★★
Overall Rating: Good ($1/2)
Pizza ordered: Margherita
Crust: Cortlandt's crust was not remarkable, particularly for a brick oven crust. The bottom of the crust did display a slightly crispy texture and did transition to a chewiness in the upper-crust; however, the bottom of the crust was not well charred and the overall essence was bready.
Sauce: Cortlandt's sauce is a nicely seasoned crushed tomato blend that compliments the overall taste of the pizza without overpowering any of the other aspects of the pie. As should be, the sauce is not too heavily applied, maintaining a good balance.
Cheese: The cheese did not appear to be a fresh mozzarella and was applied a bit to heavily. The cheese tends to dominate the flavor of this particular pie, rather than balance with the tomato and basil.
Other Topping(s): The basil was fresh and not overly cooked, as desirable; however, it was a bit sparsely applied; more basil on this pie would have really defined it as a very good Margherita-inspired pizza.
Atmosphere: Cortlandt's has a nice neighborhood feel and is obviously popular. It wasn't too loud and is a great location for meeting friends for a beer and a bite.
Service: We arrived around 5:30p.m. and were greeted by a very friendly server. As the place got busier, our server remained attentive without hovering.
Utensils: Sturdy utensils and substantial paper napkins.
Overall: Cortlandt's hits the mark in creating a cozy, neighborhood atmosphere, and produces a solidly good Neapolitan-inspired, New York style pizza; however, I will give the pizza another chance to impress. I've gathered from others that the crust can be better than I experienced.
Payment: Cash /Credit cards
