About Us
Our Story Eleven Madison Park pedigree. Little Italy address. No compromises.
Julian and Jacob met in the kitchen of Eleven Madison Park, one of the world’s most acclaimed fine dining restaurants. They worked side by side during service, learning what it means to pursue perfection in every plate — and decided, eventually, that they wanted to bring that same obsession to the food New York does better than anywhere: pizza.
They opened Ceres at 164 Mott Street, in the heart of Little Italy and Nolita, in a space that reflects their philosophy: no frills, no pretense, only craft. The name Ceres — the Roman goddess of grain and agriculture — is a nod to what they believe is the soul of great pizza: the dough itself.
“We wanted to bring real food to the city. No compromises.”
The crust at Ceres is naturally leavened, meaning no commercial yeasts are used. The sourdough starter is maintained daily and used to leaven each batch of dough, which is then cold-fermented for 48 to 72 hours. The result is a crust that is razor-thin, blistered at the edges, and possessed of a depth of flavor that commercially yeasted pizza simply cannot match.
Ingredients are sourced with the rigor of any Michelin-starred kitchen. San Marzano tomatoes come from Gustiamo, the premier Italian specialty food importer in the United States. The Parmigiano Reggiano is made from the milk of Reggiana red cows — a heritage breed producing richer, more complex cheese. Mozzarella and scamorza are sourced fresh from Jersey Artisan Co. Nothing is ordinary.
The national breakthrough came when Dave Portnoy, creator of One Bite Pizza Reviews, visited 164 Mott Street and gave Ceres a 9.2 out of 10. “Spectacular,” he said on camera. “As good as it gets.” The clip spread rapidly. The One Bite community rating settled at 9.0. The Infatuation gave Ceres an 8.3 and called the ‘nduja pie “worth the inconvenience and the price.”
Today, Ceres makes approximately 150 pies per day. They sell out every night. This is not a limitation — it is a deliberate choice. Julian and Jacob refuse to scale in ways that would compromise the product. Every pie is made the same way it was on day one: by hand, with intention, without shortcuts.
Ceres is located at 164 Mott Street in Little Italy, Manhattan. Come early. Reserve ahead. Bring someone you want to impress.
