Cotta: Amazing Artisanal Pizza on the UWS!

We were looking for a good place to eat on the UWS for a last minute dinner with friends after happy hour.  Friends who used to live in the neighborhood suggested we try Cotta (513 Columbus Ave.), and I am so glad we listened to their suggestion!
The ambiance of the place is cute and romantic, but also good for groups. We were able to eat outside since it was a nice night, but the inside is also very warm and inviting with exposed brick and wood accents!

Arancini - risotto balls of the day 

We started with the arancini, or risotto balls, which are one of my favorites Italian specialties. You can't go wrong with a fried ball stuffed with rice, cheese, peas, and meat. These little balls packed a lot of flavor into a little surface area. They were nice and crispy on the outside, while heavenly creamy on the inside. Dipping them into the marinara sauce added to the flavor by offsetting the creaminess with the garlicky, tart tomato flavor. MMM MMM good!

Baked Ricotta with foccacia

The baked ricotta that was served with foccacia bread for dipping was also a winning appetizer! The ricotta was so flavorful and so creamy with the added spices and oil combined to create such an amazing flavor! This was one of those dips that we had to practically lick the bowl clean; it was that good!

Brussels Sprout Pizza - mozzarella, brussel sprouts, pancetta, and parmigiano

For the meal, we ordered two very different types of pizzas to share for the table. The Brussels sprout pizza,  is a white pizza, with mozzarella, brussel sprouts, pancetta, and parmigiano reggiano. It was very gluttonous and savory. I would have never thought that brussel sprouts and pizza would go well together, but they definitely did. It was a very nice addition to the pizza, which I see myself having in the future! The bitter flavor of the brussel sprouts combined with the salty flavor of the pancetta, and the creamy mozzarella was a great combination. The pizza crust was nice and crispy, while still maintaining some doughiness that I love in pizza.

Parma Pizza - mozzarella, arugula, proscuitto & parmigiano

For our second pizza, we selected the Parma Pizza. It has mozzarella, arugula, proscuitto, and parmigiano. The arugula was very fresh and crispy, while the proscuitto was the perfect level of saltiness to offset the creaminess of the mozzarella and parmigiano. The pizza had the perfect level of marinara sauce on it to add to the flavor, while not being too saucy. The only downfall was that the proscuitto was not cut with the rest of the pizza and was laid on top, so we had to cut it ourselves. But all in all, a delicious pie! 

I definitely would recommend checking this place out for pizza, especially if on the UWS. It's good to know you don't have to travel all the way to the East Village or West Village for fresh artisanal pizza.