According to a news report from time.com, “If the rest of New York City’s haute cuisine scene is languishing during the recession, there’s at least one culinary quarter that’s scaling new heights: the lowly pizzeria. From Williamsburg to the West Village, pizza parlors are going gourmet — importing real Italian chefs, embracing old-world baking techniques and using luxurious ingredients previously reserved for more conventional five-star fare.”

“The posh new pies are, of course, edging well beyond the typical $2-per-slice range. But even at the fanciest pizzerias, this glammed-up Gotham classic offers more value — and sheer fun — than most other tables in town. “Pizza is wholesome, inexpensive and always accessible,” says Bob Geraldi, owner of Tonda Pizzeria in the East Village. “Perhaps that’s why it is so appropriate for this particular economic moment.” said the story.