Day 17, Pizza Month 2010 - S. Brooklyn Pizza (E. Village, NYC)

DAY 17: OCTOBER 17th, 2010

LOCATION: S. Brooklyn Pizza (E. Village, NYC)

ORDER: 1 slice of Margherita, 1 slice of Sicilian with mushroom

GUEST: Christopher Simpson, Robin Rothman

REVIEW:

Yes, this is the Placee! If you don't believe me, look no further than the sandwich board sign out front. What South Brooklyn Pizza lacks in signage, it more than makes up for in flavor. Still in its infancy, this is a pizzeria with potential. Serving nothing but top shelf ingredients, the chefs at South Brooklyn Pizza are building a business based on a firm foundation. It's working. Even during offpeak times, this slice-eria attracts a crowd. With imported Italian and Swedish cheese in the window and served on every slice, it is pretty clear to see why you might pay a dollar more for a slice. The cheese isn't the only import either. Tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil make each slice all the more savory. If you don't believe me, just look in the entrance way which doubles as a storage bin for the high quality ingredients.

Despite its name, South Brooklyn Pizza serves Neopolitan and Sicilian style pizza to the borough of Manhattan. Considering the size of the pies are much larget than traditional Italian styles and the fact it is sold by the slice, the pies have a definite New York/Brooklyn influence.

Not often do you find a street slice with Grana Padano, Fontina, and fresh mozzarella. But that is exactly what I found on both my cheese Neopolitan (circular) and mushroom Sicilian (square) slices. Although Grana Padano is my third favorite grated cheese (behind Pecorino and Parmigiano-Reggiano respectively) the cheese combination really meshed well with the olive oil and tomato sauce. Considering the caliber of ingredients, the crust was, dare I say, ordinary but served as a sturdy vehicle for delivering perfectly balanced goodness into my mouth. I'm looking forward to going back.

Although there is only one table and two chairs in the pizzeria, that is about to change. Construction has already begun on a small dining area in the back. And, according to the chef, that's just the beginning. Having recently purchased the storefront adjacent to them and in the process of renovating the backyard, South Brooklyn could soon transition from a "to go" slice place to an all out restaurant. I can't wait to come back and check on the progress, that is, while I'm eating my slices.


VIDEO CLIP:

RATING:
3.89 out of 5

• VALUE:
  4/5


• AMBIENCE:
  2.5/3


• TASTE:
  7.5/10


• SERVICE: N/A 0/0

14/18 = .778 x 5 = 3.89

MISCELLANEOUS:
1. Chris Simpson used to be in an a capella group in college. Chris and Robin talked about starting an a capella group here in the city. I hope they do.
2. After our pizza we went to the roof of Chris's E. Village apartment. NYC is so pretty at night.