Peachy Picks Denino's Greenwich Village of Manhattan Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
Owner Joe Castellano (right) with his two sons, Joe Jr. and Matthew
"Carlo Denino was a great, generous man. He created the pizza for Denino's which started in 1937 as a confectionery, transitioned to a bar, and finally became a pizza place in 1951. In 1989, I started at Denino's in Staten Island and as my admiration and love for the award-winning thin crust pizza and Italian specialties grew, I knew I wanted to open my own place, and Denino's had not yet taken Manhattan. We're so proud to represent the Denino's brand here and every day I come to my job it's not work; it's a pleasure. We look forward to meeting you and sharing our delicious classic Italian cuisine."
-Joe Castellano
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BE HAPPY!
Eat Denino's Pizza.
Eat Denino's Pizza.
It's not who you know, it's WHOM YOU KNOW and we are so glad to know Joe Castellano and his brother, Steven, owners of Denino's Greenwich Village of Manhattan. This venue is the first place in all of Manhattan to be both featured initially and advance to Peachy's Picks in 2017; that evidences how much we liked it there. It is absolutely competitive with all the great places previously featured. Not all initial takeout reviews are, and that is why you might see a place mentioned only once.
The warm, welcoming atmosphere, the absolutely outstanding pizza, wine list, calamari...we could go on and we will so keep reading. Also they are pro-sports and we see sports on tv at the bar; this is crucially important to Peachy during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. No food is more important than hockey...well, actually let us rephrase: food during hockey is important.
This is Peachy's second visit to Denino's.
It was first featured in Terrific Takeout in January 2017:
Joe Castellano has one of the most smashing personalities among new restaurant owners we've met, and he has great taste. We enjoyed this splendid Chianti during our Denino's experience; we also like that Joe was a firefighter. We are in total support of our firefighters, policeman and military. Meet the best calamari in all of Manhattan:
We were impressed during the first feature, but this visit confirmed the consistency of this perfectly lightly breaded fresh magnificent wonder of the sea just ready to swan dive into the marinara. Every bite of Calamari is pure bliss and these are definitely addictive.
We never edit pictures; this is the truth.
They do look this light and flaky and crunchy and in a word, perfect.
We are always looking for fabulous ways to enjoy adding vegetables to our meal; the key word being enjoy. Obviously you know they are a great idea generally speaking....and when perusing the pasta section of the menu, the Broccoli Rabe Ravioli jumped out at us. Sundried tomato, crumbled sausage, and broccoli rabe all elegantly waltz in a gorgeous white wine, garlic and oil sauce that is amazingly fitting to the ingredients. This classic will wow you and it is every bite as delicious as it looks. Don't let the casual nature of the venue fool you; this dish is all pinkies-out.
Some of the salads on the menu at Denino's are a meal in themselves; all have the option to add fried or grilled chicken. We chose to add grilled chicken to the House Salad.
Sometimes people say "House Salad" on their menu and it is boring, unsophisticated or just not really the kind of house you want to visit. House Salad at Denino's means they are rolling our a red carpet for the super fresh, perfectly sliced wonderful bastion of nutrition that you will be thrilled to meet. It includes carrots, red cabbage, tomatoes, and lettuce; we love how they put the dressing on the side and listen. Again, the pictures do not lie. Especially with fresh, uncooked vegetables you can see the brightness reflecting the freshness and wonderful, satisfying crisp that will emanate from each.
Denino's A Salute
Fresh mozzarella, Ricotta, Arugula, Lemon Dressing, Shaved Reggiano Parmesean
Half Denino's M.O.R. Pie
Meatball, Fresh Onion, Ricotta
Half Special Pie
Sausage and Mushrooms
You are totally missing out on life in Manhattan if you have not had the pizza at Denino's, which is the #1 reason to visit. Every bite of every slice that Peachy has tried both visits was phenomenally wonderful. The crust is thin yet strong, the ingredients from the sauce to the elegant arugula evidence that this is no ordinary pizza and that Denino's are pizza artisans, and the cheese is absolutely heavenly. We're so impressed with this great brand we've found and we look forward to showing you their future development. Keep in mind they haven't even been open a year yet!
Our esteemed panelist adds:
The first thing that struck me when I entered Denino’s was the warm welcome from owner Joe. With his warm, friendly smile and greeting I immediately formed the impression that he was extremely happy with life and his restaurant. He told me that he was a “people’s person” and he "likes making people happy”. At that stage I wondered whether the cuisine would match the buildup!
For the appetizer I ordered Caprese, which comprised of fresh Mozzarella, tomato, roasted red peppers, drizzled with balsamic glaze and it went well with their garlic bread which I also adored. This Caprese is a difficult dish to ruin, however the presentation was alluring and the dish was a delightfully light and fresh way to start the proceedings. The Mozzarella was a fitting partner for the tomato, with the roasted red peppers contributing a lovely contrasting taste to this impressive starter.
I then went for the Caesar salad, which again had a wonderful fresh crisp taste. This is just how Caesar salad should be, crispy greens, accompanied with crunchy croutons with the perfectly minimal amount of dressing, making this dish fresh, tasty and not drowned by mayonnaise or other dressings, thus allowing the actual salad to correctly be the dominant taste.
For my pasta course, I opted for the “Shrimp Arrabbiata” which is derived from the Italian word for angry due to the fiery sauce. This didn’t disappoint and far from being angry I was delighted with the fusion of tastes, the fiery sauce containing onions, red peppers and garlic with the linguine was truly amazing. Knowing I had the pizza coming up, I left some to take home. The following day, I was somewhat skeptical as pasta dishes are often better eaten fresh and don’t always keep well but I have to admit when warmed up in microwave it was as good if not better than the day before! I shared it with my wife, now I have to book a table to take her to Denino’s!
Finally it was time to try the Pizza, the signature dish that this establishment has won so many awards for. I sampled three different types, “Denino’s A Salute” (Mozzarella, Ricotta, Arugula, Lemon dressing and Shaved Reggiano Parmesan). “Special Pie”(Sausage & Mushroom) and Denino’s M.O.R Pie (Meatball, Onion and Ricotta). All three were unbelievable and well worth waiting for, the many awards they have won for their Pizzas are so obviously well-deserved. The thin crust had a perfect texture; the toppings were all individually tasty and cohesive. My personal favorite was the “Special Pie” which Joe personally recommended. The sausage and mushrooms provided a perfect balance and was mouthwatering and heavenly. It is quite simply the best pizza I have ever tasted!
[Note from the Editor: This panelist is from the UK. We have not had pizza in any country in the UK ever competitive with the pizza in Manhattan...so come over for the pizza!]
The Red wine was Chianti which was soft, warm, pleasantly balanced and accompanied every, course perfectly. It genuinely enhanced the already gorgeous food.
My experience at was an amazing experience, I will be personally recommending Denino’s to everyone who wants top quality cuisine in a relaxing atmosphere with attentive and friendly staff. Joe and his sons make you feel part of the family and they treat you like an honored guest. I recall what he said on my arrival, “I like making people happy”. He certainly made me happy!
Peachy Picks Denino's Greenwich Village; it is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know!
