In possibly the most New York City thing to ever happen, a new restaurant is serving up New York-style pizza in the subway.
Right down the stairs on the 50th St. 1 train subway station, you’ll find See No Evil Pizza, just a stone’s throw from Times Square and the Theater District. That said, it’s not the only business you’ll find down there. See No Evil owner and co-founder Adrien Gallo also owns Nothing Really Matters, a cocktail bar, and Tiny Dancer, a coffee shop, both of which are located right next to See No Evil Pizza.
Prior to taking over the space, See No Evil Pizza was a (since closed) Dunkin Donuts, Tiny Dancer was a bodega and Nothing Really Matters was storage for a Duane Reade. After three years of running Nothing Really Matters, Gallo felt it was time to help make the space that is now See No Evil into something great for the city.
“This was a very derelict subway station. There wasn’t a lot going on. All the businesses that closed during COVID,” said Gallo. “I was constantly staring at these two spaces with the gates down with graffiti everywhere and I thought, what else could I do to bring kind of a unique food and beverage destination to New York City and kind of add to the neighborhood?”
After doing the research, Gallo opened See No Evil Pizza about eight months ago. Gallo and his business partner and See No Evil Pizza’s Executive Chef Ed Carew developed a mostly gluten-free menu (Gallo himself is celiac), save for a few items. Every pizza on the menu is New York-style and made from a unique flour blend with the option to be gluten-free as well.
Beyond the traditional Margherita and pepperoni pies, here are a handful of staples on the menu, including the Hell Pie, which features hot soppressata, pepperoni, smoked, mozzarella, pecorino and Calabrian chili; the Funghi, with mushrooms, panna, roasted garlic, parmigiano, fontina, arugula and lemon; and the Ottobagatto, with beef and pork meatballs, sausage, sauce and mozzarella, to name a few.
Beyond the pizza, See No Evil Pizza offers classic options such as a Caesar salad, arancini and whipped ricotta, but also options such as Chef Ed’s Croquette (slow-cooked tripe, besciamella, tomato, lemon aioli), Uovo Diavolo (deviled eggs, tonnato, Calabrian chili crisp), Hot Mayo (See No Evil Pizza’s take on artichoke dip) and Evil Chicken Wings (bone-in wings with Calabrian chili honey vinegar sauce and sesame).
“My partner Ed, he’s an extremely talented chef and he’s classically trained. Everything he creates is a lot better tasting and a lot nicer than it has to be because he’s giving it his all,” said Gallo. “Everything we do down here has to be nicer than it should be. It has to be cleaner and better than every other restaurant around us because we are in a subway.”
A few months ago, See No Evil Pizza launched a dinner series called Kitchen Music: A Chef Series, where a guest chef comes in and cooks alongside Chef Carew to create a prefix dining experience while playing their own custom playlists. The most recent one took place on Dec. 19 with Chef Luigi Petrocelli (The Lion’s Bar NYC).
“It’s unbelievably fun and it’s more for us to have a great time together and celebrate each other,” said Gallo. “Individuals in the restaurant space, especially in New York, everybody’s in competition with everybody, and we’re like, f–k that, we’re good. We know what we have is amazing, so let’s celebrate each other a little bit.”
Though it has been open for less than a year, See No Evil Pizza has been soaring in popularity. Recently, It was featured in the Michelin Guide, further cementing its place as a New York City fixture.
“It feels amazing. [Ed and I] brought something to the market in the subway of Times Square, and now we’re recognized and validated by one of the greatest guides in the world as far as restaurants are concerned. It’s pretty cool,” said Gallo.
Gallo hopes that See No Evil continues to become a favorite among New Yorkers, encouraging them to try something new every time they come.
“We really just want this to grow into something that people look forward to, either coming up from downtown, coming down from uptown, or just coming in from wherever you are in the world and being like, Oh my God, I read about this place, I heard about this place. I have to try it,’” said Gallo. “Then we want you to come back because it is that good. I guarantee it’s that good. We are the best pizza place in Midtown, hands down.”
See No Evil Pizza is located at 210 W. 50th St. and is open Tuesday-Saturday from 5 p.m. to midnight. For more information, visit seenoevilpizza.com.
