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4. Una Pizza Napoletana

349 E. 12th St. • 212-477-9950

Anthony Mangieri, pizzaiolo of Una Pizza Napoletana, could be part of a monastic order focused on a single holy mission—executing the perfect pure-Neapolitan pie. His East Village storefront is awash in clean white tile and marble tabletops. Saints and martyrs hang from the walls, while a plaster Virgin Mary overlooks the bulbous, wood-burning brick oven. A former bread baker, Mangieri is tattooed neck-to-ankle; on his kneading fingers, "Hope" and "Fede." He personally crafts every 12-inch pie from naturally leavened dough and the finest Napoli-certified ingredients. The cheese is from the milk of a water buffalo, the tomatoes are San Marzano, the basil fresh and the olive oil extra-virgin. There are four pies to choose from: a classic margherita, a marinara with no cheese, a bianca with no tomatoes, and a cherry-tomato-strewn filetti with no sauce. And that's it. No antipasti. No condiments. No additional toppings. Each table is set only with a single salt shaker. On the equally spartan vino list, the star is the Gragnano, a fizzy Campania red considered by many to be the world's finest pizza wine, served in a juice glass. Dessert is just as hard-core, the sole option a few chunks of chocolate, two almonds and a shot of Neapolitan espresso.

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