Reviewing Ceres Pizza: Is David Portnoy's 9.2 Score Worth the Wait?

Ceres Pizza Hype and Origin

• 🍕 Ceres Pizza is described as the most hyped pizza place in NYC, known for its long lines and expensive pies.
• 🌟 It was founded by former employees of Eleven Madison Park, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant.
• 📈 The pizza gained significant attention after David Portnoy of One Bite gave it an exceptionally high score of 9.2.

The Waiting Experience

• ⏰ The speaker experienced a three-hour wait for their pizza, placing an order at 1 PM for a 2:45 PM pickup.
• 🚶 Despite the initial long line, it moved relatively quickly, but replenished itself continuously.
• 📍 Located in Chinatown, Manhattan, the speaker noted the area was not "hipstery" as Portnoy described, but rather a typical Chinatown environment.

Initial Impressions: Cheese Pizza

• 💸 The cheese pizza costs $40, which the speaker considered almost "blasphemy" for pizza.
• 🍪 The speaker found the cheese pizza's crust too thin and crispy, likening it to a cracker or matzah.
• 👎 It was described as almost overcooked or burnt, lacking the desired chewiness, though the parmesan and smoky char were appreciated.

Nduja Pizza and Toppings

• 🌶️ The nduja pizza, priced at $63, was recommended by another customer and found to be significantly better than the cheese.
• 🧀 Its success was attributed to the savory, salty, and zesty toppings, including nduja sausage and burrata cheese.
• ✅ The combination of spicy nduja with mild, sweet burrata made the toppings work well together, despite the disliked crust texture.

Value and Personal Preference

• 💰 The speaker concluded that the pizza was not worth its high price, suggesting a fair price would be closer to $20-$25.
• 🤔 While acknowledging David Portnoy's preference for rigid, no-flop pizza, the speaker personally prefers a more chewy texture and a balance of crispiness and softness.
• 💬 The speaker questioned if the pizza truly deserved its hype, noting that Google ratings were not as high as expected, and invited viewers to share their own opinions.