EAT: HARLEM PIZZA COMPANY OPENS ON 116TH

We were able to drop by the Harlem Pizza Company between 7th and Lenox this afternoon after a tip came in that mentioned they were open.  As many might remember, this was the old Il Forno space and the interior still has the marvelous tiled wood oven and the carreaux d'octagone floor tiles but everything else has been warmed up a bit to be more cozy with wood finishes to complement more sombre steel tones.  A red awning out front is also inviting and the space definitely feels dramatically less clinical than before.

As far as the food goes, only 12 inch pizzas are being served now so slice order are not available.  We had the spicy Italian salami offering this afternoon which had the smoky, crisp crust one would expect from a wood oven.  The salty meat was balanced well with the cheese and fresh basil but our one call out was that there had been a tad too much of the crushed tomato red sauce which made an otherwise perfect pie a bit wet at the center.

Today the guys in the back seemed more busy with the training going on so the service felt a bit perfunctory in nature albeit efficient.  Overall, Harlem Pizza Company should do quite well once things get going and we will definitely be back to try some of the other specialties.