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At the vanguard of New York's fried pizza trend, PizzArte turns out tasty pies frittered pies: surprisingly light and airy, appropriately sauced and not overly cheese-bombed. But the regular wood-fired ones are just as nice as their deep-fried brethren and come with an exuberant roster of toppings (who would say no to burrata on a pizza?). Pastas are not exactly Babbo-caliber and the stuzzichini and antipasti are straightforward, so go with some of the menu’s bright salads to cut through the carb-heavy pizza onslaught. Something about the duplex midtown digs brings to mind dining in a European airport; maybe it’s the abundance of international accents among the diners, or the sleek banquets, angular chairs, and spare light fixtures all in a modern gray-slate-cream color palate. One element punctuating the spare motif is the behemoth Napoli-imported pizza oven in a sultry blood-red mosaic. Another is the art on the walls by Neapolitan artists, all of it for sale. We’re not talking DaVinci here—but for eye candy, you could do much worse when the lines at the MoMA’s cafe are too long. — Edna Ishayik

Montanara, $14, PizzArte, $21

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New York Magazine Reviews

• Robin Raisfeld and Rob Patronite's Full Review (12/5/11)