Caffe Rustico

Located among a sea of residential houses, this hidden little neighborhood pizza spot dishes out quite a good no frills NY slice. Has a little bit of that old school rustic vibe with the brick oven and wall color scheme and tile floors. The slice itself looked like a nice one, really good sauce to cheese ratio on the thin and well crisped underside that sported some fine micro aeration in the interior structure. Absolutely zero flop and a sweet little crackle in the back crust as I gave it the typical fold. The proper amount of bite and chew is what you expect from a good NY slice and this one delivers. The sauce is very savory in its delivery with a good burst of flavor when it first hits your mouth, the cheese is your pretty standard mild shred but got a nice caramelization in the cook so it gives a nice added depth in taste. The back crust is slightly denser but does yield a very good exterior crunch with a more moderate chew. This is a very good local spot that serves up a slice that checks off many of the things I love in a classic NY slice (crispness, bold savory flavors, thin underside, great sauce/cheese ratio, etc.) You’d never stumble upon this place unless you were purposely looking for it or lived in the immediate area but I’m so glad I found this little hidden gem tucked away in the Northernmost section of Whitestone.