Idriss treated us to his best-sellers —
the Diablo, which features honey and
Calabrian chili; the Alberino, which has
lamb sausage; and Cara pizza, a vegan
option which only has vegetables, oil and
balsamic reduction (and is named for his
wife). We also tried out a new dessert
pizza, a crispy, melt-in-your-mouth dough
“sandwich” with warm pistachio Nutella
in the middle and powdered sugar sprinkled
on top. Suffice it to say, every variation
of pizza was delicious — flavorful and
fresh, yet light.
Idriss said Macoletta also recently
started offering pastas — Alfredo and bolognese
— and added salads, beet and
burrata.
“We want to add more pasta, develop
brunch,” Idriss said. “We like to master
every step.”
We watched as Idriss glided the pizza
peel under each dough and slid them
into the Marana Forni brick oven, which is
almost like a pottery wheel for pizza. The
massive copper structure has a platform
inside that elevates and spins to cook pizza
in minutes, which keeps it consistent, and is
the only one of its kind in New York City.
It was shipped directly from Italy and
“it’s the Ferrari of ovens,” Idriss said.
The pizzas came out one by one, and
Idriss and his staff assessed them as they
placed them along the counter. Mine had
a perfectly puffed-up and crispy crust,
round shape and just the right amount of
toppings. As the least qualified student
in the room, my pizza was crowned the
best in class — only because of the help
I received from the Macoletta team. Like
Idriss said from his own experience, anyone
can learn to make pizza with the right
support system.
Macoletta is located at 28-15 24th Ave.
Visit macoletta.com for more information
about the restaurant and class offerings.
Classes cost $50 and are capped at six
students. Participants receive a takehome
bag with flour, dough, sauce and
mozzarella.
Photos courtesy of Macoletta
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