Co.

When I first moved to New York in August 2006, I remember hearing about the Roman-inspired pizza slices available in Hell's Kitchen, at the Sullivan Street Bakery. I was told by a co-worker that they had some of the best pizza in the city, but it tended to always fly under the radar.

Little did I know that Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street also owns a local Chelsea eatery: Co., an intimate pizzeria, serving Lahey's newest creation: round, thin-crusted, Nepolitanesque pies with standard, yet delicious toppings.

One key difference between the pies at Sullivan Street and Co. would be the temperature. At Sullivan they're served at room temperature, while at Co., they are baked in at around 700 degrees in a wood-burning oven imported from Modena. And the result is quite appetizing, providing a light, fluffy crust with a slightly charred flavor.

Since the pies are relatively small (4 slices per pie), we decided to order two. First was the Ham and Cheese ($14) which was topped with prosciutto and caraway, and then covered with a 3-cheese mixture of pecorino, gruyère, and buffalo mozzarella. I must say, the prosciutto was outstanding; I would have willingly ordered a second pie simply to devour the ham on top! Our second pizza was the Flambé ($16) which a mixture of parmesan and buffalo mozzarella, with caramelized onions and lardons, covered in a béchamel sauce. At first I was concerned the the sauce was too heavy for the pizza, but I was certainly wrong once I bit into the pizza; the flavors blended together perfectly, creating a truly delicious piece of pizza. I was recommend cutting back on the lardons though, I thought it made the pizza a little too salty at times.

We also ordered an Escarole Salad ($7 – topped with bread crumbs, capers, and anchovies in a lemon and olive oil dressing) which was, well, fine. If I could go back in time and do it all over again, I would have picked something else.

Overall? Co. was a really enjoyable experience, with a friendly staff and excellent food. I would highly recommend giving it a try, but I must say that it was definitely overpriced for pizza. Between the two pies, one salad, and a bottle of wine (with tax and tip), the bill was almost $100!



CO.
230 Ninth Avenue
(at 24th Street)
(212) 243-1105