Midtown Lunch

It’s hard to remember that Harry’s Italian Pizza Bar exists since it’s off the beaten path of Maiden Lane, down Gold St. on a short little stretch of Platt St. that’s only a couple of blocks long. In the summer eating there is a nice treat as there is plentiful outdoor seating and the lunch menu is vast and full of pizza, parm sandwiches and pasta (or macaroni, as the menu calls it). The only problem is that nearly everything except the sandwiches and a small calzone are $10 or more. Sometimes it’s nice to sit and have table service instead of eating on a bench or at your desk, but is the extra cost worth it?

My trusty co-luncher and I snagged a table outside and after eating some of the delicious free focaccia bread they give you, decided to order a couple of different items to share. That’s the key to eating here without spending a lot – sharing is the way to go, and I had enough food left over for lunch the next day.

We ordered a meatball parm sandwich ($7) and a small pizza ($15 plain) with mushrooms added for a couple of extra dollars. Even though we were two girls, this was more than enough food, especially when you throw in the bread that started the meal.

This is a pizza bar, so let’s start with that first. The crust was thin and not entirely crispy due to moisture from both the chunky tomato sauce and the many mushrooms. There was fresh mozzarella dotting the pie along with strips of fresh basil so this was a bit different than what you’re going to find at most of the pizza places in the Financial District.

This was good pizza and for me the only thing that kept it from being great was that non-crispy crust that almost required a fork and knife.

Because that crust was so thin, I was able to eat half of a meatball sandwich and not feel like a total glutton. The sandwich wasn’t the behemoth variety normally found in slice shops, but rather just big enough that the whole thing would fill you up, but not uncomfortably so. The ingredients are also a bit better including toasted ciabatta, fresh basil, a good but not overwhelming amount of red sauce, a lot of fresh mozzarella and three or four large meatballs that were delicious. If I came back to Harry’s or got takeout this is what I would order.

If you work too far north to go to Adrienne’s down on Stone St., then Harry’s is probably the best bet for sit down pizza that I know of. As for parm sandwiches, this is one of the best I’ve had, and you can still stay under the ML price point if you’re dining solo.

Harry’s Italian Pizza Bar, 2 Gold St. (at Platt), (212) 747-0797, on the Web