When this food hits your mouth, and you drool like a clown, that’s amore. Sixth + Mill, downtown’s preeminent purveyor of piquant pizza pies, cooks up the best paisano thin crust delicacies this side of the Atlantic.
The coppia pizza was a kick-and-a-half, a slightly-spicy, hearty meal draped in fresh arugula, mounds of ricotta, simmering fennel sausage and generous amounts of speck. It’s their most popular menu item, and it’s clear why. It’s filling, it’s forceful and it’s meaty as hell. Who could ask for anything more?
The Margherita pizza was sent from heaven, and also the kitchen. It’s made with tomato, fior de latte cheese, oregano, apulian olive oil and dreams. It’s light as a feather, almost airy. The tomato on both pies is absolutely succulent, smoky and liberally applied. I could eat a jar of it.
The cheese sort of settles softly, hitting the roof your mouth with a light tanginess. The olive oil is noticeable, boldly smoothed into each near-perfect slice.
A separately-served, sliced spicy sausage also got my mojo going, a thick and juicy bite that filled me up quick.
Their cacio e pepe pasta was sinewy and herbaceous, with a spicy red-pepper kick. It’s also surprisingly filling considering the portion; I couldn’t finish it! It sits in a bed of drool-inducing sauce, thick and present.
Photo: Theresa Bateman
Brussels sprouts were also a big hit, and were a nice, leafy and thick contrast to the lighter fare. Almonds added a wonderful crunch to this already strong dish. I think these folks might know what they’re doing.
Photo: Theresa Bateman
Drinks were divine and decadent; my favorite was the san gennaro. It’s sweet and a lil sour and so easy-to-love. It was also strong as hell. This is great for a steamy summer day. One or two of these, then a sweet nap. Ain’t that the life?
If you’re looking for fresh, fantastic, hearty Italian food, there’s no need to Rome. Sixth + Mill is the bounty you’ve been waiting for.
