months later and it was still great. The calozones were awesome, it was like a brick of cheese in them with pepperoni, the slices were good. Ugh, on this trip (March 09) I discover that there prices are double and the staff is no longer helpful, so much for my favorite NY pizza place, my search for a new #1 starts now.

UPDATE: The cheese pizza is no longer a dollar! I went there the other day and I ordered my standard two slices. The guy behind the counter asked for 4 bucks instead of 2, and when I asked about the price change he said it «just wasn’t working out for them.» I changed my order to one slice, ate it, and then walked right across the street to the other joint that sells $ 1 cheese slices. My original rating for Pizzanini was 4 stars ($ 1 slice, good amount of seating), but I changed it to 2 stars because they jacked up their prices ($ 1 is a lot of money to us just out of school types!). I’ll be going across the street from now on.

Honestly, one of the best margerita (is that what it’s called? with the real mozzarella, garlic and basil?) slices in the city. Every time I have gone there it’s been consistently amazing and fresh. Minus a star for the prices.

Oh my god, their calzones have like a brick of cheese in them. And they’re fantastic!!!
This place has to be my favorite pizza in NYC.
⁰³⁄₂₀₀₉ UPDATE:
I had to change my 5 star rating of Pizzanini to 1 star. It’s a sad day. This place used to have great calzones. Amazing calzones. It has changed so much in the last year. B/​c now the prices are double, the pizza looks gross, and they didn’t have calzones when I was there last. When I asked if they could make me one (because seriously, is it that difficult?! You have them on the menu!!!), they brushed me off and told me it would take them a while.
Screw this place. I’m going to Ray’s.

The pizza is alright. I’ve had better. I like the open air environment but I saw a few flies on the food and that turned me off a little bit. For a slice it’s not the best deal… dont think I’ll be coming back.

Get it? It’s like Pizza + Panini! They do have some pasta dishes as well but I suppose that would complicate the name even more (Pizzastanini?)
That said, pleasantly surprised with this place. Both the standard cheese and Sicilian slices reminded me favorably of NJ slices. Nice sauce and cheese. Even had some I-​talians eating there.
it’s not quite Vinny Vincenz or Artichoke but those are ½ a mile away.
Slices are a bit pricy ($ 2.75) so budget-​conscious diners should stick w/​nearby 2 Bros. Pizza.

Actual rating: 3.25 stars
After getting crunked at one of the many nearby East Village bars, Pizzanini is a definite stop to have good pizza to temper the alcohol with none other than… pizza! If you have had a few too many beers or gin gimlets, then going to Pizzanini for ‘drunk pizza’ merits 4-​stars.
But if you are in the neighborhood during the day and craving pizza, walking here and grabbing a slice does not provide the same experience. The flaws in the pizza shine through — on three occasions, I have had reheated slices that when folded, the bottom of the crust split and the mid-​dough was not strong enough to hold the cheese and sauce — so the tomato sauce spilled and stained my kicks. So for that I give the normal pizza experience a 2.5-stars.

What a great little find. Some friends and I checked this place late last night after drinks and it really hit the spot. It looks pretty non-​descript but I was pleasantly surprised. There’s about 5 – 6 types of pizza, mostly regular toppings and generously sized slices.
The best part bar none, was the crispy crust. Most thin crust pizza I’ve tried gets soggy and mushy quickly, but the slice I had was taught bite after bite. Just the right amount of toppings and cheese. Maybe I was just super hungry but I walked away really satisfied. Right on guys, you nailed it!

There are two things that I will not compromise on: Beer and Pizza.
I am an avid pizza-​oodie. In a city that has a pizzeria on every corner, you have to be somewhat of a snob on quality. Is it crispy enough, are there enough toppings, is the cheese not too chewy, is the tomato sauce sweet or tart, is the crust thick or thin… that type of thing.
I have encountered only a few pizzerias that are topnotch standout, and Pizzanini is one of them. The pizzas are a perfect blend of crisp, sweet, tart, chewy, warm, tasty yum in one bite. They taste good sober and after a few beers. They are easy to eat sitting down or stumbling to the train. One slice of guilty pleasure will amazingly not make you feel like a heffer whore afterwards.
All in all, Pizzanini, thank god you’re open so late at night, to feed me and my ridiculous friends such delicious goodness. lol.