Walking into Audace, tucked below the Giraffe Hotel on Park Avenue South, you leave the hustle and bustle of New York City behind for a more intimate atmosphere. Portraits of Hollywood stars Cary Grant, Marilyn Monroe and Marlon Brando line the walls, celebrating 1950s glamour. A larger-than-life image of Sophia Loren pouring Champagne is a nod to the owner’s Neapolitan heritage and the golden age of Italian cinema. Beneath the portraits, deep green banquettes hug the walls, complemented by caramel-brown leather chairs. The room is warmly lit, and the small table lamps cast a glow on the shiny black marble tables.
I sat near the pizza oven, a fitting spot given that I came to Audace with high expectations for the pizza. Earlier this year, the restaurant earned the No. 14 spot on the 2026 50 Top Pizza USA list, a ranking dedicated to the country’s top pizzerias. So yes, my expectations were high for a dish composed primarily of flour and water. After the first bite, I understood why Audace had earned its ranking.
I ordered the DOC pizza with San Marzano DOP Tomatoes and DOP buffalo mozzarella, a simple combination of mindfully sourced ingredients. With so few components, there is nowhere for mistakes to hide, but here, there were none. A with a handful of ingredients created a satisfying pie.
The pizza dough
What looks like a simple dish requires a complicated process. Before the pizza arrives at the table, the dough has been in the works for days. And for me, the dough is the most important part of a pizza. At Audace, it is made with two types of organic Italian flour and approximately 80% hydration, a high water content that creates a softer dough with a lighter, airier crumb.
The starter dough, made with mother yeast, takes about two days to develop. Once the final ball is prepared, it needs another eight hours before it is ready and must be used within a 24-hour window, with the complete process taking anywhere from 54 to 72 hours. The result is a dough that has developed structure, flavor and digestibility. This carefully crafted dough is then exposed to intense heat. The 72-hour process culminates in a 750-degree oven, under the watchful eye of the pizzaiolo, who lifts and turns the pizza to give it an even bake and the delicate charring associated with its Neapolitan origins. "We intentionally allow slightly more baking time than some traditional Neapolitan pizzas” explains Mario Urmando, Audace’s owner. "The final pizza remains soft and tender in the center without being wet or undercooked,” he adds.
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Ingredients from Italy
The high temperature allows the dough to rise quickly, producing a pronounced and airy cornicione, the puffy edge of the pizza crust. The toppings are then chosen to complement the dough, not overwhelm it, with an emphasis on quality. Fior di latte is sourced from Agerola in Italy's Campania region, as are San Marzano DOP tomatoes. Truffles come from Piedmont and extra-virgin olive oil from Sicily. For Urmando, sourcing ingredients from Italy is about preserving identity. “Every region of Italy has ingredients that carry its history, climate and traditions. When we use an authentic Piedmont truffle or Prosciutto di Parma, we bring a small part of that place to New York,” he explains.
Beyond pizza
But there’s more to Audace than pizza. The Parmigiana Bianca di Zucchine I tasted was layered with smoked mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano and béchamel. I’m not usually a fan of zucchini, but I didn’t miss the eggplant in this version. Then came the Tortello Cacio e Pepe Napoletano, a pasta inspired by the Roman cacio e pepe, filled with Pecorino Romano and finished with Provolone del Monaco, a cheese from Campania. Linguine alle Vongole had all the components of a classic, with clams, garlic, white wine and olive oil taking center stage. The the sweet finale, Tortino Nocciola offered a deliciously warm hazelnut cake with an oozing molten center, while Delizia al Limone, a classic Campanian dessert, paid homage to the lemons of the Amalfi Coast.
Urmando, a native of Naples, began his hospitality career at just 18 years old as a bartender at one of Naples’ premier bars. He later expanded his experience in London before moving to the U.S., where he eventually became director of operations for the Ribalta Restaurant Group, another name in New York City's pizza scene. With Audace, he brings authenticity and innovation to the table, while the bar offers a collection of cocktails he created, returning to his hospitality beginnings.
For me, the pizza was the standout. After tasting the care that goes into the dough and the attention paid to the ingredients, I understood why Audace’s pizza earned a spot on the 2026 50 Top Pizza USA list. The deliberately longer bake offers a welcome variation in a city rich with choices, while the imported ingredients give an authentic taste of Italy in New York City.
