In Park Slope, where pizza parlors are
as common as corner bars once were, why is it so difficult to
find a decent pie?
I don’t know either.
But now there’s Peperoncino, a Neapolitan restaurant on Fifth
Avenue, and chef-owner Nino Gagliardi’s pies put an end to the
search.
Since Peperoncino (named for a hot red chile pepper) opened in
December, diners can be seen devouring earthy, thin-crusted pies
(no slices here) lightly topped with a simple tomato sauce. Pull
up a chair in the rustic dining room, and you’ll find that the
wood-burning oven turns out pizzas that taste even better than
they look.
Of course the fire works its magic, burning smoky blisters on
the pie’s bottom, but the cheese is special too. Instead of the
usual buffalo mozzarella, cow’s-milk mozzarella called "fiore
di latte (top of the milk)" adds a clean, fresh taste.
And, it’s not just pizza they do well.
Begin your meal with a terrific appetizer of tender white beans,
chunks of rare smoked salmon and thin slivers of red onion tossed
in a tart lemon dressing that marries the ingredients beautifully.
Pastas like white onion and beef ragout and earthy entrees of
Cornish game hens with sea salt and rosemary make Peperoncino
the best new kid on the block.
Peperoncino (72 Fifth Ave. at St. Mark’s Place) accepts American
Express, MasterCard and Visa. Entrees: $9-$20. The restaurant
serves dinner daily and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from
noon to 3 pm. For more information, call (718) 638-4760.
