A Pizza That's In Between Styles at the East Village's Lavagna

I live in the East Village so I have a pretty keen interest in the places that serve pizza there. I've tried to list all the pizzerias and places serving pizza from time to time, but I always seem to have overlooked a place.

Cue Lavagna on E5th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

This popular little Italian restaurant opened in 1999, but for one reason or another I'd never been until March.

There are two pizzette on the menu, cooked in Lavagna's wood-burning oven. They do a Margherita with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and fresh basil, and a pizzeria del bosco with roasted wild mushrooms, fontina, and white truffle oil.

It's not Neapolitan, it's not New York Neapolitan, it's not a bar pie and it's not as frigid as a Roman pie. Super thin with little bloom or air to the crust, the pizzas are crackery but not brittle. The undercarriage is bumpy and mostly pale with a small scattering of black dots here and there. There's an even, generous saucing and a thorough but light cheesing.

I wouldn't call it a pizza destination, but these light little pies are a nice appetizer or sharing plate that I'd order again. And go back again to Lavagna I would... to try the white pie.