Peachy Picks Don Antonio by Starita Our Coverage Sponsored by Hallak Cleaners the Couture Cleaner
Roberto Caporuscio, Executive Chef and Owner of Don Antonio by Starita
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If you are into authenticity, quality and the best, and we do mean BEST, pizza you've ever dreamed of, there is only one place to go (and do be a peach and remember you read it here first since this gem has only been open for five months): Don Antonio by Starita. The brainchild of the stellar team of Roberto Caporuscio and Antonio Starita (hence the name you see!), Don Antonio has pizza from heaven because it is made by the Gods-and we are not kidding one bit. They are undoubtedly Pizza Gods. One bite and you'll know but if you want some documentation, here you go (ooh we just love details!):
In short, there is an association of pizza in Napoli which is an Italian governing body, and Roberto, who is extremely modest, is their American president. He's got our vote! The purpose of this organization is to pass on the art of making pizza to future generations. You're going to want to like them on Facebook too once you eat the pizza Roberto makes:
Antonio Starita is the overall Vice President and we do look forward to meeting him someday. Note to all of the people reading this from Napoli and Italy in general: if the language barrier is a hindrance hit translate in the drop down, top right. You can read this in Italian! Just like we say for Chez Peachy that there is Geoffrey Bradfield and then there is every other interior designer, we're going to say there's Don Antonio by Starita and then there is every other pizza. We love their complete intensity in getting everything right with no pretense.
Don Antonio was first featured in Tasty Tidbits:
and it has graduated to Peachy's Picks with flying colors. Server Vito Schiavone warmly greeted us with one of the most fantastically fresh burattas we've had, and you should know they make it every morning at Don Antonio. You can tell by how fresh, creamy and basically to-die-for it is. After two solid days of trade shows at the Javits (each of you exhibitors should be ordering this for takeout in your booths why would you ever eat what they serve at the Javits when this is only blocks away!), this was only the beginning of the cherry on top of life dinner for Peachy, and it was paired with a splendid deep full-bodied Dolcetto Dalba Massolino from Piedmonte 2005:
We'd say it is rare to find a pizza place in New York with the quality of wine that Don Antonio boasts, however, when you consider the pizza it all makes sense.
Moments after we began sipping this knockout Italian red, Roberto arrived and said he had some special cocktails for us to try:
First was the Bellini! It was terrifically PEACHY! Made from fresh white peaches pureed, it was absolute glory paired with prosecco.
Next, and this is so new it isn't even on their menu, is the Tintoretto: pomegranate and prosecco! We believe it will be one big hit for fall which is just around the corner.
Pictured above and also at the top of this review is the shining star pizza in a galaxy of winners:
Montanara Starita.
Just like Peachy says: "Amo Le Scarpe Italiane!" (Translation: I love Italian Shoes), she has added to her vocabulary: Amo Montanara Starita!!!!
Lightly fried pizza dough, topped with signature Starita tomato sauce and imported smoked buffalo mozzarella finished in their wood burning oven will immediately win you over. Italy, we are so thankful you are sharing Roberto and his talents with us. He came to America in 1999 and settled in Pittsburgh as an opportunity arose there-he does like the Penguins and he likes the Steelers even better. He is extremely passionate about pizza of course - and ranging from all of you from those that are so positive that your local pizzeria cannot be beat to those of you that believe that pizza is not fine dining-we challenge you to visit Don Antonio because their clearcut commitment to quality that is unprecedented at this level of intensity with proven results will change your mind. For sure. They are better than the local pizzeria and this is fine dining.
We believed a nice salad was in order to balance our diet of burrata and pizza! Pontina was a terrific mix of greens, homemade mozzarella, grape tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.
A salad is a wonderful companion to pizza and you should be aware that we count seven lovely salad choices however we visited Don Antonio to concentrate on PIZZA, which in Peachy's mind is one of the four food groups. What makes the pizza special also is the Double Zero flour from Naples that is used: this ground flour is finer, thus making it better for you as well. The finest ingredients are used all-around and we even checked out the kitchen up close you'll see.
The second pizza we tried was under the Pizze Rosse category (the first had its own category!): the Margherita S.T.G.; this stands for Guaranteed Typical Specialty but perhaps our friend Connie St. George will believe it's named after her! This is classic and is the t-shirt and blue jeans of pizza, and you can take our word that this is the designer pizza version. Tomato sauce, homemade mozzarella-and homemade will knock your socks off if you have not had it, pecorino romano, basil and extra virgin olive oil will convince you that less is more and when something is as basic and perfect as this, you can only imagine what happens when more fireworks are in order.
A television in the corner caught our eye. We said to Roberto where are the Steelers on it? Be aware, this tv is not for sports. It is a real-time camera that shows exactly what is going on in the kitchen, and they aren't kidding either. Stay tuned.
We love how into their trade they are:
The angels on the shoulder of Peachy were back with thoughts of her eating her vegetables with the third pizza we tried found under the Pizze Speciale category: Rachetta!
Note it is shaped like a racquet as the handle is filled like a calzone and you need to be careful not to let anything fall out when you pick up your piece, so hold it at an angle. Made with fresh ricotta, mushrooms, homemade buffalo mozzarella, pecorino romano, basil, EVOO and mixed vegetables that included for us cherry tomatoes, zucchini, yellow and red peppers and eggplant, the Racchetta will continue to make the question "What is Your Favorite Pizza at Don Antonio?" unanswerable. It's kind of like asking what your favorite diamond is at Tiffany's other than the Canary. We like all the diamonds at Tiffany's and we like all the pizza at Don Antonio by Starita.
Check out that handle. How come tennis racquets aren't this delicious?
You must promptly put in your lunch order!
Next on the Roberto Pizza God hit parade was the one Peachy wanted to try the most: Pizza del Re:
It was a complete sea of delicacy and flavors that are unsurpassed for most pizzas. Truffle cream, homemade mozzarella, mushrooms, prosciutto di parma and basil graced our palates and Peachy continued to dream about it all night.
This is what you hope St. Peter serves at the gates of heaven, however before you go there, one thing you must do on earth is visit Don Antonio by Starita.
There is even dessert if you can find the space! Angeloiti, meaning small angels, is fried dough and chocolate and completely delicious and indulgent.
Equally pleasing is the Panna Cotta: a gorgeous consistency of creme and chocolate and similar to the inside of a boston creme donut in taste, but much higher quality of course.
A cappuccino, and the night was complete! Except we hadn't tried the gluten-free pizza. Yes, they do it all at Don Antonio:
You will have absolutely no idea it is gluten-free when you taste it.
We even played with the dough which just in feeling it, you can anticipate how tremendous it is going to taste:
And remember that tv we told you about?
They are not kidding; it really is live! We smiled for the camera so you can see just how serious they are about their pizza cam! When it is live online we will let you know as soon as they let us know.
The kitchen is flawless, just like the pizza. You're going to want to move to this block, the pizza is THAT good. You will be saving yourself a plane ticket to Naples, after all.
Our esteemed panelist adds:
Don Antonio's took me back to Naples! By far it was the best pizza I've had in New York. It is true Neapolitan style.
I traveled to Naples Italy a few years ago where for the first time in my life I had REAL pizza. It can be difficult to find a pizzeria that follows the Neapolitan rules properly. These rules include using a special flour, type 00, which is normally pastry flower (higher in protein but very light & fragrant). The dough must be rolled and kneaded by hand and the pizza must be baked for just 60-90 seconds in an oak fired stone oven. Don Antonio's makes a perfect pizza following the Neapolitan guidelines and made for me a very happy night.
For a starter I tried Don Antonio's Homemade Burrata, a ball of mozzarella cheese and cream. They make this fresh every morning at Don Antonio. Owner Roberto brings his family knowledge into this, having grown up making cheese on his farm in Italy. This dish is very unique and artisanal, I would definitely recommend starting a meal at Don Antonio with it.
When I first saw the menu, I suggested to Peachy that she MUST try the Margherita STG (Guaranteed Typical Specialty). While not fancy sounding, a Margherita pizza in its simplicity is the true test of a good pizza. This was my favorite pie of the night. It has a great tomato sauce (cooked while on the pie, not before), fresh basil, and a slight smokey flavor from the wood oven. Yum!
Roberto suggested we try his specialty, the Montanara Starita. For this pizza, they quickly fry the dough before adding the toppings and baking. This really fluffs up the dough making it light and tasty. I've never had any pizza quite like this, it was fantastic!
Peachy and I were lucky to get to try a few other of Roberto's delicious creations. First the Racchetta, or racket shaped pie, was made with fresh ricotta cheese, mushrooms, & mozzarella baked into it. Delicious!
Then the Pizza del Re with truffle cream, mozzarella, mushrooms, prosciutto and basil, wow! Before we left Roberto brought out a gluten-free pizza margherita. His wood oven cooks up the gluten-free dough so well that it is indistinguishable from regular wheat! As a fan of gluten free foods, I was very impressed.
T
hank you Don Antonio for giving me the true Naples experience, I'll be back soon for sure. And I'm glad to see the Don Antonio's is now on Seamless.com. I will be ordering very soon.
Peachy Picks Don Antonio!
Don Antonio by Starita is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
