Ecce is the kind of place I really want to see succeed.
This brand-new East Village pizzeria is currently a complete one-man operation, and after talking with the owner and trying the pizza, you can really see how much passion went into it. He taught himself how to make pizza, developed his own dough and sauces, and is building this place entirely around the kind of pizza HE wants to make rather than trying to copy anybody else.
Right now the menu is small and focused, with four square slices: Margherita, Spicy Margherita, Spicy Pepperoni and Vodka N'Duja.
The Margherita was probably the most nostalgic for me. It reminded me a little of the Sicilian pizza I grew up eating, but much lighter, with quality ingredients and a properly fermented dough. The sauce is definitely a major part of the slice and has just a touch of sweetness.
The Spicy Pepperoni and Spicy Margherita use a completely different tomato sauce that is thicker, more robust and has a nice level of heat. The cup-and-char pepperoni worked really well with it.
The Vodka N'Duja was probably the most unique slice of the bunch. Creamy vodka sauce paired with the spicy, smoky flavor of N'Duja made for a really interesting combination.
What also impressed me was the pricing. All of the slices are only around $5-$6, which I think is very fair, especially for Manhattan and for the quality of ingredients being used.
The pizza here is honestly difficult to categorize. It's not really Sicilian, Detroit or Roman style. It's just Ecce's style, and I think that's exactly the point.
One guy, one vision and a lot of guts to pursue a dream from scratch. Definitely worth stopping in and giving Ecce a try. read more