No Fuss, Nolita (BHS)

New York style pizza is rather hard to come by in Manila, being the district for thick crust mayhem and cheddar cheese. Oh and there’s also this issue of self-service—the folks seem to hate it. Carrying trays is so blue collar, and so the New York mind of an independent eater barely works in the high and mighty Metro Manila.

For the self-sustaining and autonomous though, here’s one place that might cater to your lifestyle and preferences, gourmet-wise that is. Nolita at Bonifacio High Street is the New York Pizza haven that summons Little Italy in this garage style nook that blasts Euro rock as if I was chilling in my own room.

Handmade, freshly baked and topped with fresh and inventive toppings that can surely beckon any New York native, Nolita’s pizzas are worth the long drive from home. With flavors that range from cheese, pepperoni to spinach and artichoke there’s a slice for every gastronomic preference. Menu items are listed on the chalkboard and for certain, there were flavors I missed like the slice with the fried egg (Breakfast?), tomatoes and feta cheese (Greek?) and Broccoli (I suppose cruciferous slice?). Never mind the names, since point-and-heat is the way to go, no proper vocabulary necessary. This is New York, man.

Starters are also available, and the onion rings (Beer battered with Sriracha dip) alone were enough to forego another slice of pizza. With pasta (gluten-free, cool huh) and burgers on the menu, not to mention a horde of desserts, there’s so much to taste and discover at Nolita, it warrants a number of visits in the future.

But.

The service was excessively slow, it took 50 minutes to get me a slice of cheese pizza. New York traffic? I don’t think so, just the case of the I-forgot-you-because-all-you-got-was-a-cheese-pizza-you-simpleton. Sheesh, I suppose discrimination exists even in Little Italy.

Oh and no apologies or compensatory damages, just “I forgot!”

Next time I commit a crime, I ought to try that. “I forgot.” Might get me off life sentence.