Veloce Pizzeria

by Celia Sin-Tien Cheng
October 2, 2009

WHITE CLAM SICILIAN PIZZA
103 1st Ave
(6th & 7th Sts)
New York, NY 10003
212-777-6677

Recently my fellow food-loving neighbor, Tommy, asked me what my favorite pizza was. Stumped, I stuck to my staple favorite, Franny’s, and he made me promise that I would try the Sicilian pizza at his favorite, Veloce Pizzeria, the first chance I got. I’m not a fan of Sicilian, but Tommy assured me that Veloce’s was nothing like the usual doughy, undercooked-on-the-inside Sicilians of my prior experience and that they had a clam pie to die for. Moved by his passionate plea, I couldn’t wait to try it.

Arriving at Veloce, I immediately recognized it as the former wine bar Solex. Still owned by Frederick Twomey of Bar Veloce and Bar Carrerra, the East Village pizza/wine bar, with the help of Sara Jenkins (Porchetta, 50 Carmine), is a hit.

We ordered two pies, white clam and mushroom, as well as fried porchetta meatballs and a ballaró salad to start. The fried meatballs with shaved red onion, parsley and lemon were a hearty complement to the lighter salad of romaine hearts, tomato, red onion, cucumber and oregano dressing. The two starters whet our appetites, and we knew we were in for a treat when the pies arrived.

The Sicilian pizzas are served at the table in 12-inch pans, and as Tommy promised, the texture of Veloce’s pies is nothing like the Sicilians I’ve tried before. Veloce’s Sicilian is elegant. The crust is voluminous and springy, not thick nor dense. And the crispy edges are addictive. The clam pie (only served when they have fresh clams) is truly out of this world. The better of the two pies, unlike the mushroom, the clam pie retained its springy, crispy texture throughout the meal. Topped with clam, garlic, oregano and Grana Padano, it was distinctly spicy though there were no visible red pepper flakes on the pie. It was actually the garlic that gave it that pungent kick that I found essential. The mushroom pie, a medley of oyster and hen of the woods, plus mozzarella thyme and Grana Padano, felt overloaded and the crust caved in from the weight and juices. I would have expected the mushrooms to emanate a more woodsy flavor, but they were rather subdued.

Since it’s a Veloce bar — you’ll recognize the signature (mainly) Italian black and white movies playing in the restaurant — the wine list is longer and more carefully curated than those of most other pizzerias, plus there are liquors and beers. The Radeberger, a German pilsner on draft that’s ice cold, smooth, and tastes of honey, is a delicious accompaniment to pizza.

Already dazzled by all the goods I had tasted, I was even more delighted to learn that Veloce offers a lunch and late-night deal of a Margarita slice, arugula salad and a beer for just $10. No wonder Tommy was raving. Now I see the light.

Also in East Village, Italian, Pizza