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What makes good pizza? There is no concrete answer; it is simply a matter of taste. New Yorkers consider themselves something similar to pizza elitists. Anyone would agree that in New York City you can find some of the best pizza America can offer. Joe’s Pizza on Bleecker Street has become a staple of New York pizza, Grimaldi’s in Brooklyn has been declared by some as the best pizza in the city, and Two-Boots has reinvented pizza with pesto and sun dried tomato sauces. When Mario Batali opened his new pizza restaurant, Otto, on 8th Street and 5th Avenue, I was anxious to try it out. After the success of his other restaurants (Babbo, Esca and Lupa) and his television show Molto Mario, I thought, surely Mario could enlighten me on how good pizza can be.

Otto was one of those restaurants that foodies such as myself really look forward to going to, and once there, become really disappointed. The service was fine, except for the guy constantly sweeping the floor under my table, but the pizza was not at all what I had expected. When I was there I tried an "Otto" pizza that featured fennel seeds, raw fennel, anchovies, and something interesting called bottarga, which I was informed was dried roe, grated like cheese and sprinkled on top of the pie. I hesitantly tried it, and the bottarga provided saltiness along with a nutty flavor and aroma. The fennel was a little overpowering, but the contrast between the flavors balanced nicely. I also tried the Margherita pizza, which is simply fresh tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and basil leaves. How it was possible that Batali could screw up a plain pizza was beyond me – but he managed to do so. There was not enough cheese, and the tomato sauce was too watered down. It tasted as though I had taken a Carr’s water cracker and put some Ragu marinara sauce on top. The liberal toss of whole basil leaves may have been aesthetically pleasing, but overall it made the herb taste too strong. The size of the pies were perfect for one person, so if you are going with friends I suggest ordering a few pizzas to get the full effect and a large array of flavors.

The best part of the evening was the dessert. Looking for something light and refreshing yet also sweet and satisfying, I looked to the gelato and sorbet. The grapefruit sorbet was just as I had expected, naturally sweet and juicy with a perfect consistency. But it was the chocolate-hazelnut gelato that left me wanting more. I cannot remember the last time I have tasted gelato so luxurious and smooth, with a balance between creamy and sweet. Bite-sized chips of chocolate and crunched hazelnuts were evenly blended throughout. It was one of those desserts that you can’t just eat in one or two bites; you have to savor it for as long as possible (without letting it melt, of course). The entire evening had come down to this moment, and nothing was about to stand in the way of my glorious sweet epiphany, Molto Mario-style.

If you decide to go to Otto and savor the delicious gelato, hopefully you will skip the pizza to avoid ruining the experience. Although I have to warn you: getting in might be harder than you think. My best advice is to go later in the evening, after 9:30, in order to get a table sooner. Bring your credit card, too - dinner for two with wine, appetizers, cracker-style pizza and desserts could run you over $70. Actually, you are better off staying at home and sticking a frozen pizza in the oven.

Otto Restaurant

1 Fifth Avenue

New York City

(212) 995-9559

($20 and under)

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