Graziella’s: A Pizza Paradise

By Jessica Lynn Sammut

In what used to be a garage more than 8 years ago, sits Graziella’s, a local Italian restaurant on 232 Vanderbilt Avenue that sells brick oven pizza.  It is a home away from home for many locals, providing the comfort and home cooking of an Italian grandmother from the old country. The décor and ambiance are what you want at your go-to pizza place.  It’s not fancy. Instead it’s warm, inviting and makes you want to take your coat off and stay awhile.

As soon as I walked through the doors, I was drawn into the dining room by the aroma of the wood-fired pizza running through the air. I could almost taste how good it was going to be on my way to the table. Although Graziella’s has a variety of food options that sound and look delicious, I knew before I sat down that I had to have the pizza.

I always go classic when I’m trying out a pizza place for the first time. The simpler the pizza, the more exposed it is. Going basic allows me to get a good sense of the overall quality and truly taste the pizza’s essential components — the sauce, the cheese and, of course, the crust.

My appetite grew as I watched the pies pushed in and out of the wood-burning fire. I’m glad mine came when it did, because my mouth was salivating from looking at my neighbor’s pizza. The waiter brought it over to my table in what seemed like slow motion. When it was placed down, I looked at it from one end to the other. I almost didn’t want to take a piece because it looked too good to be true — too perfect.

My first bite was heaven and so was the second, and the third, and the fourth. Every component of the pizza by itself was delicious, but when combined into one bite, it was just a party in my mouth. The ingredients were fresh, and the crust was thin and crispy, just how I like it. There were also plenty of crust bubbles, which I enjoy picking off and eating separately — almost like an appetizer before the pizza slice. I find oftentimes that brick oven pizza places are stingy with their cheese — but that’s not the case at Graziella’s. The portion of cheese was generous, but wasn’t overwhelming. I found the ratio of cheese to sauce was just right.

I came in hungry and left very satisfied. The pizza was light, airy and I didn’t feel like I was going to explode after my meal. Looking beyond the pie, there were other perks at the restaurant, including the great service. Everyone was welcoming and acted as if they were hosting you in their very own home.

Everyone’s palate is different, but if you like a good slice of pizza, then you can’t go wrong at Graziella’s.