If you have been reading my columns in this paper for a long time, you have probably noticed that I usually give new restaurants a while to mature before reviewing them. The delay allows restaurants to assess their customers’ tastes and rework the menu accordingly, plus giving the staff time to get to know that menu and also learn how to work together. Those writers who rush in with a me-first attitude turn in a lot of savage reviews that can make amusing reading, but aren’t really fair to the establishment.
Occasionally there’s a good reason not to wait, and this is one of those times. Grimaldi’s Pizzeria recently opened in a long– vacant space on Rosecrans with a menu that isn’t going to change – it’s identical to the one that made the original location one of the most popular pizzerias in New York City, and nobody in management is going to mess with success. They only offer salads, pizzas, and a few desserts, so the servers could memorize the entire thing within a day. In short, it’s a restaurant that was ready for assessment almost immediately upon opening.
The space that seemed cold and cavernous when this was the Daily Grill has been remodeled into a credible replica of an old-fashioned New York restaurant, with checkered tablecloths neatly laid out in large booths. Chandeliers and light fixtures have been made from old wine bottles, an interesting decorative touch that you probably won’t notice for a while because your eyes will be riveted on the kitchen. A small army of people in black shirts and white aprons were bustling at a long table next to a pair of brick ovens, a picture of purposeful activity. Some workers knead and stretch dough before tossing it high in the air, then pass it to others who add toppings and place the uncooked pies in the ovens. I stopped to watch while we were on the way to our table and got so engrossed that my wife was seated halfway across the restaurant by the time I tore my eyes away.
Given the brief menu, it’s doesn’t take very long to decide what you’re having here–just select the salad you’ll be sharing (and you should share because they are large), and the type of pizza. Our server Kevin recommended a house special spinach and Gorgonzola salad, but we were in a traditionalist mood and decided on the Caesar. It was the classic garlicky dressing on bite-sized Romaine with fresh, crisp croutons. We had ordered the small portion-just right as a starter for two people. I had a light grind of fresh pepper on mine, but it was good just as it came from the kitchen.
We enjoyed glasses of wine with the salad, my wife a Cavichiolli Lambrusco and myself a white blend from California. Lambrusco has a bad reputation because the market was flooded with cheap, candy-sweet versions in bygone years, but a good one is delightful. This one was good for a modestly priced wine, the kind of drink for warm days with spicy food. My wife had wanted one glass of wine that would suit both salad and pizza, and this was it.
Our main courses arrived shortly after we finished the salad; real thin crust New York style pizzas spend very little time in an oven that is very hot, and have a crisp crust. The oven here is at over a thousand degrees and does its job perfectly – the texture is exactly right. I remember being skeptical about New York pizza snobbery, and when I ordered one at a little place on Mulberry Street, I rather expected it to be the same thing I was had at home. The first bite of that pizza taught me that there really was a difference–the crust had more flavor and a greater variety of textures that I had ever experienced before.
My wife and I had decided to each get a personal-size pizza, with the expectation that we might take a slice or two home. I picked toppings of sausage, black olives, artichoke, while she decided on anchovies, mushrooms, and spinach. Everything here is à la carte; the cheese and tomato pizza with fresh basil is ten dollars, and most toppings are two dollars extra each. A three topping pizza here is more expensive than comparable places in the neighborhood, but it is worth it.
The thin crust pizzas turned out to be a lot more filling than expected, and we ended up taking home about as much as we ate. This was partly because we wanted to save room for dessert, and we had trouble deciding between cannolis, New York cheesecake, and tiramisu. I rarely enjoy cheesecake but my wife has a fondness for the real New York style, and we eventually decided to try both that and the tiramisu.
To my surprise, the cheesecake was delightful, very creamy and with none of the heavy sweetness and gelatinous texture that one finds at all but the best bakeries. I still liked the tiramisu better, but it was a matter of degree rather than having the obligatory bite of my wife’s cheesecake and then going back to what I enjoy. The tiramisu had a full, rich chocolate and coffee flavor with just the right hint of the alcohol that had been used to soak the ladyfingers below.
Our dinner for two with three glasses of wine ran $80, a price point that will put off some diners. It would be excessive for ordinary pizzas, salad, and desserts, but nothing that we had here fit that description. The service and food were top-notch, making this a special occasion pizza place for those who really care to have it done right.
Grimaldi’s is at 2121 Rosecrans Avenue # 1399- parking entrance on Nash Street, validated for two hours. Open daily 11 AM-10 PM, beer and wine served, patio dining, wheelchair access good. Menu at grimaldispizzeria.com, phone 310-648-7503.
