Review: Zero Otto Nove (Update) - The Bronx, NY

I first visited Zero Otto Nove (Zero Otto Nove means 0-8-9, the area code of Chef Roberto's Italian home) in July 2008. It was near the very beginning of America's Pizza Renaissance in which Neapolitan and other artisanal pizza shops began appearing. I'm pretty certain that I had my first authentic Neapolitan pizza here on Arthur Avenue, and it really opened my eyes to the magic of the charred and puffy Neapolitan crust.

A marinara slice at Zero Otto Nove

Between that 2008 initial Neapolitan experience and today, I've eaten countless Neapolitan-styled pizzas. My typical complaint is the wet and soggy center that ruins the first few bites of each slice, and the wet blobs of fresh mozzarella floating in pools of sauce. Too often, it's an excess of moisture for the delicate nature of a Neapolitan crust. I know that even in Italy "it's supposed to be that way" but it wreaks havoc on the textural balance of the pie.

The "grotto" room (closed on our 2021 visit)

On our first visit, we ordered two of the personal-sized Neapolitan pies: The Margherita with imported bufalo mozzarella and San Marzano tomatoes, and the white pie with ham and béchamel. I found that Zero Otto Nove crafted a Neapolitan pie with a keen sense of harmony regarding what goes on top. Our pies were generous with cheese and other toppings, but they were not wet, soggy, or limp. 

The San Marzano tomatoes - sometimes over-hyped - tasted superb, and there was a distinct delicate appeal in the cheese. Fresh mozzarella can be bland, but the sweet dairy taste here was  perfect on this pie. It was a great meal; I recall also that the octopus we had for appetizer was the tenderest I've ever had, and I savored every bite. Beyond the lovely setting, we had wonderful old-world service, too.

Just the pizzaiolo in the grotto room, 2021

Fast forward to 2021, when I was back on Arthur Avenue with another dining/pizza opportunity. We chose Zero Otto Nove over nearby Enzo's, a tough decision because Enzo's is always wonderful and Bronx native Ken reports that service there has remained superb despite the difficulties posed by the pandemic. Three of us (including Ken) visited Zero Otto Nove on a beautiful Sunday in late September; could it still be as good as it was in 2008?

Rigatoni e zucca

We ordered two pizzas and two pastas for sharing. Our focus is the pizza of course, but it's worth a moment to mention the Rigatoni e Zucca ($23.95) made with butternut squash puree, peas, and porcini mushrooms. Ken recommended it, and I ordered it because I already like the gourd-pasta combination, particularly in this pumpkin and pasta recipe from Rachel Ray: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/pasta-with-pumpkin-and-sausage-recipe-1939614. It was sublime as the al dente pasta was perfectly coated with the squash and mushrooms; a near-perfect dish for the looming autumn weather.

The marinara pizza at Zero Otto Nove

One of our pizzas was the marinara ($14.95), a cheeseless pie made with tomato sauce, capers, basil, oregano, garlic, anchovies, and olives. It was large for a Neapolitan, almost a 14" pizza. To my delight, the crust was even better than it had been in 2008. It sported the fully puffy leopard-spotted cornicione, and it had both a tender chewiness and an ideal crispness underneath.

Roman pizza at Forno Marco Roscioli

When a pizza has no cheese, the crust has to be great and its toppings must be in perfect harmony. Until I visited Rome in 2012, every cheeseless pie gave me the final impression of "pretty good, would be better with cheese," even classics like a Philly tomato pie. But at Forno Marco Roscioli I had some Roman style square slices adorned only with tomato sauce and olive oil, and soon after I had a round pizza at La Montecarlo made with tomato sauce and garlic. 

Marinara slice at Zero Otto Nove

Those Roman pies were revelatory, so it's notable that I'd speak of this Zero Otto Nove Neapolitan in the same way. We relished every bite; the anchovies and olives were particularly well chosen to spark the flavor.

Pizza from La Montecarlo, Rome

Our other pizza was the Patate E Porcini ($18.95), made with fresh mozzarella, sliced potatoes, and porcini mushrooms. Doubling up the carbs on a pizza with potatoes is a risky bet, but it can be spectacular when it succeeds, as I'd experienced on New Haven pies at Sally's (in New Haven) and Basic Bar & Pizza (in San Diego).

Patate e porcini pizza at Zero Otto Nove

It was a winner here, and extra credit for successfully rendering a Neapolitan pizza that wasn't overwhelmed by the weight and moisture of a potato topping. Smartly, the thin slices of potato were riding atop the pillows of mozzarella, along with the mushrooms. The mushrooms contributed the perfect umami note, and the lack of tomato sauce allowed the pie to sustain the moisture of the fresh mozz and the potatoes.

Post-pizza autumn firepit with Ken

Service was friendly but spotty, and we attribute that to lack of training of new staff during the high turnover in staff during the pandemic. Overall, Zero Otto Nove has maintained the terrific impression it made on me 13 years ago; that is a long time for any restaurant to keep the quality high. On Arthur Avenue, you can't go wrong at Enzo's or Zero Otto Nove.

Zero Otto Nove, 2357 Arthur Avenue Bronx, NY 10458