Press-ed

The New York Press, one of our favorite free publications, has taken notice of Tonda in a big way. Beverly Barnes gave Tonda a long and lengthy review, highlighting some of our very favorites. "A pizza with tuna, capers and olives ($13) may sound like a stretch, but it actually makes for a satisfying and delicious meal since all of the potent flavors manage to soothe one another and create a sharp—but not overly briny—harmony." And she loved the deserts, especially "Tonda’s Nutella pizza ($5), which is especially tasty when paired with a simple, sweet bowl of pineapple ($5)."

Buona Società

Time Out New York gave us a great, great shout out in this weeks issue, and took some beautifulphotos, like the one pictured to the right. Just as flattering, they put is in company with some of our favorite pizza places in New York (yes, we can enjoy other people's pies!). We've posted our favorite part of the review, and make sure to pick up this week's copy of TONY:

The man guarding this inferno is Michele Sceral, a graduate of the venerable Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani. Ever the apt pupil, Sceral displays a slavish attention to detail: The tomatoes are San Marzano specimens; the cheese is a milky, low-water Italian import (buffalo is available for an additional $5). Even the H20 used in the dough has been considered—Sceral uses filtered water, which he says helps control overbubbling of the crust.

THE RESULT:
The pies, if not your sweat glands, are the better for all that heat. They emerge from their turns in the oven (each pie makes two to three 30-second rotations) with a crisp yet elastic crust. The low moisture of the mozzarella keeps the cheese from pooling, and the sauce expertly balances sugar and acid. Sceral is a hard-line traditionalist, so take your cues from him and stick to the classics when ordering. The Margherita pie is exemplary...

Amici

Amateur photographer Jacob Donaldson was so impressed with his Brunch pizza last Saturday, he sent us in this delicious looking photo. If the pie doesn't look all too familiar to you Tonda-goers, its because its a bit of a custom job. Jacob is a vegetarian, but loves the Roasted Egg, Asparagus, and Cherry Tomato brunch pizza. Since it usually comes topped with piles of Speck, Jacob asks, and recieves, something a little special. And here's the result:

Guida di Estate

The New York Press, a paper we've long admired for thinking outside the book, has included us in their Summer Guide to Food & Drink. And after soaking up the sun at Tonda's brunch on Saturday, we'd have to agree that Tonda is the perfect place to spend the summer, especially with one of their oh-so-refreshing Frappes. We've also included in the post one of our favorite photos of Tonda, by photographer Robert Goethals. The light through the windows speaks to just how bright and sunny this summer promises to be.

Arte e Cibo

The next time you eat at Tonda, your waiter might not just be the one serving you pizza. He might have made me the art on the walls. Cacho Falcon is the waiter, artist, and wonderkid on display at Tonda right now, and his art is getting as many accolades as our cuisine. Because it's never enough for us to just bring you the Neapolitan food we love, we'd like Tonda to be an experience. Why is why we're planning special Sunday brunches with DJs and Monday night events throughout the summer and into the fall. We'll keep you posted on all of this right here on the blog. Oh, and because we're loving the whole internet/restaurant world, we've gone and made ourselves a Facebook. Just one more way for Tonda to be a part of the community.

Behind the Scenes

We know Bob Giraldi, the Renaissance man/owner of Tonda, quite well. In fact, we get to see him almost every day. But not everyone does. And while he'll be at Butcher Bay, and would love to say hello to loyal patrons, Black Book Magazine gets us up close & personal with Bob for their column "Industry Insiders". Its a long, hefty interview, fitting a resume as long as Bob's, and writer Nadeska Alexis covers everything from food to film shoots, and even sneaks a Michael Jackson reference into the intro. Just as important, they used one of our favorite photographs, taken by Daniel Krieger at Tonda!

Quite Presidential

We usually turn to Time Magazine for the latest news about Barack Obama. But now we've got another excuse to pick up this weeks issue: Tonda, and owner Bob Giraldi, are featured in a story called "Posh Slice: Pizza, a Budget Staple, Goes Upscale". We're in good culinary company in the article, not to mention writer David Kaufman calls out one of our favorite dishes, the Pesto Pizza. Since Time is so political, we just hope someone at the White House happens to catch the article. Michelle and Barack, we'd love to have you next time you're in town.