Dinner at Luna Rossa

***Too good to pass up: Scopello Ristorante in Ft. Greene on Lafayette & Fulton,
will be giving away Cannolis today during Happy Hour from 5pm - 7pm.
Drink specials include buy one get one free as well!
Check it out and let me know how they are!***

There seems to be no shortage of wood-burning pizza places these days, which is fine by me, and we checked out a new-ish spot on the Carroll Gardens/Red Hook border recently (and by new-ish I mean less than 2 years old). Luna Rossa (552 Court St., between W. 9th Street and Garnet Place, 718-875-1384) is located practically in the shadow of the Gowanus Expressway, with dark and cozy interior and a large backyard that needs some work. We sat there one recent evening, with the sounds of the highway in the background, and enjoyed our tasty dinner.

We started out with a Caprese Salad, something I'm quite obsessed with at the moment. It was good, with big, round slices of tomato and mozzarella, topped with chopped basil. The mozzarella was fresh and the tomatoes ripe. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar added some bite. While this isn't as good as the Caprese at The Good Fork, it was good.



We also shared a salad from the specials menu, with mixed greens, thinly sliced green apple, walnuts and goat cheese. It was delicious - the tart apple, the creamy cheese, the crunch of the walnuts all combined to make a great dish.



Then there's the pizza. We ordered a Prosciutto and a Rustica. The Prosciutto had slices of the meat, fresh arugula, thinly shaved pieces of Parmesean and cherry tomatoes. The crust was chewy but thin, not soggy and had a slight sourdough flavor. Yum!



The Rustica had mozzarella, mushrooms and sausages. There was a nice balance of all the ingredients, all were flavorful and the crust was again thin, chewy and slightly tangy.



Luna Rossa is a good local spot, without the crowds, attentive service (maybe too attentive at times), and decent, tasty food. Perhaps not a destination from far away, but I hope enough people go here to keep these guys around.

Food News!

Cafe Mei Mei is now Cafe Ribant. They will be hosting a Backyard Barbeque on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, starting at 4pm and going until closing.

The 5-Boro Pizza Tour will cover Brooklyn on May 30th. For more info check out Jeffrey Tastes. He's looking to do it via bicycle, so get in touch if you want to work off your pizza in-between tastes.

The Metropolitan Green Weekend Market (439 Metropolitan Ave., at Havemeyer) starts this weekend on May 28th! Housed in a LEED certified building in Williamsburg, the weekend-long market will have local artisans, clothing and food! It will only take place for four weekends, ending on June 27. They're still looking for vendors, so if you've got something to sell, email them!

Lard Bread Pizza at Francesco's

By Guest Writer: Josh Kaplan

Henry street sits on the far West side of Carroll Gardens. It’s a block from the BQE, and from Union Street you can see Red Hook, beyond that the river, beyond that the skyline. It’s removed from Carroll Garden’s central hub of mixologist bars and Michelin recognized restaurants on Smith and Court, more sleepy and reserved with businesses scattered rather than condensed. It’s also where you can find one of New York’s most interesting pizzas, and no, I’m not referring to Lucali’s.

Francesco’s, (531 Henry St., at the corner of Union, 718-834-0863) formerly Nino’s, was bought two and a half years ago by Mazzola Bakery, a neighborhood institution and trusted producer of breads, croissants and cookies directly across the street, on the southeast corner of the intersection where Union crosses Henry. Mazzola’s signature item, what separates it from the scores of coffee and cake shops littering scenic corners from Red Hook to Prospect Heights, is their lard bread. Lard bread is an addictive dough made from a standard flour, yeast, margarine compound flavored with diced salami, provolone cheese, black pepper, vegetable lard and pork lard. The dough is optimized in several forms, as a loaf, as a roll, as a pretzel, but their most creative application can be found across the street, where it served as crust for Francesco’s Lard Bread Pie.

By all appearances Francesco’s is a mild mannered neighborhood red sauce joint that feels homogeneous in its removed corner of Brooklyn. It’s split between a sit down restaurant and an adjoining pizzeria with booths. Both sides are homey and modest; in the pizzeria ESPN plays on a flat-screen mounted in the corner. On a visit mid-December Sinatra was signing melancholy renderings of holiday standards and the decor resembled a deconstructed Christmas tree. The menu is stuffed with American Italian staples, Eggplant parm, fried shellfish, sausage and peppers.



The plain slice is passable, that generic New York slice that would be at home on any corner in Manhattan, but you’d be foolish to skip the lard bread slice - order a pie if you have the time and audience. The pie resembles those Elio’s-like cafeteria slices you loved in Grade school because you didn’t know any better, but there’s a sleek thinness that avoids the Sicilian style label the pie’s shape demands. The drawback, what keeps it from serious discussion, is apparent on grabbing your first slice, as that first piece separates reluctantly from its whole. The pie is blanketed by a down quilt of industrial strength, bargain basement mozzarella, a chore to contend with even straight out of the oven. But the canvas is the attraction, like its obese cousin at L&B Spumoni; cheese is entirely beside the point.



The pizza’s thin perimeter resembles nothing so much as a flaky pie crust, and that’s a good way to begin considering it. A peak at the underside reveals a labyrinthine crust full of pleasantly brown crevices that add an extra crunch. Beneath that crunch the slice is chewy but not doughy. The salami and black pepper provide a salty heat present in every bite, while the lard and cheese contribute a buttery unctuousness, grease you can taste on the tongue you don’t have to contend with on the plate, it all makes for huge, balanced but dangerously close to overwhelming flavor.

The Francesco’s Lard Bread Pie is a bold experiment, by your third or fourth slice, one a pizza connoisseur may deem unsuccessful. Regardless, that first bite is full of fun, and this attempt certainly deserves a place as an exotic entry in New York’s pizza vernacular.

Dinner at Vertuccio's on the Park

I was invited to attend an Editor's Tasting at a fairly new spot in Williamsburg called Vertuccio's Pizza on the Park (232 N.12th., between Driggs & Roebling, 718-486-3900). It's in the old Mamalu play space & cafe whose cavernous space been transformed into sort of an Italian Courtyard, complete with a faux water well and stone walls, and in the summer I think they'll have a pretty sweet backyard area. We were seated and given complimentary glasses of wine (they have since received their liquor license, and are selling red & white wines by the glass & bottle, in addition to beer), by the very friendly and attentive waitstaff who made sure we had everything we needed.



We started with a Cheese Plate (3 choices, dotted with olives) and a Cured Meat Plate (3 choices, again with olives). We were given a Gryuere, a Parmesean and a Provolone. The cheeses were good, but they were all strong and flavorful, and not enough variety, as they were too similar and the tastes overlapped too much. The meat, too, was not varied enough. There was Pancetta, Speck and Prosciutto. Each had the same soft texture and each had strips of fat mingled in with the meat. It would have been nice to have some spicy Soppresatta or Salami. Everything was fresh and good quality though.



A Bresaola Pizza was brought out next, straight from the Brock Oven, topped with Mozzarella, Baby Spinach, Black Truffle & Parmigiano Cheese. I love Bresaola and this pizza was absolutely fantastic. The meat was flavorful and supple, the cheese plentiful and the crust crispy, except in the middle where it got a little soggy. The truffle was also a bit overwhelming, and took over the other, more subtle flavors. I liked it though, and would definitely order it again. They also offer a Gluten-Free pizza.



Our next course was a White Bean Salad with Shrimp. It was tasty, with a lemon-herb dressing, and the shrimp were tender and nicely cooked.



We then got to try two Pasta dishes. One was Fettuccine in a creamy tomato sauce with spinach, cherry tomatoes and scallops. My boyfriend made a Gorgon Ramsey crack about the chopped parsley sprinkled around the edge of the plate, but the dish was nice. The sauce was lightly salted, the pasta fresh & not overcooked and the scallops a nice change from chicken.



We also had the Fettuccine with spinach, mushrooms, parmigiano cheese & truffle oil. On top of everything else, I think we were too stuffed to appreciate it. This is a dish best paired with a light salad or shared with someone else. The truffle oil overpowered everything though; it's really strong so only a little bit is needed and the creamy sauce was quite heavy.



We ended up taking the slice of Cheesecake home, there was no way we could even try it at that point! It was creamy, slightly sweet and decent. My grandfather made the most amazing Italian Cheesecake I've ever had, so I'm spoiled and never order it when I'm out.

I think Vertuccio's will settle into it's space, get it's 'restaurant-legs' and do pretty well. They just need to go lighter on the Truffle Oil! Delivery offered within a 5-mile radius.

Dinner from Enoteca on Court #2

Another long day at work and another meal ordered in. There's something that happens during these last few weeks of the year where it becomes really difficult to stay on top of one's regular cooking schedule. So we decided to try Enoteca on Court (347 Court St., between Union & President St., 718-243-1000), a new place that opened early this past summer at which we ate once for dinner. We started with the Gorgonzola Bruschette, two large pieces of Italian bread cut on the diagonal with gorgonzola cheese mixed with mascarpone and drizzled with honey. I swear I took a photo, but I don't have one! It was delicious though - soft, dense, chewy bread with sharp cheese, creamy mascarpone and sweet honey. We also chose the Spinaci Baby salad - baby spinach, pear, pancetta, mushrooms and balsamic dressing. The salad was generously portioned, with basically a whole, sliced pear, lots of fresh greens and plentiful slices of cured pancetta. All the flavors intermingled well and complemented one another.



For our main entree we ordered the Proscuitto Pizza made with the cured meat, arugula, mozzarella and parmigiano cheese. The meat was cured to perfection and was generously placed atop the pizza. The mozzarella was fresh and creamy and slightly sweet, melted on top with the fresh greens. The crust was wonderful as well. Crispy, chewy and substantial without being overwhelming.

Pizza from My Little Pizzeria

There are a ton of pizzerias scattered throughout Brooklyn, but some are better than others, and My Little Pizzeria (114 Court St., between State St. & Atlantic Ave., 718-643-6120) has always been a stand out. Here is a sampling of two of their most basic slices - the regular and the Margherita, with fresh mozzarella.



The sauce is slightly sweet and the cheese is spread evenly around the dough which is thin and nicely chewy. The Margherita with the fresh mozzarella is a nice upgrade from the regular slice if you're looking for something a little different; it also has a subtle sprinkling of oregano. Both slices have a good crust that is browned just so and has a nice, clean taste.

Dinner at Zaytoon's

The Zaytoon's in Prospect Heights (594 Vanderbilt Ave., at the corner of St. Marks Ave., 718-230-3200) is almost the opposite of it's sibling on Smith St. in Carroll Gardens. It's spacious and brightly lit, but offers the same great food at incredibly affordable prices. The best is to go with a couple of friends so you can get a bunch of things and share everything. At least, that's how I like to do it. Of course you have to start with a Combination Plate - your choice of five of the 9 or so salads and dips available. We picked the Foul, Cucumber Yogurt Salad, Hummus, Babaganouj and Lentil Salad. Everything is fresh tasting, tangy, hearty and wonderful to scoop up with warm, right-out-of-the-oven pita.



I love the Pitza with Beef Bacon too. The meat is tender and perfectly salty, although I feel like there's too much scallion. Lots of melty cheese makes up for that though.



My boyfriend ordered the Kafta Kabob - charcoal grilled ground Beef & Lamb with onion, parsley & spices with a side salad, rice, green salad and pita bread with your choice of hummus or babaghanouj. It was flavorful, tender and plentiful. The hummus is creamy and zesty too.



My friend ordered the Shrimp Kabob - grilled Shrimp served over couscous with sauteed vegetables. I was surprised at how tender and juicy the shrimp were; and nicely flavored. I'm not a fan of couscous, so I'm not a fair judge and the veggies were mostly peppers, but good.



The Zaytoon's in Prospect Heights was great, and is a better choice for larger groups than the Carroll Gardens branch, but the food was just as good.

Pizza at Layla Jones

I had some pieces of a Margarita Pizza from Layla Jones (214 Court St., between Warren St. & Baltic St., 718-624-2361) the other night. Having never eaten there, I had been curious about their pizzas, all of which sound very enticing based on their descriptions. The Margarita had lots of fresh basil and the cheese was real mozzarella, which is always a good thing. The sauce was ok too, a bit chunky, savory and not sweet, but a little thinly spread, which is disappointing. But what was really disappointing was the crust. It was weird. Like, bland and cracker-like. Brittle and airy in a bad way. I don't even understand how that happened.



Needless to say, with all the other places to get a mere decent slice of pizza, I'm not going to be running back anytime soon. I will try their pressed sandwiches, maybe, if that's what's most convenient, but there's too much great food to settle for this.

Dinner at Enoteca on Court

Over the summer a new restaurant popped up on Court St. in Carroll Gardens called Enoteca on Court (347 Court St., between Union & President, 718-243-1000). They boast a menu with tons of wine, pizza, panini and an assortment of Italian dishes from Bruschetta & stuffed artichoke to meats, cheeses & small dishes from the oven like octopus, meatballs and chicken. They also have a lovely garden in which they host viewings of Italian movies on Sundays through mid-October. The garden is quite nice (I found the interior to be a bit too air-conditioned and the music was playing too loudly), with flowers, and little fountain and a wall of shutters that makes you feel as if you're in a genuine courtyard in Florence, perhaps.



Our waitress brought over this plate with a basic tomato & garlic Bruschetta (on the house) which was delicious - lots of garlic, fresh tomato and just a sprinkling of cheese and parsley. It definitely whet my appetite and made me eager for my meal. I chose the Romana pizza with tomato, mozzarella, anchovies, capers, olives & oregano. There were plenty of anchovy filets, flavorful whole cured olives & fresh cheese. The crust was thin and slightly sour, and just chewy enough at the ends. I really liked it.



My boyfriend ordered the Melanzana - eggplant, tomato sauce, basil & parmigiano regianno baked in a dish in the wood-burning oven. It came out steaming, was wonderfully cheesy but was a bit bland and needed salt. The eggplant was cooked well though, and there were no thick, chewy bits.



He also got a Panini with porchetta AND mortadella, provolone, pickles, caramelized shallots & roasted garlic aioli. This was really heavy, and he was only able to eat half (I got to have the rest for lunch the next day). The pickles were a perfect touch, and everything blended together really well.



Enoteca on Court definitely surprised me in a good way, and I'm happy to have another nice place to go in the area with a quiet backyard. They also offer flights of red wine so you can sample a few. I picked the Italian Red Ramble which included three delicious reds from Italy. I recommend going here when you want something besides pasta in a mellow, relaxing environment.

Brooklyn Leg of the 5-Boro Pizza Tour

I got wind of an interesting event taking place this weekend and wanted to spread the word. The Brooklyn Leg of the 5-Boro Pizza Tour will be taking place on Sunday, August 9. The group will start at Motorino in Williamsburg and make their way through Bushwick, Carroll Gardens, and Midwood. If this sounds like a challenge you're up to, check out Jeffrey Tastes for information on how to sign up and when to meet. Let me know if you go!

AND, as a reminder: Eat It: The Brooklyn Food Blog turned one year old July 18th and I'm celebrating with a contest! To enter, write about your favorite restaurant or meal in Brooklyn and email it to EatItBrooklyn (at) gmail (dot) com; don't forget to include photos! Two lucky winners will each receive a copy of the new book out by Andrew Coe called Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States and will have their submission published here on Eat It! Special consideration will be given to those who write about Chinese food! Contest ends August 3rd.

Pizza at Fascati Pizza

It is only when I'm traveling that I realize how wonderful it is to live in a city where you are never too far from a slice of pizza. It's the best thing to tide you over until the next mealtime, and I find that while there are really good places, even a mediocre slice is good enough for a snack (unless the sauce is on the sweet side, that I cannot accept). The pizza at Fascati Pizza (80 Henry Street, between Pineapple & Orange Streets, 718-237-1278) is certainly better than mediocre though, with savory sauce, plentiful cheese and toppings, and about 8 guys behind the counter, so you'll never have to wait long to place your order.

I stopped in recently for a mid-afternoon bite and walked away with the biggest pepperoni slice I've ever seen, crammed with thick slices of the spicy meat. When the slices cook, they curl up and end up being little bowls full of oil. Nothing a few paper napkins can't fix!



The cheese slice was great too, with plenty of melted, gooey cheese, on a perfectly crunchy crust. I like my pizza with a few shakes of garlic powder, oregano and red pepper...mmmm, delicious!

I know people are really picky and opinionated about their pizza. How does Fascati Pizza rate readers?

Pizza at Anselmo's

1-10-10
I'm said to report on a story I read in Brownstoner that states Anselmo's has closed, 9 months after they opened, they're apparently having difficulty with the landlords and their lease. So sad, this place was great. Hopefully, they'll find another spot to re-open and have success. Good Luck Anselmo's!

There's nothing in the world like good pizza. And it seems like good, brick-oven pizza is having a resurgence lately with all the new places like Anselmo's (354 Van Brunt St., at Sullivan St., 718-313-0169) tossing their hat into the ring. I think this is a good thing, especially when the wait on lines at some places can be two hours or you're told at 7pm that a place is not taking any more names for the night. That, to me, is just crazy-talk. So I'm glad there are new places like Anselmo's to spread the pizza around.

Before we talk pizza, let's take a look at the salad, a nice, big, arugula salad with real croutons, two garlic knots, shaved Grana Padano cheese and toasted walnuts in a lemon dressing. This was fresh and delicious and enough for three people. The garlic knots were also really good; soft and doughy and well-seasoned and not the hard, stale balls they usually are.



We also got an order of the Caprese Salad which was pretty decent. Not the most amazing mozzarella around, but good and creamy and the tomatoes were good as well. The pesto topping was a nice touch, as were the salty, briny olives.



There were a lot of us, so we got two large pies (14 inches) and ended up also needing a small pie (10 inches). You can get a whole range of toppings, or choose the special pizza of the night listed on the board. The crust was perfect, the sauce was savory and not too sweet and everything tasted fresh and was so yummy.



There isn't two inches of crust like on the pizzas I found underwhelming but everybody insists are the best, and the toppings are liberally spread about the pie. While the ambiance is a bit lacking (kind of food court-ish), the staff is friendly, there's absolutely no wait for a table, even on a Saturday night, and everything tastes great. I hope people go to Anselmo's so that they'll always be a more relaxed but still delicious pizza option. They don't have a liquor license, so make sure to bring a few beers or a bottle of wine with you!

Pizza & Ice Cream!

While I tend to steer clear of places that have long lines outside them, Grimaldi's Pizza (19 Old Fulton Street, between Front St. & Water St., 718-858-4300) is so good, I might have to make an exception more often. If you arrive at 11am, you can be sure you'll be a part of the first wave to be seated when they open at 11:30am. Inside, it's a bustling place, with red & white checked tablecloths, photos and newspaper clippings about Frank Sinatra lining the walls in frames, and about 8 waiters, all running this way and that, trying to get everybody's orders in. The huge oven can be seen from all the tables and you can watch while your pizza is made to order.



There's a lot of hype about this pizza, but I believe it stands up to all the hyperbole with delicious, well-made, tasty pizza. The crust is perfect, crispy & thin, but still just doughy enough, and never soggy. The cheese is so fresh and has the best melty consistency, and the sauce is well-seasoned and not sweet at all. This pizza has pepperoni slices on it which are the smaller version, but slightly thicker than usual pepperoni slices and spicy enough to add a little heat. Fresh basil leaves dot the entire pie. Of course, they have lots of options for other toppings. Also, if you can't stand the lines, you can call in your order and pick it up to go.



Afterward, if it's a nice day, take a walk down to the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory at 1 Water Street (or 2 Cadman Plaza West, depending on your map) for dessert (718-246-3963). There are usually 6 or 8 flavors on the menu and all are available on a cone, in a cup or made into a milkshake. It's some of the creamiest, most delicious ice cream out there, made even better by the lovely views of the Brooklyn Bridge from the pier.



These cones are displaying a single scoop of the wonderful coffee ice cream on sugar and wafer cones. Deeee-licious!

Parked!: Lunch at The Yard

FYI - A number of Park Slope restaurants are offering deals on meals, now through the 30th, in honor of the Brooklyn Half Marathon which is this Saturday, starting in Prospect Park and ending in Coney Island. Check out the New York Road Runners Club website for details on participating restaurants and where you can cheer on the runners. Go Mom!!!

Oh yeah! The Yard, now know as Bklyn Yard (388-400 Carroll Street, by the blue swinging bridge, between Bond St. & Nevins St.) has opened for another season and I'm so excited. There's something about the ramshackle, haphazard spot on the banks of the Gowanus Canal that makes me so happy. Not to mention, the food!!! This Saturday marked the first of many Saturdays where you'll be able to amble down and get some of the tastiest treats in Brooklyn, all at one place! Some weekends there will be special food, like the Pit BBQ coming up on June 6th; others will host various food vendors selling their fare out of trucks.

First, get yourself something to drink 'cuz you're going to be standing in line and waiting for a while before you get to eat anything. There is a bar with beer but I got myself some Hot Pink Lemonade from the Green Pirate instead. Green Pirate is a juice bar on wheels that makes delicious liquid concotions. The lemonade had lemon & lime juice, celery, sweet beets and ginger, which resulted in a cup full of blood red liquid, sweet and tart and very refreshing.



I then stood in line and ordered a couple of personal pizzas from Pizza Moto, a mobile, wood-fired, brick oven pizzeria. One was with Artichoke Hearts (for me), and was delicious, with plenty of chokes and melty cheese. The crust was perfect - thin and bubbly, crisp and not soggy at all.



The other, for the BF, came with Ramps and Bacon and was so good my eyes bulged out of my head when I tried a bite. Seriously. Smoky, chewy bacon, tangy ramps and again, that fresh, melty cheese and wonderful sauce.



We bumped into some friends who stood for an hour to get some Huaraches from a vendor who normally sells in Red Hook on the weekends. It was a ginormous dish, and very messy, so snag a seat at a table if you can. I tried a bite for research sake and found it to be quite good. The tortilla is so fresh, it's unlike any other tortilla wrapped food, and all the flavors migled together to make a very tasty meal indeed!



The Van Leeuwen Artisanal Ice Cream Truck was there when we left, but we were full and the line was ridiculous, so we left. Maybe next time. The truck was pretty and I hear their ice cream is the bomb.

Also, don't forget that on Sundays there are DJs and dance parties. Go to Bklyn Yard!

Pizza from Sal's

On the way home from a movie and in need of a late-night snack, I stopped in at Sal's (305 Court Street, corner of DeGraw Street, 718-852-6890) for a couple of slices. Sal's has been around for a long time and still has those old-style yellow and orange Formica booths lining the walls. In recent years they expanded and installed, in the warm months, a white plastic picket fence that encloses a sliver of sidewalk for enjoying the weather while you dine. Kinda weird to be on the busy corner, but kinda nice to chill with your slice instead of walking and eating which is surely bad for one's digestion.

On this particular trip I got one regular plain slice and one slice with fresh mozzarella and basil. The first thing I noticed was the sauce. It's a bit sweeter than I like my sauce to be. I don't think it's necessary to add sugar to the natural sweetness of the tomato. My grandmother never used sugar in her sauce, so my taste buds have been trained to frown upon its use in this way.



The cheese on both slices was also kinda mediocre. Maybe it was the late hour, but everything was kinda congealed, even after being heated up. The crust was disappointing too, kinda chewy; not crispy enough. There isn't a pizza joint close by, so if you're in a pinch and need a slice, this place is totally fine. I know most of the places in the Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill/Downtown Brooklyn neighborhoods and this one is one of the better in the area. Makes me curious about other pizzerias. Sleepy favorites out there?

Pizza at La Pizzetta

***3/14/10 So, La Pizzetta is no longer. A new pizza joint will re-open as of
March 22nd "Under New Management". We shall see.***

There's a newish place called La Pizzetta (145 Atlantic Avenue, between Henry Street and Clinton Street, 718-855-6400) that serves small, personal pizzas, calzones and various Italian appetizers and pasta entrees. They opened last fall and I had been curious to check it out. The first thing I noticed was the decor which is kind of "everyplace USA". It had that generic vibe that makes you feel as if you are in a chain restaurant in some strip mall somewhere, with no specific personality or culture of its own. The light fixtures were sorta cute, made from colanders and cheese graters, but the signs and posters on the walls screamed catalog when they meant to say 'vintage farmstand' and the design on some of the plates was headache inducing. ~sigh~

We started with the Tricolore Salad, made with arugula, endive and radicchio with a balsamic dressing. The dressing seemed more lemon & oil than balsamic but was good, and the ingredients were fresh and had bold flavors. Notice the plate though. We hadn't finished when our waitress came out with our two pizzas, one in each hand, and stood at our table until we picked the salad plate up to make room for the pies. She then took away our not-totally-finished-with salad. Another sigh.



We shared the two pies. One was the Romana which had mozzarella, tomato sauce, anchovies, capers, olives & oregano. The olives were from a can, and the anchovies were a bit tough. The sauce was good though, not at all sweet, which I hate, and with the salty, briny capers it was hard for this to taste badly. The mozzarella was good too, fresh and creamy in a thin layer. I didn't notice any oregano though.



We also got the Marchigiana with Mozarella, Artichokes and goat cheese. This was pretty good, with lots of cheese and yummy artichoke hearts. The crust on both pizzas was nice and thin, crispy and crackly, albeit a bit burnt in some spots.



So, the food was fine, but with a couple of stellar pizza places in the neighborhood and restaurants with a more charming ambiance and capable staff, I can't say I'll be back soon. I did see a lot of parents with kids - perhaps it's an easy, unoffensive place to take picky eaters. It's BYOB though, so stop by the wine shop a few doors down towards Henry before you head over.

Pizza from Sam's Restaurant

Such a strange place Sam's Restaurant is (238 Court St., at Baltic St., 718-596-3458). A group of my friends decided they wanted to try it, as I was the only one who had ever been and they wanted to see for themselves what it was all about. The old, original signage on the windows beckons, and you have to take a few steps down in order to enter into a place caught in a time warp. It feels like nothing has been changed in decades, from the red and white checkered plastic tablecloths, to the ancient photos on the wall (one was an 8 1/2 x 11 of a cat?). The dining area is one big space that feels like an old rec room, a place where church functions were held and you ran around as a kid with your friends, high on sugar while the adults drank and smoked and laughed three feet above your heads. The lighting is weird - both too bright and a bit dark, but the radio is tuned to the best of the 60's, 70's, 80's AND 90's and surely something will come on that makes you happy (Journey anyone?).

There's a back room that never seems to be used, and a huge upstairs space that isn't open either (although you have to go up there to use the ladies room). It seems like it'd be a cool spot to host a party or a reception, although I don't think it's available for that. There is a full bar though and lots of old classic cocktails listed on the menu. But let's get on to the food, shall we?

We started out with a salad - the Combination Salad to be precise. Iceberg lettuce, a few pink wedges of tomato, plus marinated mushrooms, roasted red pepper and a couple of olives from the can. Delicious. Well, not the olives, but everything else. Two bottles of red wine vinegar and oil are placed on the table for dressing. Beautiful simplicity. Nothing beats the crisp crunch of iceberg lettuce with the tangy tartness of red wine vinegar.



A friend ordered a Gin Lime Rickey, something to order again if only for it's pink frothiness.



But the highlights of our trip were the pizzas. They were excellent. Covered in cheese and sauce and whatever extra toppings you choose, the crust is thin, yet substantial; it holds its own and doesn't get soggy in the center. I hate that. The sauce is savory, not sweet, and the ingredients taste fresh.

We got one with Ricotta & Sausage which had slices of decent Italian sausage and loads of creamy ricotta. It was decadent and delicious and every bit was eaten - even the lost bits of ricotta were wiped up with scraps of crust.



We also ordered a pie with Pepperoni & Garlic. This was my favorite of the two. Mounds of fresh crushed garlic nestled in with abundant slices of slightly spicy pepperoni. SO GOOD!



There were six of us and this was just the right amount of food. Nothing was left over and everyone was happy. No slices though, and if you order a pie by phone, you can't eat it in the restaurant (although, I don't think that's so weird). They also sell Rock Salt for your icy sidewalks!