Viva slice at Rigoletta [Photograph: Garrett Palm]

My ongoing quest for good slices in the Upper West Side brought me to a quaint twenty seat pizzeria called Rigoletto Pizza. The peels hanging on the wall along with the sturdy countertop were enough to impress any woodworker.

Rigoletto's Viva is draped with thinly sliced fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil and served piping hot from Rigoletto's gas powered deck ovens. The creamy, evenly melted mozzarella cheese was particularly mild when juxtaposed with the sweet herb-enriched cooked tomato sauce lying beneath it. The off-season tomatoes were a bit sour, but the crisp-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside crust was the highlight. I'll be back for another.

Rigoletto Pizza

208 Columbus Avenue, New York NY 10023 (map)
212-721-2929