Rigoletto Pizza

Elite '08

20

200

Eric S.

Astoria, NY

Above average pizza in an area of town that its hard to find anything reasonable to eat. Reasonable as in I don't own a condo. That kind of person, you know, commoners.

Regular slices are good and they have a variety of sauces to put on top of them, a weird custom, I've never seen it before. It was really good. Check out their spicy one.

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Elite '08

119

579

Scott R.

New York, NY

Very good Lincoln Center area by-the-slice pizzeria in a spare Meditteranean-accented space.

Rigoletto's standard slice ($3) has a thin crispy crust.  Cheese and sauce are well-balanced and have some spice to it.

I've also tried their white pizza ($3) on a lark (it's not my thing) - almost on par with the standard slice.

The coup de gras, as others have mentioned, are their trio of complementary hot sauces that borrow from the cuisines of their Latin/Mexican sister restaurants Cafe Ronda and Cafe Frida.  My favorite one is a chimichurri-like sauce - olive oil, parsley, garlic, etc. - which goes surprisingly well with pizza.  The red pepper based one isn't remarkably different than sprinkling red pepper on the slice.  The salsa verde is the most out there - I liked the flavor of the sauce but not particularly with the pizza.

I agree with Steve M on this one - I think this is the best Lincoln Center slice and probably the best UWS standard slice (north of 96th st.).  I say standard slice b/c it falls just short of the tomato & garlic grandma slice at New Pizza Town on 77th and Broadway - http://www.yelp.com/bi...)

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1

18

NYC Food Guy -.

New York, NY

For more on my New York Pizza Tour click here:
http://nycfoodguy.com/...

Or Check out NYCFoodGuy.com for mouth-watering pics and reviews

I've been meaning to stop in at Rigoletto Pizza for a few months, hoping to grab a slice while walking to work. Unfortunately, I'm always running late and it wasn't until a frigid Monday night that I grabbed a slice. Better late than never, Rigoletto's plain slice passed the test. The search for the best slice on the UWS continues, but I'll be eating at Rigoletto again before then.

NYC Food Guy's three requirements for a good slice of pizza...

1) Light, airy crust strong enough to support the weight of a slice, chewy enough to be eaten alone

2) Tasty sauce which isn't too sweet, salty, or thin and doesn't pool when you fold a slice

3) Good Cheese to Sauce Ratio. I like a balanced slice. If I didn't I'd eat a white slice or a marinara.

How Rigoletto fared...

1) The crust was light, airy, sturdy, and slightly chewy. The flavor is nothing special, it reminded me of an ordinary Italian bread. Grade: B+

2) The sauce was a little sweeter than I like but it had some substance and it held the cheese to the slice without squirting off the edges. Grade: C

3) The sauce to cheese ratio was pretty much perfect. The slice folded well and I wasn't squeezing out extra sauce when I got past the slice's halfway point. Grade: A

So there you have it, the crust and the sauce to cheese ratio carry Rigoletto's plain slice. As I stated earlier, it's by no means the best slice on the UWS but definitely a worthy option compared to places like T&R, City Pie, and Freddie and Peppers (all reviewed here).

One other interesting option at Rigoletto is something I had only enjoyed at Traviata pizza (reviewed here), garlic and pepper-based sauces to put on the pizza. Mild, Medium, and Hot.

My only excuse for not trying all of these enticing sauces is that it was semi-late and I didn't want to be tasting them for the rest of the night. Regardless, the delicious garlic sauce at Traviata Pizza most closely resembled the mild sauce at Rigoletto, so there's a good starting point.

Continue the rest of my New York Pizza Tour at http://nycfoodguy.com/...

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Elite '08

116

160

Sarah B.

Atlanta, GA

Yummy and close to good cupcakes and cookies.  What more could you want from a pizza place?

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Elite '08

43

115

Marie B.

Brooklyn, NY

Really good pizza with fresh toppings and enough customer traffic that the slices don't get all icky from sitting there. Cheese, crust, sauce to my liking. Crispy and chewy at the same time. Flavorful. Better atmosphere than some comparable pizza places, though tiny.

Those little sauces are the best, especially if you get bored with food a few bites in like I do, because I have the attention span of a fruit fly. You can keep rotating suaces and it is like you have 3 different dishes, all on one slice! But if you are a normal human being this may not excite you..

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8

11

Gene L.

New York, NY

The pizza here is pretty much standard. However, I come back here for the condiments. It's absolutely delicious. I ate lunch here three times this week since it's a few blocks from where I live.

It's hard to get a table though, and I like to eat inside.

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Elite '08

260

258

Steve M.

New York, NY

Easily the best gas oven pie in the Lincoln Center area. I used to go here all the time but I haven't been in a while so tonight I stopped in for a couple of slices. Wow! I forgot how good this place was. Why ever did I neglect it for so long?!

The crust is the best part. Very crispy on the bottom, yet chewy at the same time. It actually makes a "crackle" when you bite into it like the fried chicken commercials on TV. Wish their outer ring of crust was a little puffier and bubblier though.

The sauce is a bit too sweet for my taste and kind of bland with not a lot of tang to it, but not enough to constitute ruination. Actually, it's pretty good compared to most places.

The cheese is very non-greasy and they put on just enough to compliment, not overwhelm the pie. Beautiful melty, not thick or stringy consistency too.

I wish they could get together with La Traviata http://www.yelp.com/bi... and put LT's sauce on their pizzas. Then maybe Rigoletto + Traviata would = Aida!

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56

90

Andrew C.

Santa Clara, CA

This place makes a great slice.  I strongly recommend the mushroom and goat cheese pizza.  You also have to try the "sauces."  The hotsauce is the best.  It's really hot with a hint of sweetness.  The price is right and the service is fast.

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0

7

laura m.

Tiburon, CA

Some of the worst pizza i have ever had. The hawaiian was soooo bland, how do you get hawaiian wrong? It honestly tasted like cardboard.

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Elite '08

99

377

MARIANA L.

New York, NY

I am a pizza snob.  Actually, I used to think that I didn't like Pizza at all until I found this gem.  Super-thin crust, strong chunky tomato sauce, (more tomato than sauce) and the freshest herbs and ingredients.  Good fresh mozarella, (not the string crap that most joints serve).  A trio of infused olive oils to further embellish your slice.  The best place to grab an inexpensive quick bite (in an otherwise pricey 'hood') before the movies or Lincoln Center event.

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13

14

Paula M.

Brooklyn, NY

mmm... love rigoletto's.  i don't even like pizza (or don't even like domino's or pizza hut) but this is good pizza.  thin and crispy not too much cheese not to much sauce.  perfect.  a slice of meatball is delicious and filling.  i get them cut in half since they're so huge and they're easier to eat that way.

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