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#PeachyDinesAlFresco #PeachysPicks #TerrificTakeout @KestePizzeria Since 2009 by Founder and Owner Roberto Caporuscio, President of APN (Neapolitan Pizza Makers Association) A Peachy's Pick Since 2012, Summer 2026 #Keste #Manhattan #77FultonStreet #FinancialDistrict
CHECK OUT ROBERTO AND PEACHY ON YOU TUBE WITH THE ABSOLUTELY SMASHING SUPERIOR NIGHT AND DAY CALZONE IN THE OUTDOOR PATIO THAT SEATS 60 GUESTS! Be certain to watch our video first!
In this world, there are calzones and then there are KESTE CALZONES.
We believe this is our first encounter with Night and Day, and like Sinatra sings, this calzone is the one. Keste has a proven record in Peachy's Picks of fourteen years of staying on top, and premium ingredients are showcased inside that include fresh ricotta, fresh mozzarella and Roasted Italian Pork.
Tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, grana, basil and extra virgin olive oil grace the top to ensure premium taste levels. Peachy knows this is the best calzone she has had in recent years, and you must have it.
It further evidences the depth of the menu here which is obviously led by pizza performance, which sets the standard in North America for Neapolitan style pizza.
Keste can only be found at 77 Fulton Street in Manhattan's Financial District close to the Seaport, and its pure existence is reason enough to reside in Manhattan. The pizza simply cannot be beat. Vegetariana is a high-level favorite of Peachy's, and we are not doctors and make no nutritional claims, but to us, this is health food. Tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, zucchini, peppers, artichokes, assorted mushrooms, grape tomatoes, basil and extra virgin olive oil team up for a spectacular spectrum of color and deliciousness. They say you should be eating a rainbow. This looks like a rainbow to us!
Not to be outdone is the Cacio e Peppe, a sophisticated achievement.
It demonstrates how Keste not only sets the standard for classics but also is a leader in innovation.
We don't recall seeing this version of pizza anywhere else.
As you might expect, it is similar to the pasta: Homemade Cacio e Peppe Cream, Homemade Fresh Mozzarella Belgioioso and topped with Black Truffle Urbani, it is fragrant and the smell alone emanates luxury. Intoxicatingly delicious, it is a must.
When an owner names a dish after themselves, you know good things are to come when it is in front of you. Burrata Roberto makes an encore appearance in this column and we can confirm the consistency of this pizza crafted with home-made burrata balanced nicely with grape tomatoes, basil and extra virgin olive oil. You will also revel in the simplicity of ingredients.
Fried pizza is gorgeously ornamented on top, ready to strike a pose on your table runway.
This is another element that speaks to the innovation that happens at Keste: we don't believe we have seen fried pizza anywhere else either, so we thought we'd try it given our off-the-scale enthusiasm for pizza. Please say enchante to the Pizza Pianeta: filled with ricotta and broccoli rabe, on top you'll discover the continuation of ricotta with grape tomatoes and basil. It's surprisingly light and not heavy.
Keste has specific pizza choices where they have created signature styles, but there are options to also add one element to create your own. Above, we chose mushrooms and every bite of them on the Margherita with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, grana, basil and extra virgin olive oil was a triumph.
Do not ignore the Keste Special section!
Basil Cream Lasagna tastes like luxury: Traditional Italian Lasagna is reinvented at Keste with succulent homemade Basil Pesto Cream and zucchini. You simply must try it and it will make all gray days like today sunny on your palate.
On the lighter side for summer, opt for both the Homemade Truffle Burrata, a showstopper in flavor paired with prosciutto de Parma, perfectly sliced, and tomatoes, above and the Artichokes Salad, below.
Shredded Pecorino Toscano and Artichokes are a symphony of fragrant Italian flavors, further elevated with fresh mint and lemon zest in an extra virgin olive oil and lemon dressing, which they put on the side for the resident Ms. Pretty Picky. Some venues as accomplished as Keste are quite authoritative as to how they want dishes served, but Keste has not only mastered culinary skill but also hospitality.
Keste was last featured in the Spring of 2024, and also earned accolades for their Italian cocktail master class they hosted. Keste was first featured in 2012.
Keste is world-renowned, as you can see:
And as we close in on our 31,000th post which we will be announcing soon, you can have every confidence we got there with some of the best caffeine, including this sublime creamy cappuccino at Keste, beautifully presented.
Just a sample of some of the others who think KESTE is among the very best!
Keste has earned our Highest Recommendation!
We love it.
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Roberto Caporuscio is the founder and owner of Kesté Pizza & Vino (often styled Kesté), a pioneering Neapolitan-style pizzeria in New York City. He is widely recognized as one of the first (and most influential) Italian pizzaioli to bring authentic, traditional Neapolitan pizza to the United States in the early 2000s.
Early Life in Italy
Born in 1960 in Pontinia (Lazio region, Italy), Caporuscio grew up on a family dairy farm that also produced seeds for export. The farm encountered financial difficulties due to milk quota issues and eventually closed. From a young age, he developed hands-on culinary skills by producing and selling cheese.
Around age 38 (circa 1998), inspired by a cousin who ran an Italian pizzeria in the Turks and Caicos Islands, he decided to pursue pizza-making professionally. He trained intensively in Naples at the school of the Associazione dei Pizzaiuoli Napoletani, earning certification and learning from master pizzaioli, including his mentor Antonio Starita (of the historic Starita pizzeria in Materdei).
Arrival in the United States and Early Businesses
Caporuscio moved to the U.S. around 1999. He first worked in a Pittsburgh pizzeria to improve his English. In 2000, he formed a partnership with an Italian-American customer, leading to the opening of Pizzeria Regina Margherita in Pittsburgh (Bellevue area) in 2001—just weeks before the September 11 attacks. This was one of the earliest spots in America to serve genuine Neapolitan-style pizza using traditional methods, ingredients (like Caputo flour and San Marzano tomatoes), and wood-fired ovens. It achieved quick success and acclaim among pizza enthusiasts.
He operated two pizzerias in the Pittsburgh area before expanding. In 2007, he opened A Mano in Ridgewood, New Jersey—a larger venue that further built his reputation.
Founding Kesté in New York City (2009 onward)
On March 24, 2009, Caporuscio opened the first Kesté Pizza & Vino on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, Manhattan (next to John’s of Bleecker). The name “Kesté” comes from the Neapolitan phrase “quest’è” (“this is it” or “it is what it is”), spelled with a “K” for easier American pronunciation. The concept emphasized uncompromising traditional Neapolitan pizza—no non-traditional toppings like meatballs or fries, no sports TVs, and a focus on quality ingredients and technique.
Kesté received immediate critical praise:
Shortly after opening, New York Magazine named it the top pizzeria in New York.
It earned “Best Pizza in New York State” from Food Network Magazine.
It ranked among the top 25 best pizza places in the U.S. by Food & Wine.
Other outlets (including Time Out) highlighted it as ushering in a wave of authentic thin-crust Neapolitan pies with characteristic leopard-spotted crusts.
In 2012, he opened Don Antonio in Midtown Manhattan (309 West 50th Street), partnering with his mentor Antonio Starita to bring more authentic Neapolitan pizza to the city. His daughter, Giorgia Caporuscio (a highly accomplished pizzaiola who has won international awards, including at the Caputo Cup), has been closely involved in the family businesses and later took a leading role at Don Antonio.
Around 2017, he opened another Kesté location on Fulton Street in the Financial District (Lower Manhattan, near Ground Zero). This larger venue (about 155 seats) was designed to evoke a 19th-century Neapolitan pizzeria, using authentic materials like hand-painted majolica tiles and specific stones.
By 2018, Caporuscio operated three New York pizzerias and employed around 80 people (many young Italians). He also launched a Pizza Academy for training courses (professional, team-building, women-focused, and educational programs for schools) and began producing fresh fiordilatte mozzarella on-site nightly, drawing on his dairy-farm background.
Innovation, Advocacy, and “People’s Pizza”
Caporuscio has long advocated for authentic Neapolitan pizza techniques and accessibility. He served as U.S. President of the Pizza Academy Foundation (PAF) / Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani, training hundreds of pizzaioli across the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. He conducts intensive certification courses and consults for other restaurants.
In late 2018, he introduced affordable “people’s pizza” options priced at $5 (Margherita, Marinara, and the historical Mastronicola white pizza with pecorino and lard), aiming to make high-quality traditional pizza accessible to everyone—echoing its social role in Naples.
COVID-19 Impact and Current Operations
The original Bleecker Street location permanently closed during the COVID-19 pandemic (by October 2021). The Fulton Street location (77 Fulton St, New York, NY 10038) remains the primary Kesté Pizza & Vino spot in Lower Manhattan/Wall Street area. It continues to serve authentic Neapolitan pizzas with DOP ingredients in a wood-fired oven.
Caporuscio also operates kestepizzago.com, offering frozen pizzas for nationwide delivery in the U.S. He teaches cheese-making at the Fulton location’s pizza school and remains active in promoting Neapolitan pizza culture.
Legacy
Roberto Caporuscio is celebrated as a pioneer who helped popularize and elevate authentic Neapolitan pizza in America while staying true to tradition. His emphasis on quality ingredients, proper dough fermentation (often 24–48 hours), wood-fired baking, and fresh mozzarella has influenced countless pizzerias. He continues to share his craft through teaching, family involvement (especially with daughter Giorgia), and business ventures.
For the latest menus, reservations, or frozen pizza orders, visit the official Kesté site or the Fulton Street location. His story exemplifies the journey of an Italian immigrant bringing a piece of Naples’ culinary heritage to New York and beyond.
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