Kesté Pizza & Vino - First Positive NY Style Pizza (New York City)

Outside Kesté

After roaming (or sleepwalking) a bit more around SoHo, I was ready for dinner. Our proposed destination was April Bloomfield's Spotted Pig. Sadly, we underestimated the dinner crowd on a Thursday night in the Big Apple, as when we arrived at 7PM, we were told it'll be a 3 hour wait for our party of 5. Thankfully, I was with NYC locals, and we had some backup choices in mind. What's more New York than some pizza?? Count me in paesano!!

We decided on getting pizza at Kesté Pizza & Vino in Westside Village. At Kesté, they're known for a Neapolitan-style pizza made by the famous pizzaiolo Roberto Caporuscio. A relatively new pizzeria, Kesté opened March of 2009, which is a baby compared to the famous Lombardi's and Grimaldi's. Nevertheless, I was excited, especially after hearing glowing reviews from my friends Dan and Wendy of a.k.a.dandy.

Pizza Del Papa ($16) - butternut squash cream, imported smoked mozzarella, artichoke, red and yellow peppers

After looking over the menu at Kesté we decided on 4 different pizzas. The one shown above is the Pizza Del Papa. At first, I didn't think much of the pizza, as I much prefer meat based pizza, but the butternut squash cream really adds a nice creamy touch to this pizza. The mix of the peppers and the squash really works. I was pleasantly surprised and it was probably my second favorite pizza of the night. Who knew butternut squash would go so well on a pizza?

Capricciosa ($16) - tomatoes, artichoke, mushroom, imported cooked ham, imported mozzarella, and extra virgin olive oil

This was the only pizza I wasn't able to taste, but the ones that ordered it seemed to enjoyed it as well. The mix of artichoke and ham looked to be a hit, and I regretted not to ask for a taste of the pizza.

Pizza Del Re ($19) - fresh mozzarella, mushroom, prosciutto di parma, truffle spread, extra virgin olive oil

Pizza Del Re was by far my favorite pizza of the night. I'm not sure if it was the truffle spread or the prosciutto, or even just the combination of all the ingredients on the pizza pie. The cheese, the creamy sauce, and the saltiness of the prosciutto was just fantastic. Everything was cooked perfectly and if you're here just for one pizza, make sure you get the Del Re.

Salsiccia E Friarielli ($18) - italian rapini, italian sausage, imported smoked mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil

Finally, the pizza pie I ordered. As mentioned previously, I'm keen towards a meat based pizza. Hey, there's nothing to be ashamed of being a carnivore. However, of all the pizza we ordered, the Salsiccia E Friarielli was quite average. Although this pizza was better than most sausage pizzas I've had in my life, nothing about it stood out. After taking a bite of the earlier mentioned Del Re, I wished I ordered a whole pie of that instead.

All in all, it was a much better New York pizza experience than my trip to NYC two years ago. Although I have no comparison from the other famous New York Pizzerias to compare, I firmly believe Kesté would hold their own against those other legendary pizzerias. Situated in the middle of West Village, there will definitely be a line when you go. Put your name down and go chill in the surrounding neighborhood. Kesté was definitely worth it!

For an in depth review of Kesté, read this post

Kesté Pizza & Vino
271 Bleecker Street
Manhattan, New York, NY 10014
(212) 243-1500
Official Website