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Pulino's Bar and Pizzeria Opens to Full House

By DNAinfo Staff on March 22, 2010 2:27pm  | Updated on March 22, 2010 2:59pm

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DNAinfo/Jason Tucker

By Jennifer Glickel

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

LOWER EAST SIDE – Pulino’s Bar and Pizzeria, the much-hyped new restaurant on the Bowery from powerhouse Manhattan restaurateur Keith McNally, opened recently to a crowded lunch rush that will likely be duplicated when dinner service begins this week.

Pulino’s is McNally’s 11th Manhattan eatery, and follows perpetually packed downtown restaurants including Minetta Tavern, Balthazar, Pastis, Schiller's, and Lucky Strike. McNally brought a big-name chef into the mix with Nate Appleman, who won a James Beard Foundation award in San Francisco and has competed on "The Next Iron Chef."

DNAinfo takes you on a tour of the hotly-anticipated pizza-centric restaurant's lunch menu, from individual pizzas such as the salame piccante with housemade pepperoni, tomato, mozzarella, olives, oregano and chiles to savory Italian dishes such as roasted mussels with cannellini beans, tomato, peperoncini and pizza bianca.

A worker cuts up a margherita pizza at Paluino's pizzeria at the corner of Bowery and Houston Street.
A worker cuts up a margherita pizza at Paluino's pizzeria at the corner of Bowery and Houston Street.
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DNAinfo/Jennifer Glickel

“There’s so much hype surrounding this restaurant, and I think it will fall short of the expectations,” Appleman told DNAinfo. “It’s just food. It’s just a restaurant. The hype is ridiculous.”

Appleman acknowledged that the Pulino’s hype among Manhattan's foodie crowd stems largely from McNally importing him from the West Coast, but he stressed that the menu, while excellent, is not gourmet.

“We’re not serving three- or four-star food,” Appleman said. “This is a casual eatery.”

Pulino’s will open for dinner service Friday night and will feature late night dining, staying open until 1 a.m. on weekdays and 3 a.m. on weekends.

Pulino's opened recently at the corner of Bowery and Houston Street
Pulino's opened recently at the corner of Bowery and Houston Street
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DNAinfo / Jennifer Glickel