In Murray Hill, there are a hundred and one pizza places. There are a dozen and one sit-down pizza restaurants. But, to my knowledge, there is only one brick-oven pizza place. It was a very welcomed addition to the neighborhood in my book! And, I was excited to finally try it out.
Aside from its brick oven, Vezzo stood out in a lot of other ways too. As soon as I walked in, I noticed how the restaurant has a very warm feeling with exposed brick and pipes and dim lighting. And that was even on a cool, rainy night. It has a vibe that is different from any of the other Italian/pizza places nearby. It felt more comfortable and authentic with people drinking Peronis and wine out of carafes.
There was a pretty long wait on a Saturday night and virtually no waiting area. So, when a few seats opened up the bar, my friend and I were happy to sit there rather than keep waiting. We decided to share a salad and a pizza. I almost never dine at the bar anywhere, so it was fun to change it up and to also be in the middle of all the action. The hostess was also playing the roll of waitress, bartender, and busboy, so things seemed a little frantic, but service was still very quick and attentive.
We started with the Greek salad that was served with black olives, feta cheese, cucumbers, yellow peppers, sweet red onions, and tomatoes. The salad arrived very quickly, but looked like it was completely dry. Soon followed bottles of extra virgin olive oil and white balsamic vinegar. I had never heard of, let alone had, white balsamic vinegar, but I have since become a huge fan. It was similar in flavor to regular balsamic, but something about it made it better!
We looked over the huge list of pizza options and noticed how many creative combos there were: Chixpotle, El Greco, Spicy Garden. We ended up going with Fromaggio Blanco, which had fresh ricotta, fresh mozzarella, spinach, and basil. Even though it had no sauce, it was far from dry or bland. With a little dash of garlic powder, the pizza was delicious. There was a little too much fresh basil on top, but it was easy to pick off. The pizza was super thin, and the crust was perfect…not too doughy, but not too crispy.
In Italian, vezzo means "habit." They must have known they had a good thing going because I definitely would like to make a habit of this place. I am eager to go back and try some of the other pizza combinations. The other pizzas we saw on other diners’ tables all looked fantastic. Vezzo is the perfect kind of place to go with friends, sit back, and enjoy the great food, drink, and atmosphere.
Vezzo
178 Lexington Avenue
@ 31st Street
website
Menu Pages listing
Aside from its brick oven, Vezzo stood out in a lot of other ways too. As soon as I walked in, I noticed how the restaurant has a very warm feeling with exposed brick and pipes and dim lighting. And that was even on a cool, rainy night. It has a vibe that is different from any of the other Italian/pizza places nearby. It felt more comfortable and authentic with people drinking Peronis and wine out of carafes.
There was a pretty long wait on a Saturday night and virtually no waiting area. So, when a few seats opened up the bar, my friend and I were happy to sit there rather than keep waiting. We decided to share a salad and a pizza. I almost never dine at the bar anywhere, so it was fun to change it up and to also be in the middle of all the action. The hostess was also playing the roll of waitress, bartender, and busboy, so things seemed a little frantic, but service was still very quick and attentive.
We started with the Greek salad that was served with black olives, feta cheese, cucumbers, yellow peppers, sweet red onions, and tomatoes. The salad arrived very quickly, but looked like it was completely dry. Soon followed bottles of extra virgin olive oil and white balsamic vinegar. I had never heard of, let alone had, white balsamic vinegar, but I have since become a huge fan. It was similar in flavor to regular balsamic, but something about it made it better!
We looked over the huge list of pizza options and noticed how many creative combos there were: Chixpotle, El Greco, Spicy Garden. We ended up going with Fromaggio Blanco, which had fresh ricotta, fresh mozzarella, spinach, and basil. Even though it had no sauce, it was far from dry or bland. With a little dash of garlic powder, the pizza was delicious. There was a little too much fresh basil on top, but it was easy to pick off. The pizza was super thin, and the crust was perfect…not too doughy, but not too crispy.
In Italian, vezzo means "habit." They must have known they had a good thing going because I definitely would like to make a habit of this place. I am eager to go back and try some of the other pizza combinations. The other pizzas we saw on other diners’ tables all looked fantastic. Vezzo is the perfect kind of place to go with friends, sit back, and enjoy the great food, drink, and atmosphere.
Vezzo
178 Lexington Avenue
@ 31st Street
website
Menu Pages listing
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