Openings

Kesté Oven Putting On Its Game Face

Kesté's oven, sans face.
Kesté’s oven, sans face. Photo: Hannah Whitaker/New York Magazine

Don’t blame us if Kesté — Roberto Caporuscio’s ultratraditional Neapolitan pizzeria we told you about last week — has yet to open. These Neapolitan pizza-makers cannot be rushed. For New Yorkers, pizza is a staple. For Neapolitans, it’s a religion. Still, even the Pope has to keep to a schedule, and since it’s our job to incessantly pester innocent restaurateurs who’d just as soon be left alone to their restaurateuring, we called over there yesterday to find out what was going on.

What’s going on?
We are practically ready; we are set up. We are doing now for friends and family. But the oven needs to get up to speed so we need to make as many pizzas as possible before we open. We just want to make sure the oven is ready. You know, the oven gotta make the face.

What’s that you said — what does the oven have to do?
The oven gotta make the face, it’s an Italian expression, fare la faccia; maybe no make sense in English. Literally translated: The oven needs to have its face made, prepared, whatever … to get to the point where it’s ready.

Ah, okay. When will the oven have its face made?
Maybe Friday, but more like Sunday. Let’s say Sunday, the 29th.

So there you have it: Kesté is opening maybe Friday, but more likely Sunday … maybe.

Earlier: Openings: Kesté Pizza & Vino [NYM]

Kesté Oven Putting On Its Game Face