Neapolitan Pizza in Greenwich Village - L’antica Pizzeria da Michele

We'd been wanting to try this busy Greenwich Village spot since it opened last year. Bill's recent birthday gave us the perfect excuse. Da Michele is the NYC outpost of a small pizza restaurant in Naples that was established in 1870. The original appears in both the book and movie versions of "Eat, Pray, Love." To this day, the Neapolitan branch serves just two types of pizza: Margherita and Marinara (the New York menu offers a greater variety).

We get what the fuss is about. The pizzas were superb: thin, crispy crust blistered in a wood-burning oven, with just the right amount of toppings. We shared two: the Bianca and the Arugula & Prosciutto.

The generous salads were a great surprise. Our favorite was the Carciofi, a wonderful mix of shaved artichokes, pistachios, Pecorino Romano, and a light lemon dressing. We didn't try any of the starters, pastas, or desserts (though we were tempted), but we'll be back. Da Michele is open for breakfast and brunch, too. The Cacio e Pepe Scone sure sounds intriguing...

L'Antica Pizzeria Da Michele, 81 Greenwich Ave. at Bank St. Click here for their website.