Olio

Olio Pizza e Piu gets big points for sneaking in under seemingly everyone's radar. Unlike at, say, Keste, a similarly traditional Neapolitan pizza place whose opening date was hotly anticipated, pizzaiolo Giulio Adriani quietly arrived from Italy, selected a location in the West Village, imported his 1000-degree oven, hooked up with a mixologist, and opened.

Lunch a few days later consisted of a handful of diners and tumbleweeds, or whatever the Italian version is . . . oregano, maybe. Not for long, however. Word is out.

Pizzas here are the draw, and four of the menu's 18 have won awards. We went with the margherita extra, winner of the World Cup and International Championship, and the amalfitana, awardless, arugula with thinly sliced lemon. We decided not to pay $30 for the Argento di Napoli, winner of the 2010 America's Plate. (But, hey, Adrianai apparently reads his press, so, sir, if you're reading this, we'd love to come back and try it.) Though both could have been cooked a wee bit longer to get a nice char and uniform chewiness, the sauce on the margherita was extraordinary. Just tomatoes and salt. Top Cheffers, and would-be pizza makers, pay attention.

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