Saraghina

I'm baaaaack! After relinquishing all bread, pizza, pasta, and hametz related substances for a long (yet wonderful) Passover in Jerusalem & Tel Aviv, I'm finally back! Home sweet home, and itching for springtime in New York and delicious new spots to fill  my belly and quench my insatiable appetite.... 

Shortly before my trip I had a wonderful meal in the Bed-Stuy area of Brooklyn. In what looks to be the middle of nowhere off an unassuming corner, lies the excellent Saraghina. I heard this place mentioned a few times (there's even been Beyonce/Jay-Z spotting for what that's worth), but unfamiliar with Bed-Stuy I was reluctant to trek out there. Turns out it's not too far (15 min drive from Midwood, where I live), and even if it was a little further it would still be worth the trek.

I would describe Saraghina as quaint, funky, and relaxed. There's chairs hanging from the ceiling and other awesome decor. It's the kind of place I'd want to go with a small party for a birthday celebration. It's hip and fun but without the pretentiousness, and with delicious food. The service is good, the people around me seem cool, and it is just comfortable.  There's also an outside area that looks pretty cool come springtime. 

After just a few quick minutes we were seated, ordered, and had some nice local beer in our hands. We started with the Burrata Salad, imported from Puglia and served with fresh tomatoes, greens, basil and evoo. I love Burrata, and this is DELICIOUS burrata. Get this. We also had a delicious Fennel Salad served shaved with parmigiano, pine nuts and thyme. Spaghetti al Chitarra, the homemade spaghetti with fresh tomato and basil is simple and excellent. The sauce lies a little on the sweeter side but it was al dente and really just a perfectly cooked bowl of pasta. 

We went for the Carciofi Pizza with san marzano tomatoes, baby artichokes, fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil. Wow. Thin crust, tangy sauce, fresh cheese, and yummy artichokes. The pizza here is up there with the best Brooklyn has to offer (Di Fara, Lucali, Franny's, etc). Brick oven Brooklyn deliciousness. 

We had such a pleasant experience at Saraghina, without any of the hassle. Although I've only been once, this place is definitely going to become a regular and I'm told the brunch is pretty awesome as well. Check this place out for sure. It's another Brooklyn winner. 


Neighborhood: Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn

Bite Mark: ****

Good For: Pizza, Date Night, Romantic, Small Parties, Brunch, Kid-friendly 

Saraghina, 435 Halsey 718-574-0010 www.saraghinabrooklyn.com

I Heart Franny's

One of my favorite Brooklyn go-to spots, Franny's is a Prospect Heights staple most famously known for their delicious thin crust Neapolitan style pizza, and their organic locally sourced ingredients.
 Andrew Steinberg and Francine Stephens are the owners and husband-wife team of this amazing establishment. They are extremely conscious of the local sustainable ingredients they use, and a look at the back of the menu will tell you the names of the farms where your food was born. If you are a Franny's groupie like myself you should also check out Brooklyn Larder down the street (228 Flatbush), where they sell gourmet foods and provisions, cheese, meat and some mean sandwiches. 

Just mention to me Franny's and I do my "happy food" dance. This is my happy place. It's a given that Franny's will be an exceptional meal and that I will leave here full, drunk, and satisfied. I love that the menu is constantly changing but I always have plenty of meat and shellfish free options to choose from (and often can't hold back and order the whole menu!) Some may complain the staff can be "Brooklyn snobby" but as long as you are nice and patient I have never had a sour experience. 

The room at Franny's includes a nice size bar where you can also eat, a couple of wooden tables, exposed brick walls, and a cute backyard. I almost forgot about the soap! Go to the bathroom and tell me honestly if you've ever smelled a more refreshingly delicious smell! I keep meaning to write down what the hell that is. But as you know nothing in life is perfect, and Franny's too has its minor drawbacks. There are often times long waits (be patient), salty food (sea salt is sprinkled on just about everything -- and I love them for this), and the meal does not come cheap (it's worth it). 

Yes, you are going to have to wait. Be smart about it. Don't show up with 6 people at 8:30 Thursday night and expect to be seated ASAP. Go early or late, or like me go just with a friend and hope to grab a seat at the bar. Often the bar is my favorite experience. Locally brewed beers on tab, friendly bartender, quick service, and sick food. Another tip if you are jonesing for a Franny's fix on the weekend is to go right when they open at 12, or wait until the rush dies down at 3:30 and have a much more pleasurable experience (especially with little ones in tow). 

Although the menu is ever changing, there are a few constants. The simple sounding bruschetta of garlic with olive oil and sea salt. Trust me and get this. It comes with just 2 pieces per order and each person is going to want their own. Crispy, salty, crunchy, delicious-ness. The vegetables. I'm not going to get into too much detail with specific dishes because as I mentioned they are always changing, but basically whatever vegetables are fresh they pair some yummy cheese, EVOO, sea salt, and the results are genius. I've had clementine pistachio salads, grapefruit, olive and hot pepper concoctions, all kinds of greens (kale, fennel, chicory, etc), root veggies that I've never heard of, and delicious combinations of vegetarian friendly soups (below is kale, beans and bread) -- really they are all amazing. The fried things are never too oily and usually the first to finish. I've had arancino balls that are to die for, and fried potatoes with cheese and capers and a spicy mayo that I still dream about.

The pastas are always al dente, and of the 3 ever changing pastas there are always at least one or two that are vegetarian friendly. Spaghetti with meyer lemon and parmigiano is delicious, as is their cacio e pepe when they have it. Don't be afraid of bottargo, fish roe, or even anchovies here. They are never fishy and add amazing flavor. The pizza is without a doubt something special and on par with the best of the best. They are extra thin (like a flatbread), almost burnt and are made with the most freshly tasting ingredients that you can imagine. They are served uncut (for authenticity sake) with a sharp knife. The basic pie allows their delicious creamy mozzarella and amazing sauce to shine through but my personal favorite is the ricotta, mozzarella, oregano, garlic, hot pepper pie. 
It is life changing. 

 

I'm usually too full at this point to think about dessert, but I've seen cannoli, panna cotta, and homemade ice creams swing by that may change your mind. After this the bill is going to come and it is going to be expensive. Don't complain. You just had a delicious meal and your wife / husband / friends / kids will be thanking you for it. You are paying for the fresh food, laid back atmosphere, and wonderful experience. 

If you haven't already been, I strongly recommend you stop reading and head over to Franny's ASAP. Tell them The Brooklyn Bite sent you. 
 And FYI ,the Franny's team is opening an offshoot in Park Slope that will be bigger and offer reservations (yay) slated for a April 1 opening. I can't wait. 

Neighborhood: Prospect Heights, Brooklyn

Bite Mark: *****

Good For: Date Night, Girls Night, Family, Neighborhood Gem, Pizza

Franny's, 295 Flatbush Ave nr Prospect Pl  718-230-0221  www.frannysbrooklyn.com

Brooklyn Pizza: Lucali, Di Fara, Spumoni

Brooklyn Pizza showdown.

Lucali vs. Di Fara vs. L & B Spumoni Gardens 

I'm not saying that these 3 pizzerias are the best Brooklyn has to offer, but all 3 are pretty damn amazing. You may like Grimaldi's better, or the ricotta hot pepper pie at Franny's (YUM), but as stand alone pizza joints,  I tend to frequent these the most. 

The breakdown:

Lucali
575 Henry Street @ Carroll, 718-858-4086, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn 718-858-4086

Pizza: Phenomenal. Thin crispy crust (almost cracker-like), sauce is light, smooth and tangy. Beautiful balance of flavors, and excellent texture. Toppings include artichoke hearts, mushrooms, pepperoni, onions, peppers, shallots, basil & garlic (free)

Atmosphere: Intimate & romantic
                    
Health Grade: A 

What else should I know? BYOB, Cash Only. All they have here is pizza and calzones, but you don't need much else. The CALZONE is amazing (some say better than the pizza). I like the artichoke hearts on my pizza, and shallots and hot peppers in my calzone. The service is efficient, if not particularly friendly, and I love the open kitchen and watching the magic happen. Rumor has it that a select few can also get a nutella calzone for dessert. 

Convenience: Not. But if you get the system down, it is doable. Call and they can put your name down and call you when it's almost time. On a Thursday night, I called at 7, they said 30-40 mins, and by the time I drove there and parked, our table was ready. 

VERDICT: Go. It is worth the wait. My #1. 

Di Fara 
1424 Ave J corner of East 15th, Midwood, Brooklyn, 718-258-1367, www.difara.com


Pizza: It's clear from the moment you walk in that Domenico Demarco (Dom) puts his soul into Di Fara. He stands alone behind the tiny counter year after year after year, and lovingly does his thing. The sauce is delicious and slightly sweet made with a mixture of fresh and canned tomatoes, and the mozzerella cheese is imported straight from Italy. Each pie is finished with a sprinkling of parmesan and olive oil, and freshly cut basil on top. You've never tried anything like it. This pizza is perfection. 

Atmosphere: Not very comfortable. It's a tiny shop with a few communal and stand alone tables squeezed in. It's fine and you are very lucky just to get a seat, but you're not going to make a date night out of it. 

Health Grade: The health dept website confirms A, but I have my reservations. Still, taste a bite and you won't care. Also, Dom takes the pizza out of the burning hot oven with his hands!

What else should I know? Cash only. The pizza comes out extremely hot, control yourself for one extra minute or you will burn your mouth. They are open for lunch, so that's really your best bet for no wait. Also, at $5 a pop or $28 for a basic pie, it is not cheap. 

Convenience: Not. Your best chance is stopping in for lunch on a random afternoon (they are closed Monday / Tuesday), slightly before or after the lunch rush. You can expect at least a 1 -2 hour wait for pies, and I've never had them answer the phone when I've tried calling.

VERDICT: Delicious and also worth the wait. The atmosphere no doubt is lacking, but the delicious hot steaming pizza more than makes up for it. I also love the hot peppers they keep out on the counter. 

L & B Spumoni Gardens
2725 86th Street between 11th and 12th, Gravesend, Brooklyn. 718-372-8400, www.spumonigardens.com 


Pizza: Get the Sicilian. The regualar slice is also very good, but the sicilian is something special. Always fresh and made to order, you can not go wrong. It's not the lightest, so two slices usually does the trick for me (and trust me, I can EAT). 



Atmosphere: The famous red picnic tables are the best way to go (weather permitting). There are some booth seating in the pizzaria, but I always prefer outside. 

Health Grade: A

Convenience: Very easy. There is always parking (and a parking lot!), and there seems to always be a fresh pie just out the oven. There's always ample seating, and they deliver!

What else should I know? There is a restaurant attached. It is not as good as the pizza, and the atmosphere feels kind of like a catering hall, but the artichokes and salads are decent. 

VERDICT: Spumoni is not my favorite, but it makes up on convenience what it loses on the actual pizza. The fact that parking and wait times are not an issue, makes it a great option for local delicious pizza. It's also really kid friendly. And the spumoni ices and creamscicle are delicious! 

What's YOUR favorite local pizza? Comment below & let me know! 

Think there's a great spot that I missed? Email me! I love getting tips...

Krescendo

I love the feeling I get when I read about an anticipated new restaurant opening in Brooklyn. Saturday evening we had the pleasure of trying the brand new Southern Italian focused restaurant, Krescendo. This place was originally slated to open in October, but with Sandy and the Nor'easter slowing things up a bit, it officially made its Brooklyn debut at the beginning of November. Krescendo is headed by famous chef/author/tv personality Elizabeth Falkner, who  recently relocated to Brooklyn to open up this new Italian eatery not far from the Barclay Center in the Boerum Hill section of Brooklyn. 

Rosa Nero

Krescendo looks like what a lot of these new Brooklyn spots look like, and not in a bad way. Exposed brick, nice long bar with ample seating, and a sexy mosaic wood burning pizza oven on the back wall. The place was full but not packed, and the hostess led us to the bar saying the wait would be no more than 20 mins (not terrible for a saturday night in a borough that rarely takes reservations). The bartender Rob who incidentally interns at Serious Eats, was friendly and helpful. I got the Rosa Nera with rosemary infused vodka, lemon, honey and black pepper. Good, but kind of weak (I like a strong drink). My friend got the Sweet Action beer, which was almost as good and the name implies.

We ordered the Olive Misto and Black Garlic Knots while we were waiting for our table. Olives were flavorful and warm, and the garlic knots were crispy but soft in the center, and delicious. Rob recommended we also try the Arancino Balls which were really good, gooey crispy and not too heavy, with a nice pesto sauce around it. The Burrata with Caponata was also one of the highlights of the night. I LOVE burrata. Really how can you go wrong with a  creamy oozier version of a mozzarella cheese? This one was wonderful, as was the eggplant caponata.

    The pizza I'm sorry to say was probably the least exciting part of the meal, surprising as Chef Falkner actually won an "acunto forni"(think gold medal for pizza olympics) at the world pizza championship. The Margarita Extra pizza was just ok, I found the sauce on the sweet side and it did not have enough cheese to my liking. I was also not crazy about the Patata e Uova pie with potatoes, scallions, and egg, and although it sounded interesting, the potatoes were slightly undercooked, and both pizzas needed salt. The pizza was not terrible, but after the wonderful drinks and apps, I was expecting amazingness. Maybe we should have tried the Californication or Flower Power pizzas I had read about. To be fair, the restaurant is barely 3 weeks old, so I would definitely not count this place out because of it.

The pasta course was better than the pizza, and my table enjoyed. The sarde pasta was couscous like pasta loaded with capers anchovies, sardines, olives, and breadcrumbs. Pretty tasty. The other was more basic, but a good restaurant is often judged on how well they can make a basic marinara spaghetti. This one got a B+. Not Scarpetta level, the sauce a little on the sweet side, but still a pretty tasty bowl of spaghetti. We were satisfied, but not bulging. 

Dessert. As I'm sure you can figure out by now I'm not a huge dessert person (more FOOD please), but the Tartufo was pretty delicious. The Cannoli I found to be just okay, would skip this one next time.


Overall I enjoyed my experience at Krescendo and will probably be back. The food for the most part was clean, inventive and tasty. The drinks and appetizers were better than the pizza. But again they are only 3 weeks old. The wait staff was friendly, and the atmosphere works well as a good local place to add to the rotation. There was parking right outside, comfy booth seating, and a nice bar area. Try it and judge for yourself. We found it to be a solid Brooklyn spot.

Neighborhood: Brooklyn, Park Slope

 Good For: local easy spot, apps & drinks, date night, girls night 

Bite Mark: *** (2.5 for the food, half star for the friendly service and nice vibe)

Krescendo; 364 Atlantic Avenue bet. Hoyt & Bond 718-330-0888 www.krescendobklyn.com

Brooklyn Central

Last Sunday we took the kiddies to Brooklyn Central, a new pizza spot in the heart of Park Slope. The food wasn't life changing, but it was good, and it worked. The place had a warm, fall, comfy vibe with a nice brick oven, and a gourd as decoration on each table. The waitress was sweet and fast, the service was excellent, the food was decent, and they are conveniently located across the street from the 5th Ave park. All the makings for a perfect for a neighborhood spot. We had the Doc with tomato, mozzarella and basil, the Black Widow pie with mozzarella, mushrooms, herbs, black garlic, and scallions, and a kale salad with candied nuts, citrus, and parmesan.

Neighborhood: Brooklyn, Park Slope

Good For: Kid friendly, brunch, lunch

Bite Mark: *** (2 for the food, 1 for the nice vibe & great service)

Brooklyn Central; 289 5th Ave bet 1st & 2nd st, Park Slope 347-725-4891