Angelo’s: Midtown’s Best Pizza?

Date June 24, 2008

Angelo’s, on 57th Street near 6th Avenue, is not the best pizza in the city, but as one of the only two coal oven pizza spots in Midtown (John’s in Times Square) it has a major advantage over the ordinary slice joints that litter the neighborhood. It’s pies only ($17 large, $15 small, $2.50 per topping) and it’s not cheap but it’s well worth it.

It all looks delicious but two elements of this pie shined above the rest, read on for the essentials.

The Cheese & Pepperoni

By far the two strongest elements of this pie, the healthy offering of fresh mozzarella covered the pie evenly and combined with the slightly spicy pepperoni to provide the salty flavor the crust lacked.

The Crust & Sauce

The first time I ate at Angelo’s, the crust and sauce were a little off. The sauce, as you can see below, had too much oregano while the crust lacked flavor. On my second trip, the flavors of both the crust and sauce were spot on. The pie would have been perfect if it had been left in the coal oven to crisp up for just a few moments longer. If you see a lot of oregano on your pie, sprinkle some red pepper and grated Parmesan cheese on your slice to balance the flavor.

Conclusion

All the ingredients, including the fresh basil, combine to create a really enjoyable pie that’s worth the price and deserving of the crown, for now, of Midtown’s best pizza.

Angelo’s

117 W. 57th St. near Sixth Ave.
New York, NY 10019
212-333-4333
Hours: Sun-Thu, 11:30am-11pm;
Fri-Sat, 11:30am-midnight
Other Location:
1043 Second Ave. at 55th St.
New York, NY 10022
212-521-3600

31 Responses to “Angelo’s: Midtown’s Best Pizza?”

  1. Sneaky Uncle said:

    Food Guy,

    Have you ever tried Angelo’s Sausage?

  2. Phil said:

    Slices look great. It’s all about an even cheese:sauce:pepperoni ratio, and it looks like this gets the job done properly. NYCFG – do you like your pepperoni thick or thin? I’ve only had very thick pepperoni once or twice, but it’s AMAZING.

    I was so HUNGry last night that I waltzed over to Lenny’s on 53rd and 2nd and got myself a reuben. Pretty good!

  3. Zilla said:

    omg YUM

  4. Sneaky Uncle said:

    zilla- a/s/l?

  5. dope said:

    that pizza look pretty dope. me hungry now

  6. bobbo-wobbo said:

    hey NYCFG — the roni looks a bit burnt on that pizza, which i cannot stand!

    do you prefer your roni burnt?

  7. The NYC Food Guy said:

    Sneaky Uncle,

    No, haven’t had the sausage.

    Phil,

    I prefer a medium sliced pepperoni.

    Bobbo-Wobbo,

    I do like the pepperoni a little burnt.

  8. Sneaky Uncle said:

    nycfg,

    a/s/l?

  9. Phil said:

    Has anyone heard of this website:

    http://www.12mealsorbust.com ?

    NYCFG – do you think you could accomplish this?

    -Phil (me)

  10. Phil said:

    NYCFG – Medium sliced pepperoni sounds good to me!

    Do you like bacon on your pizza?

  11. Pepper said:

    I tried the sausage. It was great. The only issue was slice distribution.

  12. Dr. Dyspepsia said:

    Phil, bacon on ANYTHING has to be good. Name me one thing that would not be better with bacon. It’s got fat, it’s got salt, all it’s missing is nicotine and crack.

    I’m thinking fruit salad? Should be better with bacon, well-cooked, crumbled up. Have to try that.

  13. dc said:

    the sausage is great….crumble sausage…the house salad and calamari are good too. We order angelo’s for work all the time….always good stuff

  14. Lana said:

    Angelos is def. not the best pizza. The company I work for used to cater it in all the time. About a year ago in their pasta was either a huge roach or a small mouse… Angelo’s as the best pizza, I think not… Not with health standards low enough to let something like that get into the food EWWWWWWW

  15. Lil NYC Food Guy said:

    After I just decided it was my favorite pizza place, you have to share that piece of information with me. That is terrible and disgusting and next time I go, I’ll definitely look for some mouse and/or roach before I bite into that pie of deliciousness.

  16. The NYC Food Guy said:

    Lana,

    That really sucks but last time I checked there’s a pretty identifiable difference between a roach and a mouse. Sounds like a pretty shaky story.

  17. Dr. Dyspepsia said:

    Perhaps the unexpected vermin added that special “Je ne sais quoi” to the slice that made it the best…

  18. Midtown Lunch » Midtown Links (Spicy Pork Edition) said:

    […] First it was Bella Vita, now Angelo’s is the best pizza in Midtown [Superman] […]

  19. Dr DoodyBalls said:

    the REAL doctor D is in the hizzouuuuuuuussssssse!!

  20. Dr. Dyspepsia said:

    “DoodyBalls”???? Are your five years old, bored because day camp hasn’t started yet? Hope your mom knows you’re on the computer, because you need to be monitored.

  21. Angelo's rocks said:

    Angelos is the best pizza ive ever had. But go with the plain margherita with extra basil, nothing else.

  22. FapFeasmarve said:

    Thanks for the post

  23. Charlie said:

    the food guy came through in the clutch. i send a vague e-mail saying “give me a list of places to eat near 61st and broadway”, and the food guy give me angelo’s.

    while mariella’s (58th and 8th) holds its own, angelo’s is where its at for QUALITY midtown slices (even though you can’t get individual slices).

    i thought the pizza on the whole was a little undercooked, as i would have liked the crust to have been crunchier, but, the softness could have resulted from the fact that i didn’t eat the pizza immediately, but waited instead to eat it in central park.

    the pie was very well balanced in terms of the sauce to cheese ratio, but, i could have used a tad more sauce. i felt my mouth getting a bit dry at points.

    the kicker – the ‘roni’s. slightly burnt, just the way i like it, and superbly declicious, with the perfect amount of spice. having been around the block w/ the ‘ronis, as soon as i saw that they were the little round “curved up” variety, i knew they were a winner.

    for quality individual slices, check out mariella’s. the slices are a bit heavier, but damn tasty. for a better overall meal and eating experience, angelo’s is where its at.

  24. Stay out of Brooklyn said:

    I had the pleasure of experiencing one of the better pizza places in NYC.
    Angelo’s was delicious! The taste is very similiar to that of other NYC pies that stay true to Italian pizza making.
    Pizza making is a lot like being in a good relationship.
    Commitment but no person owns the other.
    If you believe the sauce to cheese ratio at Angelo’s pizza was not good enough then you should go home and eat the frozen shit your mom buys you.
    I enjoyed the basil aroma as we opened the box.
    The only downfall to Angelo’s is like that of Grimaldi’s in Brooklyn, service and quality appear to be better when it is less crowded.

  25. Stay out of Brooklyn said:

    Try Franny’s if you’re not a fan of Grimaldi’s.

  26. The NYC Food Guy said:

    Charlie,

    I could have told you that a couple of minutes in the box would dampen the pie a little bit. It comes out of the coal oven so hot and melty that it condensates immediately in the box, resulting in a soggier crust. I think the key is to get the pizza well done and with extra sauce.

    You said it about the roni, however, little slices, burnt around the edges, its the ideal.

    You can’t really compare Angelo’s and Mariellas, however, because as you said, Angelo’s is a sit down place for coal oven pies only while Mariella’s is a standard slice joint. They’re both good in their own right.

    Stay out brooklyn,

    I have to agree with you in regard to the poor service but what are we really talking about? Are we looking at speed of refilling water or how many times they checked in during your meal to see how things were going? I had Grimaldi’s this past weekend and at times it felt like the pizza was never going to come, but that was a result of the re-kindling of the coal fire. Angelo’s service has been fine every time I’ve been there, I don’t want to be bothered once my pizza arrives. Let me eat in peace unless I need you. That being said, I have waited a good amount of time for more water after asking for it, so you may have a point.

    I went to Franny’s this past weekend too, the pizza did not impress me. It was very smoky and although the house-cured sausage was really tasty, the pizza itself (un-cut and small) was undercooked and covered with a little too much EVO. A nice space with a good, clean feel but not a restaurant whose pizza has me coming back for more.

    Lucali, on the other hand, was excellent. I was there the same night as Franny’s and everything was great (aside from the wait). It was an authentic experience (they practically make the pizza by candlelight) and a great eating experience. The pizza is very similar to DiFaras in regard to the cheese composition (buffalo, low moisture mozz and parmagian reggiano) and the 5-cheese calzone, something I never eat, was AMAZING. The crust was awesome, the 5-cheese filling was spicy, salty and rich it was excellent. I reccomend you get over there immediately.

  27. Stay out of Brooklyn said:

    I love Lucali!

  28. Brooklyn Pizza Tour: I’ll Take Lucali over Grimaldi’s & franny’s « NYC Food Guy said:

    […] If you want coal oven pizza without the wait and the trip to Brooklyn, check out one of the two Angelo’s locations in Manhattan, just don’t order […]

  29. NYC Best Falafel: Azuri Cafe beats Taim as NYC’s Best Falafel « NYC Food Guy said:

    […] Food Guy delivers just that.  I’ve made the claim before about burgers, West Village slices, Midtown pizza, and french fries.  Now it’s time to deliver the best falafel crown to Azuri Cafe on 51st […]

  30. Cafe Duke’s Spicy Chicken Pizza: Best Non-Restaurant Pizza in Midtown | NYC Food Guy said:

    […] tax) the enemy doesn’t seem so evil.  And excluding pies from actual pizza restaurants like my Midtown-favorite Angelo’s, the Spicy Chicken Pizza is my top choice.  Read on to find out […]

  31. Nick Tsoulos, Owner of Patsy’s, Angelo’s & Goodburger, to Open Mel’s Burger Bar in Mid-June/Early July with Louis’ Lunch-inspired Burger | NYC Food Guy said:

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