Company Pizzeria Review: the best casual Italian restaurant in Chelsea, New York City?

June 16, 2009

Pizza Restaurants in New York have stiff competition, but Company Pizzeria may be one place to find the Best New York City Pizza. It’s been a decade-long dream of Jim Lahey, the bread-baking genius behind Sullivan Street Bakery, to combine his obsession for the freshest ingredients with his magic touch with dough, and so fire up the best New York City pizza, a tall order in this pizza-crazy town. With Company, which opened to almost deafening buzz last winter in Chelsea, he just might have pulled it off.

This is pizza that’s not only worth the trip, it’s also worth the wait once you’ve arrived, as the warm, handsome and hopping room–complete with two long communal tables, as seems to be the requirement these days–has been on perpetual overflow since day one. Show up after 6:30, and expect to join the throngs at the bar. Ah, but what beautiful, charred, and chewy creations await you once you’re seated.

So, the pizzeria review: We’ve been several times now and, given Lahey’s wizardy with all things bready, it’s no surprise that Company’s crust is the best in recent memory, courtesy of the 700-degree wood-burning oven in the kitchen. And the toppings are indeed supremely fresh and bright. It’s tough not to order the wonderfully salty and gooey Ham and Cheese pie, featuring generous amounts of pecorino, gruyre, buffalo mozzarella, and prosciutto, finished with a touch of caraway. We’ve had this pizza three times, now, and it’s always been the charm. Also first-rate: the Flamb, covered in bechamel, parmesan, buffalo mozzarella, caramelized onions, and chewy, fatty lardons. And if all that sounds a bit too rich for your blood, we’re happy to report that the simple Margherita–the baseline for any serious best New York City pizza contender–is wonderfully balanced, and burnt to perfection.

There are other things to eat at Co., of course. For a quick shot of Lahey’s bread heaven, go straight to the Toasts section of the menu, and choose any of the finishers. Pinto Bean, Chicken Liver, Roasted Pepper, Roasted Eggplant: they’re all decent, though all are elevated by their bready base. Another sold starter choice is the Butter Lettuce salad, tossed with roasted butternut squash, pumpkin seeds, lemon and olive oil.

Company Pizzeria Details

Company is located on the corner of Ninth Avenue and 24th Street. It is open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday through Saturday, from 11:30 a.m until 3:00 p.m., then from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Open all day Sunday, from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Closed Monday.