Question Answer What does “certified green restaurant” mean exactly? Any old restaurant can call itself green (and probably many do) but what does the claim really mean? Enter the non-profit Green Restaurant Association (GRA), which 20 years ago began building a certification and support program for restaurants interested in going green. When a restaurant is certified by the GRA, you know it meets clear environmental standards with regard to energy, water, waste, disposables, pollution and — oh yeah — food. Collectively, the other areas contribute much more to a restaurant's environmental footprint. That said, food is the one area that directly affects customers and tells them that a restaurant takes sustainability seriously. Did you know that an analysis by the Department of Energy shows that restaurants are the most energy intensive businesses in the commercial sector - meaning they use the most energy per square foot? Or consider this: According to the GRA, the average restaurant discards 50,000 pounds of garbage per year. Almost 95% of the waste could be recycled or composted (Keep in mind—those waste figures don't include the take-out cups and containers discarded by consumers after they leave the restaurant). Receiving 206.35 points on the GRA's rigorous certification scale and having implemented a whopping 76 steps, Pizza by Certé has gone over 100% above and beyond the requirements necessary for Certification. We are one of only 16 restaurants in New York to have achieved this distinction by completing an extensive 76 steps, including: • Implementing a full-scale recycling and composting program, becoming a Near Zero Waste restaurant • Constructing wall coverings, ceiling panels, countertops, and cabinets from recycled and rapidly renewable materials • Purchasing 39% of monthly foods from vegan sources and committing to sourcing from local food populations • Using low-flow faucets and spray valves on hand washing and prep sinks, which save thousands of gallons of water and significant energy How do I place an online order? Click here to review our menu and place an online order. How do you describe your pizza? Hybrid-bubbly, crisp crust. Half Naples, half NYC pie. What makes your food taste so good? Simple: No cans. We try our best to buy as local as possible, limiting the time from farm to you. We make our own sauce from fresh tomatoes, our cheeses are fresh, and we use fresh produce and meats in ALL of our food choices. We try to stay with the philosophy that fresh taste best. Honestly, we do things the old fashioned way. It's a heck of a lot more work, but in the end, that's what separates us from other pizzerias. What makes your crust different? Our dough is made fresh daily using a natural starter that is two years older than Pizza by Certé! We allow nature the proper time to get things right. Yes, again, it's more work and takes up more operational time and space, but man, it's good! You use “unbleached, unbromated” flour.  What does this mean? The process that bleaches flour is this. After flour is milled, it is subjected to a chlorine gas bath, which whitens it, reduces the gluten content and provides a finer grain. Bromated flour has been treated with potassium bromate to improve dough elasticity which allows it to stand up to commercial baking practices and produce a higher rising bread. Potassium bromate is a potential carcinogen and has been banned in Europe, Canada, and Japan as a suspected carcinogen and food products sold in California containing bromate must bear a warning label. In theory, the substance is supposed to bake out of bread dough as it cooks, but if a residue remains behind in the bread, it could be harmful in the long term. What is the difference in your cheeses? We use fresh whole milk mozzarella from local cheese makers, fresh hand-dipped Ricotta, and American grana that we grate fresh per order. By grating it off the block, it allows us to use cheese in its purest form. Our cheeses do not contain any additives or anticoagulants. They are commonly made from vegetable rennets. What is the difference between the baker's and the regular pies? The baker's is rectangular and a thicker crust than our regular pie. How many slices in a pie? There are 8 slices per pie, regular or baker’s. What types of crust can I order? Any of our pizzas can be made with regular or quinoa crust. What is Quinoa? For those of you who are wondering, it's pronounced “KEEN-wah“ and is a recommended “grain alternative” on the gluten-free diet. If you're looking for a highly nutritious carbohydrate that's not only going to help you stay lean, but will also maximize your energy levels, look no further. A cup of quinoa will give you around 127 calories, 2 grams of fat, 23.4 grams of carbohydrates (2 of those being fiber), and 4.5 grams of protein. The taste and texture of quinoa is a bit like brown rice crossed with oatmeal. It's fluffy, creamy, crunchy and somewhat nutty, all rolled into one. Do you have gluten-free pizza? When you first find out you have to go gluten-free, this is probably one of the first foods you remember with genuine grief. I can't have pizza anymore? What am I going to do? Unfortunately, most gluten-free pizza tastes like cardboard painted brown or the pizza is so gritty you swear they threw a handful of sand into the dough. Gelatin is sometimes used in gluten-free recipes to bind and thicken batters and dough. Gelatin is processed from animal bone, hooves and connective tissue and is not suitable for vegan diets. For our gluten-free patrons, we prefer to make crust from chickpea flour (socca). It does not imitate and has its own character. Chickpea flour itself is a very fine powder made from nothing but ground garbanzo beans. It’s not sweet at all, but has a mild chickpea flavor and a thick/dense consistency. It's hot, chewy, crispy, nutty and delicious! What is a Ciagel? It is our version of a bagel. First, they are steamed and then finished in our brick oven. What is HOC? We grow our own herbs, so we call them Herbs of Certé. You can see the fresh basil on the walls of our restaurant growing fresh from our empty Ricotta cheese cans. What is Red Velvet Iced Tea? A combination between Yerba Mate Tea and Hibiscus to make our own healthy, delicious and fresh brewed iced tea. It energizes without the jittery side effects often associated with coffee or energy drinks. It lasts longer, boosting your metabolism and immune system. Yerba has a strong, distinctive and slightly bitter taste (similar to coffee), which many acquire a love for. If you are not among them, add a little honey, sugar, milk, lemon or numerous other things to your Mate and you'll find it a whole different experience. Yerba Mate is anti-oxidant rich and high in vitamins andminerals. Hibiscus has a tart, cranberry-like flavor and also contains vitamin C and natural organic flavonoid acids that give it its deep red color. The result is a smooth refreshing blend that actually energizes you! Does Pizza by Certé charge for delivery? We do not charge for delivery if you are inside our delivery area. Areas 1st to 8th Avenues between 42nd and 65th Streets are free delivery. A minimal fee is charged for other areas in Manhattan. Please call for the fee schedule. Is gratuity included? No. Our service is exceptional, so we happily leave the gratuity for you to include. Our delivery staff works for tips. Is there a minimum order? No. Just order just a beverage if you like. What are your hours of operation? Online We take orders online 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Store Hours Monday-Friday: 8a – 9p Saturday: Closed Sunday: Closed What set ups come with orders? Bio-degradable plates, plastic ware, cups, condiments, napkins, cups, straws ... everything you should need. Do you offer catering services? Absolutely! We offer sustainable catering for every kind of event. To download our catering menu, click here. How much advance notice do I need to place a catering order? Our dough is slow-fermented, so we need 24 hours notice for 20 pies or more. Platters or pizza can be sent ASAP. Do you have vegetarian/vegan meals? Yes, we are able to accommodate all dietary restrictions with proper notice. What do I do if there is a concern upon delivery? Call Pizza by Certé right away at 212.813.2020. One of our phone representatives can assist you. What methods of payment do you accept? We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.  No personal checks will be accepted. Is my information secure? We use SSL technology for all transactions involving an exchange of funds. For more information, view our privacy policy. Do you open corporate accounts? Corporations with strong credit histories are welcome to complete our house account form and usually take weeks to set up. We must have a credit card back-up on file in case the account exceeds 30 days.