Acqua: Real Italian pizza in the middle of the city that invented American pizza

Everyone has that quest that they go on in the town or city that they are from to find the superlative for their favorite food groups. One of those journeys for me was to find the one or two restaurants in New York City that offered what I considered to be the best Italian style pizza. Now it is important to define what I mean by Italian style, and I use it pretty loosely to mean thin crust pizza cooked in a brick, open flame, oven. The pizza produced from this cooking style cannot be enjoyed in the classic New York sense of the one hand fold over, rather this pizza sometimes even requires a fork and knife because its crust is just that fragile and thin.

In my search I have identified two places (both on the Upper West Side) that I feel have met my challenge and have risen to a level deserving of a joint superlative stating that Acqua and Nick and Toni’s (to be reviewed soon) have the best thin crust pizza in New York City. I invite our readers to suggest a competitor for them, but for now these are my two picks.

Now Acqua will be the subject of this review. I first introduced Acqua when reviewing Regional as a destination I would choose over Regional unless the weather would not permit the extra travel. That sentiment is still true as I now approach the Acqua review. That all being said lets begin the review:

Acqua is situated on the southwest corner of 95th street and Amsterdam. Its facade allows for both interior and exterior seating (a joy when the weather is nice). The restaurant’s design presents it as a large single room dining environment with a somewhat tightly packed bar at the entrance. The staff have always been extremely accommodating and I have never once had an issue with either the service or the speed of the restaurant. Acqua can only be considered as a truly authentic Italian restaurant. Do not visit Acqua if you are looking for the thicker type of pizza you can enjoy with a fold over and the use of only one hand.

As the menu demonstrates this is not just a pizza place. Though my go to section is the pizza section they also have a wonderfully simple yet delicious pasta selection, there is something to be said about a simple but well prepared rigatoni pomodoro.

Now I know that much of the rhetoric we have used here at Coffee Straws has revolved around how much of a neighborhood place a restaurant is, and I believe that is because the attribute of being a neighborhood place is something we highly value, especially in a place we feel has return value. Thus I will use that adjective again when describing the feel and environment of Acqua. From the Italian wines recommended by the staff to the always delicious and yet seemingly rustic pizza this place is welcomed addition to a street that has seen its fair share of restaurants go under.

The Ranking (for explanation, see “Review Key”):

Food: 3 Straws (can’t complain, its a good meal).

Pizza: 4 Straws (We feel that the pizza deserves a separate ranking due to its deliciousness and authenticity).

Price: $$($)traws, Moderate/Expensive price (about $30 for an appetizer, pizza and glass of wine, but the pizzas are fairly sized and can be a meal just alone making the restaurant a moderately priced place at around $20 a meal).

Atmosphere: A community atmosphere, very welcoming. Its corner location allows for (when the weather is just right) an indoor/outdoor setup.

Overall: 3 Straws (Acqua very much resembles a neighborhood Italian restaurant and responds to that craving for Italian cuisine. Whenever I am in the mood for some good Italian cooking along with Italian wine, Acqua is my choice).

The Details:

Website: n/a

Location: 718 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10025

Phone: (212) 222-2752

Reservation: No Need.

Dress: Casual.

Hours:

Weekdays: 4:00pm-11:30pm

Weekends: 11:00am-11:30pm

Regional: When the weekend brunch carries the weekly dinners

Regional Restaurant is the most recent tenant in a slew of failed restaurants to occupy the location of a once proud Famous Original Rays. In my estimation (and it is not a well researched one), Regional has lasted the longest of all the attempts save the original Rays Pizza. In its current form this restaurant offers a casual Italian experience with a touch of tapas style appetizers and a bunch of well designed pasta dishes. The menu is well thought out and designed to accommodate both the large portion of families in the Upper West Side who seek the traditional three course meal and the many students and young adults who venture south from Columbia University and other points, seeking more of a tapas experience. The atmosphere created in this Italian restaurant is similar to that of the previously reviewed restaurants on the Upper West Side, an neighborhood atmosphere. The staff is very friendly and the restaurant even boasts a communal table where groups of varying sizes can all share in a larger table while enjoying their dinner. In general the dinner is an enjoyable but not memorable experience. In fact what is memorable is that this is an Italian restaurant that doesn’t serve pizza. Perhaps to some that signifies a type of defiance that appears refreshing and new in the face of conformity. To me it reflects an undersized kitchen that is not well equiped for the needs of a true Italian restaurant. I’ve been to many parts of Italy and though the New York style of pizza is American, pizza (in its wonderful thin crust version) is definitively Italian.

Now this restaurant is more than just a dinner place however, they do a weekend brunch that in my observation draws a far larger crowd than the dinner does. Their brunch is nothing special and in fact comes with numerous frustrations due to cost cuts, but it has one saving grace that brings people (even me) back over and over again, unlimited mimosas! Once you order one ($6.00) mimosa, the staff will continually refill it as many times as you want. And I will be honest, you’d expect with a deal like that that the mimosas would be extremely watered down, and yet it is not the case with these at all. These mimosas are certainly well balanced. But on the other hand, many aspects of the brunch leave you unfulfilled. For example a table of two and a table of four both receive the same number (4) of mini-muffins when seated. I personally believe that when providing a sample a muffins there should be at least two of every flavor and at least two for each person. Worse than that, when my table ordered a second serving of muffins (to allow everyone to sample each flavor), we were charged ($6.00) and received the same number. Beyond these side notes, the food itself is not bad but is over priced for the quantity. In reality it is a breakfast/lunch masquerading as a brunch. The last problem with the brunch stems from the flexibility of the menu to accommodate different types of patrons. When the college kids come down to enjoy unlimited mimosas, they establish an environment that annoys and disrupts the families who are presumably there for the food. I have been a member of both types and over the past year have noticed a decrease in families there for brunch versus dinner.

Before getting into the ranking I will conclude by saying that despite my criticism I am a return visitor (I mean you can’t argue with unlimited mimosas) but I only go for dinner when the weather is too rough to make it the extra distance to Acqua on Amsterdam and 95th (to be reviewed, check back soon).

The Ranking (for explanation, see “Review Key”):

Food: 2 Straws (nothing special for dinner and its brunch items are disappointing).

Price: $$$traws, Expensive (minimum $30-$35 for a two course dinner and a drink).

Atmosphere: Casual and welcoming (but very noisy during brunch).

Overall: 2 Straws (the food is good and the brunch has its moments but overall there are better places to go).

The Details:

Website: http://www.regionalnyc.com/

Location: 2607 Broadway, between 99th & 98th street, Manhattan, New York.

Phone: (212) 666-1915

Reservation: No need. Open Table

Dress: Casual.

Hours:

Monday- Wednesday: 5:00pm- 11:00pm

Thursday & Friday: 5:00pm- 11:30pm

Saturday: 11:00am- 4:00pm Brunch, 5:00pm- 11:30pm Dinner

Sunday: 11:00am- 4:00pm Brunch, 5:00pm- 10:30pm Dinner