Artisanal best pizza places in Astoria, NY, that use only natural, organic, locally sourced and imported ingredients.

Via Vai - Astoria

Via Vai in Astoria is unlike any other local Italian restaurant. Chef Antonio Morichini brings the warm hospitality and culinary traditions of his native Rome to the neighborhood. This contemporary, cutting-edge Italian restaurant is also a stylish brick oven pizzeria and an enoteca (wine bar). The chef and his family have lived in Astoria since arriving in New York seven years ago.

The food at Via Vai is artisanal and all the pasta is made in-house with an emphasis on fresh, seasonal ingredients. Veggies are locally sourced as are the meats, fish and poultry. Chef Antonio stays true to his family's culinary traditions. This is how they do things in Rome and this is how it will be in Astoria. Simple, expertly prepared, tasty and generously portioned culinary treasures on your plate.

One of the signature creations is the Rotolo Di Gnocco (house-made rolled gnocchi filled with ricotta cheese and spinach in mushroom sauce). Chef's Pizza Tonde selections are 12-inch individual pizzas with a Roman-style thin crust. This is specialty, hand-crafted pizza at its very best. In addition to Le Rosse (tomato sauce and cheese), there are 14 styles of pizza to choose from. Each one of chef's pizza inventions is worth your time and money. The Capricciosa is a simply marvelous blend of marinated artichokes, prosciutto, olives, sliced hard-boiled eggs, tomato sauce and Fior di Latte.

The Montanara is both sweet and savory, combining Fior di Latte, mascarpone and Porcini mushroom puree with imported speck. Chefs' Funghi E Salsiccia is a hearty pizza featuring delicious slices of sausage and mushroom. Some of the other individual pies have ingredients like fig marmalade, imported Buffalo mozzarella, arugula and even truffle oil. You can see and taste that you are dealing with an artist in the kitchen.

If you live or work in the area, do take advantage of the Via Vai lunch special. For only $18, you get a cup of soup or salad, a selected pasta or meat entree and coffee, cappuccino or tea. There's a panini lunch special, for $13 which includes soup and salad with a half panini. Soon Via Vai will be offering chef's table dining, which is something to really look forward to.

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Location & Hours

31-09 23rd Avenue
Astoria, NY 11105
(347) 612-4334
Monday 4:00PM to 10:00 PM
Tue-Thu Noon to 10:00 PM
Fri-Sat Noon to 1:00 AM
Sunday Noon to 10:00 PM  

Gaudio's Pizza and Restaurant - Astoria

When is a slice of pizza not just a plain old slice? When your pie comes out of the oven at Gaudio's Pizza and Restaurant. Generations of Astoria residents have walked by the windows at Gaudio's and watched experts at their craft make the best pizza you can have anywhere. The aroma of dough, sauce and cheese emanating from the oven will beckon you inside Gaudio's. Once you're there, you won't want to leave.

The Gaudio family has been at the same location since 1958, a simpler and much less expensive time, when a slice of pizza was a mere 15 cents, and a soda to wash it down cost only a thin dime. Much has changed since the fabulous '50s, but not the quality of pizza served at this much-loved neighborhood standby. Louie Gaudio, the founder and father of the current owner Dominic, came to New York from Calabria, Italy. Louie Gaudio brought with him a solid Italian work ethic, a great deal of charm and personality, plus a talent for preparing good food.

Louie Gaudio saw his customers as valued friends and neighbors. He knew most regulars by their first names. Whether you were having a pizza or a dish of spaghetti a la Gaudio's (meat sauce and peas), Louie and his chef prepared your order with pride. This tradition is carried on today by Dominic. Personable and always with a ready smile, Dominic and his team have some pretty big shoes to fill.

The pizza at Gaudio's is old-school and that's what makes it so very special. Nothing is frivolous or fancy. Everything, though, is so good. Gaudio's white pizza is a perfect blend of mozzarella and ricotta. You don't miss the sauce at all. Toppings for your pie or slice include pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, peppers and onions, black olives and broccoli. Want to get a little adventurous? Then go Sicilian or order up a Grandma Pie.

Dominic renovated the place a few years back. The color schemes and furniture are beautiful. And you can't beat the refrigerator display case, by the front counter. It holds all kinds of cakes and tempting desserts. From chocolate cake to pastry and Italian cheesecake, Gaudio's is your sweet-tooth destination. So no matter how much you enjoyed that pizza or dish of Fettuccini Alfredo, please save room for dessert.

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Location & Hours

40-13 30th Avenue
Astoria, NY 11103
(718) 721-2882
 

Retro Pizza - Astoria

Whether you're Chazz Palminteri, Channing Tatum, Bob De Niro or an Astoria local grabbing a slice to go before taking in a movie at the Kaufman Studios Multiplex, who doesn't love pizza?
A great slice has become a part of Americana, especially in New York. The newest "in" place to get your pizza-fix is Retro Pizza Cafe in the heart of Astoria. Everything about Retro Pizza harkens back to the good old days of cinema. Even Retro's logo and menu design evokes nostalgia in a uniquely hip sort of way. The ambience of Retro is like no other pizza place anywhere in the city. It's very stylish with a burnished wood decor. One wall features reproductions of Italian movie posters from the '50s and '60s. The opposite wall features photos of Italian cinema legends from yesteryear such as the timeless beauty of Sophia Loren or the dashing and debonair Marcello Mastrianni. One half expects to see Marcello ride up to the sidewalk curb on a Vespa, with Sophia riding shotgun!

Retro Pizza Cafe's menu is varied and caters to all tastes. A full slate of pasta dishes, paninis, salads, hot heroes and entrees are available to feed you just like momma used to when you were a kid. Retro runs daily specials that are a big hit when it comes to your box office. It's good food at great prices. A few of Retro's recent special savings, include lasagna with garlic knots for only $5.99, a huge chicken parm hero for $5.50 and a large pizza for the awesome price of $9.99.

The ladies will love Retro's healthy salad choices, like the Beet Salad with goat cheese, arugula and walnuts. The Caprese Salad is also a marquee headliner with it's tasty mix of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil. However, great as everything is on the menu, Retro is all about the slice. When you order one and then get two more slices, you'll know what we're talking about! The cheese slice hits all the right notes with the perfect balance of cheese and sauce.

When your appetite is adventurous, try one of Retro's amazing specialty pies. The Sebastiano is a guy's dream pizza with heaps of pepperoni, sausage, onions, mushrooms and peppers. The Wild Mushroom Pie gives you a 'shroom fix to end them all. This pizza is covered with Portobello mushrooms, shitake, fresh mozzarella, truffle oil and herbs. Health-conscious? Retro's got you covered with the Veggie Lover, starring a harvest of fresh mixed vegetables. If you are really, really into cheese, then put the Quattro Pie on your culinary bucket list. This rich and flavorful pie consists of mozzarella, provolone, parmesan and blue cheese.

The staff behind the counter is friendly and accommodating. If you tell them that you like your pizza on the soft and "creamy" side, that's how you'll get it. Retro does delivery and wait time is minimal. After all, great customer service is part of Retro's old-school theme. Despite all the Hollywood and Sophia Loren memorabilia on the walls, you the customer are the real star here. At Retro, you can taste La Dolce Vita in every bite.

Location & Hours

41-02 Broadway
Astoria, NY 11103
(347) 612-4460

Rizzo's Fine Pizza - Astoria  

When it comes to checking out a pizza place or their website, it's not everyday that you come across a quote from the esteemed founding father, Benjamin Franklin. Yet, Ben Franklin's words of advice, that "it is better to fail at originality than to succeed at imitation" have inspired several generations of the Rizzo family. Their pizza-making philosophy is simple and straightforward... don't pay attention to the competition and whichever pizza topping is "in" this week with the food critics. Just stick to the basics and do it better than anyone else. That's why, despite ever-changing trends in life and neighborhood demographics, Rizzo's Fine PIzza is still a part of the Astoria landscape after more than 50 years in business.

When you taste a Rizzo slice, you'll know that pizza made the traditional way is far from bland and boring. The excitement is in the cheese and in the tomato sauce. Because let's face it, if those ingredients aren't good, it doesn't matter how many exotic toppings you pile on top of the dough. The store itself is small with a few tables and an affectionate old-school feel. Once you're on the premises, you just know that this is where master pizza chefs are working.

Yes, Rizzo's sticks to the basics, but they do give their customers a great deal of variety on the menu. How does 18 types of pizza work for you? These pizzas may be creative but they are not "out there." There's no Hawaiian Pizza to be had here. The toppings are all delicious and true to the Rizzo's Italian heritage. One of the standouts coming out of the Rizzo's Pizza oven is the Fantasia, a luscioius blend of basil pesto, ricotta cheese, roasted peppers and marinated mushrooms. The Capponata features slices of tender eggplant with red onions along with black and green olives. The Carnosa will satisfy your meat craving for days. This pie holds a bounty of meatballs, pepperoni, grilled chicken, sausage and bacon.

When you are ordering delivery for a romantic evening, don't forget to ask for Rizzo's Pizzetta Nutella. This "so glad you thought of it" dessert is a light, thin crust pizza for two, topped with decadent chocolate hazelnut cream, dark chocolate chips and a generous dusting of confectioner's sugar. Could anything be sweeter? The guys and gals at Rizzo's take pride in their homemade sweet cream-filled cannolis as well as their homemade gelati and Italian ices. At Rizzo's, nothing is ever left to chance. When the little things matter, then you know that your pizza is going to taste good. 

Location & Hours

30-13 Steinway Street
Astoria, NY 11103 (718) 721-9862

Tufino- Astoria 

All too often, what passes for pizza is just a gob of greasy, oily cheese and sauce on top of not so fresh dough.  It's far from a satisfying dining experience, that's for sure. All is not lost, however.  All you have to do to enjoy the  most authentic  Neapolitan style pizza is to  take a short walk or train ride over to Ditmars in Astoria, which is  home to Tufino Pizzeria. Here, amidst a casual but charming  true to life Neapolitan pizzeria setting, you will enjoy some of the best pizza in town.
 

 
Tufino is a family run business, so you know that there is a lot of pride involved. These are no pizza-makers but artisans. At Tufino, they adhere to the traditional, centuries old way of making pizza. There are no short cuts taken here and the quality and craftsmanship shows in each and every bite. The best compliment that we can pay the pizzaiolas at Tufino is to venture that you cannot buy a better slice, even if you were on vacation in Naples. Their dough is absolutely fresh. It is made in-house every day from imported flour.  As the Neapolitan pizzaiolas in Naples do, Tufino naturally leavens the flour for three days. They use organic ingredients whenever possible and they even make their own vegan cheese, for customers with special dietary preferences. The centerpiece at this restaurant is their custom-made Stefano Ferrara wood burning oven. The oven was constructed using volcanic ash from Mount Vesuvius, near Naples. This  is what gives your pizza such a distinct and satisfying flavor. There's nothing like a pie that is made in a coal oven. Period and exclamation point.

The menu offers eighteen different and tempting pizza selections. You will want to try them all. For a slightly different taste try the Napoli, which has organic Italian tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, capers, basil, grana padano and anchovies. The patatine pie is topped with sliced Yukon gold potatoes, leeks, provolone, pancetta and Parmigiano cheese. The Prosciutto and Arugula pie is light and refreshing. Organic, baby arugula, Prosciutto Di Parma, fresh lemon juice, mozzarella, tomato sauce and truffle oil complete your pie. Another tasty choice is the Waltino, which  adds spicy olives, eggplant and ricotta salata to their organic sauce and fior Di Latte. The pizzaiolas here turn relatively plain, basic  pizza, like a Margherita or San Gennaro (with sausage and a touch of honey picante) into works of culinary art. They even  turn out a vegan pie that just about anyone can enjoy. The Vegetarian (vegan) has organic sauce, Daiya mozzarella, basil, organic cherry tomatoes, white  onions, mushrooms, sea salt and EVOO. Great taste, artisanal pizza and a warm, welcoming atmosphere are the reasons why there's Tufino and then there's all the rest.

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Location and Hours 

36-08 Ditmars Blvd.
Astoria NY 11105
(718) 278-4800
www.tufinopizzeria.com/ 
 
Hours
Monday to Friday        5 PM to 10 PM
Saturday and Sunday  12 PM to 11 PM