La Pizza Fresca

On Friday, I started a new job in the Flatiron District.  I had plans to meet G for dinner in that general area later that day, but we hadn't decided upon a specific restaurant and planned to make it a game-time decision.  Luckily, on my way to the new job's corporate headquarters, I passed what appeared to be a lovely little Italian restaurant that looked very cozy and inviting.  I suggested it to G and she was game, so when we were both done working, we met up at La Pizza Fresca Ristorante.  The first thing that we noticed upon taking our seats was that each table had a wine glass centerpiece with a real, white rose floating inside.

 

It's details like this that make going out for dinner feel truly special, in my opinion.  We looked around at the softly lit interior and the exposed brick walls and commented that it would be a great date spot.

We didn't want to let the romantical atmosphere go to waste so we tried looking longingly into each other's eyes for a bit, but then we got bored and decided that it was time to order a bottle of wine instead.

 

We went for a bottle of pinot grigio that proved to be a nice, light complement to the food that we ordered.  Speaking of which, we started by sharing the Insalata di Rucola, with wild arugula, endives, and shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.

The bite of the Parmigiano Reggiano juxtaposed with the slightly bitter, earthy arugula was a great way to wake up our palates for the meal.  We followed up the salad with the Funghi pizza:  mushrooms, bufala mozzarella, and San Marzano tomato.

 

The pizzas at La Pizza Fresca are wood-fired Neopolitan-style pizzas that adhere to the standards of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana.  And you can certainly taste it.  The pie was light and delicious and it was clear that the ingredients were high-quality and extremely fresh.  We devoured the entire pizza before we knew it and didn't even feel guilty about it.

At this point, our waitress came by and asked if we were interested in dessert.  G politely declined but I was having none of that and ordered the Tartufo.

I'm so glad that I didn't skip out on dessert because this was incredible.  A chocolate ice cream truffle with a white cream center, topped with chopped hazelnuts.  It was like a little ball of nutella ice cream heaven.

It was quite the happy accident that I walked by this place and actually noticed it (I can be a rather unobservant passerby at times) because it turned out to be a little gem.  I will definitely be back to try more of the pizzas and to work my way through the dessert menu, although it would be painful to not order the tartufo again, I have to admit.  

G and I finished gabbing and then parted ways, and I walked back towards the subway through Madison Square Park, where I stopped to admire the glow from the Empire State Building.

All in all, it hadn't been a bad day.  A new job, a newly discovered restaurant, good food and drinks with a good friend, and a sparkly view during an evening stroll.  And best of all, the next day was Saturday.

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