Pizza Overall Grade: B/B+
Cheese: 3.5
Cheese: 3.5
Sauce: 3.5
Bread/Crust: 4
Presentation: 4
Pizzeria: 3
Service: 4.5
Service: 4.5
Motorino offers a small selection of pizza pies to the customer. The closest I could find to a plain pie was the Margherita pie, which contains the three main ingredients of pizza: cheese, sauce, and bread. When I first looked at the pie, I was impressed by how vivid the colors of the sauce and cheese were, a sign that the ingredients were fresh. The crust and bread were my favorite part of the pizza. Although very thin, I loved how the crust was crunchy and soft, allowing for the perfect bite. Also, a touch of smokiness added a ton of flavor to the pizza.
The cheese and the sauce, however, did not impress me. The cheese lacked flavor and came off as just another ingredient to the pie. The sauce, while tangy with chunks of tomatoes, was lightly spread on the pie. These ingredients (cheese and sauce) did not blow me away but they did not disappoint me either.
The venue was welcoming, clean, and bright. The Motorino I visited in the East Village is quite small, and it seems to be the same with the one in Williamsburg. During peak hours it might be difficult to get a table in a pizzeria, since it has about 20 seats. I visited at around 5:00pm on a weekday, so the pizzeria was nearly empty. Given this, our service was incredibly quick, which should be expected under those conditions.
I gave Motorino a B/B+ because I loved the taste and texture of the bread and crust. The cheese and sauce were very plain, and did not add much to the overall quality of the pizza. This place is great to visit for a small outing and simple dinner plans.
Motorino Pizza is located at 349 East 12th St at 1st avenue in Manhattan and at 139 Broadway near Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn.
Phone: Manhattan--(212) 777-2644, Brooklyn--
Delivery, Take-out, Eat-in
Cost of Pie: Margherita Pie: $15
Dept. of Health Grade: A
