Motorino Pizza, New York City

A few weeks ago, we found ourselves wandering around New York's East Village. We made our way through the maze of the subway system in order to visit Obscura, the antiques store featured on the fantastically creepy Discovery Channel's show "Oddities," and to see what else could be found in this particularly eccentric little neighborhood.

After a few hours (and one slightly twisted ankle) we decided to stop for lunch, and this was when we discovered Motorino Pizza. The unassuming storefront led us into a narrow eatery with tin ceilings, stainless steel tables, and of course, an open view of the most important thing in the joint - the oven. Beer and wine were available, and the service was friendly and attentive. When we spotted the sign advertising the daily special (right), we knew we were in the right place.

Pizza is a big deal in New York, and this pizza certainly lives up to that reputation. We had never heard of Motorino before this, although a little after-visit research tells us both Rachel Ray and The New York Times love their pies. No doubt! This is wood-fired, Neapolitan-style pizza, with crust that is blisteringly crisp on the outside yet pillowy soft within. The mid-weekday special, in which we indulged, featured a big, beautiful, fresh green salad, dressed simply with a little balsamic and black pepper paired with a pizza for a mere $12. We each chose the soppressata picante, featuring tangy tomato, fior di latte (a cow's milk mozzarella), garlic, red pepper flakes, and plenty of soppressata (a spicy Italian cured dry salami). We couldn't believe the amount of food at such a bargain price (we could have split one pizza!), and would definitely recommend Motorino for a cheap NYC meal that is out of this world.