Anthony Mangieri’s Una Pizza Napoletana: A Purist’s Evolution on New York’s Orchard Street

A Pizza Monk Turns Maverick on Orchard Street

In a city brimming with culinary personalities and pizza joints on every block, Anthony Mangieri has long occupied a category all his own. For nearly thirty years, his singular vision of what a Neapolitan pizza should be—minimalist, pure, and obsessively crafted—has influenced how both diners and chefs perceive quality in its most elemental form.

Yet, the latest evolution of Una Pizza Napoletana, his cult-favorite pizzeria now housed on Manhattan’s Orchard Street, reveals something unexpected: a shift from monastic mastery toward curated collaboration. The once-solo craftsman has opened his oven to fellow New York culinary titans in a series of intimate, one-night-only events that are redefining how the city experiences pizza.

The Origin Story: From Jersey Shore to Pizza Fame

Anthony Mangieri’s journey with pizza began in 1996 on the Jersey Shore—far from the big city lights but already steeped in vision. His original Una Pizza Napoletana wasn’t just a restaurant; it was a personal expression of deep-rooted culinary values. With only a few pristine ingredients on each pie and no room for compromises, Mangieri treated his pizza oven as an altar.

This ethos of precision and purity traveled with him when he opened his next location in Manhattan in 2004. There, Mangieri’s almost ascetic commitment to quality earned him both reverence and curiosity. Customers would often wait in silence, watching him prepare each pizza by hand—one man, one fire, one dish. There were no toppings to choose from, no sides to fill the menu. Just dough, sauce, cheese, and devotion.

A West Coast Interlude: New Influences in San Francisco

In 2010, Mangieri surprised many by moving Una Pizza to San Francisco. For seven years, he brought his East Coast rigor to the Bay Area, remaining faithful to the fundamentals while exploring subtle evolutions. It was here that a few new additions crept onto the menu—such as select Italian wines and occasional variations of his signature pies.

Still, the vibe was unmistakable: this was a chef working in near-isolation, loyal to an almost spiritual ideal of simplicity. His commitment remained unwavering, but the years in California allowed a sliver of expansion in his culinary language.

Back to NYC: Orchard Street and a New Chapter

Returning to New York, Mangieri reopened Una Pizza in its latest form on Orchard Street—a bustling Lower East Side stretch that has become a hotspot for edgy, chef-driven dining. But this sixth incarnation of his pizzeria, while anchored in the same reverence for the Neapolitan tradition, presents a notably broader experience.

The current menu includes a weekly special pie, such as one with spring onion, garlic, basil, pine nuts, provolone, breadcrumbs, and Calabrian pepper—a far cry from the bare-bones philosophy of old. Diners can now add anchovies or pepperoni, sip curated Italian natural wines, and enjoy the vibrant energy of a dining room that feels more communal than cloistered.

This isn’t a departure from Mangieri’s principles—it’s a confident, contemporary extension of them.

A Collaborative Spirit: Inviting New Voices into the Kitchen

In what might be his most surprising move yet, Mangieri has begun collaborating with fellow New York chefs in a spring series of guest chef takeovers at Una Pizza. These one-night events transform the pizzeria into a playground for cross-culinary creativity, where pizza meets the DNA of fine dining and international cuisine.

The first event featured James Kent, known for his high-rise culinary temples Crown Shy and Saga. This was followed by a joint appearance from Nick Kim and Jimmy Lau of the revered omakase destination Shuko, with a final spring session planned with Esther Choi, chef-owner of Mokbar and Ms. Yoo, who brings modern Korean flavors into every dish she touches.

For Mangieri, this series is not just about experimentation—it’s about community. By opening his doors to other chefs, he’s fostering a new dialogue within New York’s food scene, one rooted in respect, creativity, and the shared love of ingredients done right.

What Sets Una Pizza Apart Today

Despite its evolving nature, Una Pizza Napoletana remains centered around one thing: the dough. Mangieri’s fermentation process is meticulously refined, often taking days to reach the perfect texture and flavor. Each pizza is baked in a wood-fired oven imported from Naples, with temperatures soaring to over 900 degrees Fahrenheit. The result? A blistered, airy crust that’s soft, yet strong enough to carry its delicate toppings.

Even with anchovies and pepperoni on the menu, the ingredient list is still refreshingly short. Mangieri continues to source premium Italian tomatoes, hand-pulled mozzarella, sea salt, and extra virgin olive oil—all treated with the care of a jeweler handling precious stones.

This combination of unwavering technical skill and newfound openness makes Una Pizza one of the rare places where tradition and trend truly coexist.

Beyond Pizza: A Broader Influence on NYC Dining

Mangieri’s influence stretches far beyond the confines of his own pizzeria. In many ways, his career arc mirrors the broader shifts happening across the NYC food landscape. The rise of the chef-collaboration model, the growing embrace of natural wines, the celebration of artisanal simplicity—these are all currents Mangieri helped initiate, simply by staying true to his craft.

Younger chefs now cite him as a formative influence. Diners who once balked at the lack of variety on his menu now celebrate the clarity and confidence behind it. And with the new collaborative series, Una Pizza has transformed into something larger than a restaurant—it’s become a gathering place for culinary minds.

Conclusion: Where Obsession Meets Evolution

Anthony Mangieri may have started as an uncompromising purist, but his journey is a testament to how evolution and integrity can coexist. By returning to New York and opening Una Pizza Napoletana to collaboration, he hasn’t diluted his mission—he’s enriched it.