An EVG reader spotted workers cleaning out Mandolino yesterday, bringing an end to the pizzeria that opened in January 2017 here between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue.
A "for rent" sign is now in the front window. The Mandolino website is "under construction" and there isn't any message about a closure or move on their Instagram account.
Speaking of Instagram, Paris Hilton recently stopped by for some reason...
EVG readers we spoke with generally liked the place, which offered a variety of salads, pastas and whole Neapolitan pies (no slices). Despite being next door to an NYU dorm, it didn't seem to attract a big student following. Said one reader: "It was 'fancy' pizza, a teeny bit expensive, so maybe not student-y enough."
And as previously noted, this is a tough pizzeria market right in this area ... you have Joe's around the corner on 14th Street, which serves one of the city's best slices ... there's Gotham Pizza on 12th Street and Third Avenue ... Bruno Pizza on 13th Street between Third Avenue and Second Avenue ... not to mention Danny Meyer's buzzy Martina, which opened last August on 11th Street at Third Avenue.
The Mandolino space was previously home to Sahara Citi, the hookah/hummus restaurant that closed in August 2016 after four years in business.
