New Restaurant - Henry btw Carroll and 1st
I noticed that a new place opened shop late last week on Henry Street between Carroll and 1st Place. Popped my head in on Friday night to check it out. At the moment, all they are doing are brick oven pizza's (plain only) and calzones as they are in "soft launch" stage. Decided to grab a pie to go.
The setup is very open. A large wooden table separates the dining area from the kitchen. This table is serving as their assembly area for the pies and calzones. It felt old world, in a good way.
It was explained to me that each pie has three different cheeses, pizza and fresh mozzarella as a base finished with a healthy dusting of grana once it’s pulled from the oven. More on this later.
Part of the decoration on the table was a unopened large glass jar of quality anchovies. While they said no toppings, I begged that they crack that jar open and lay some of those tasty babies on. After a moment of hesitation, the pizza chef agreed and we decided that the best way would be to add them once the pie was pulled so as to avoid burning. They took my cell # and promised to call in 30 minutes.
Call they did, right on time. I was pleasantly surprised given the place was 3/4 full and we all know how restaurants fair early in their lives in service. As I walked home with the pie, the aroma was great, boding well for our meal. Cracked the box once home and saw a thin crusted pie that looked great. Flavor was excellent, sauce tasty and the cheese combination excellent. There was a nice meatiness imparted by that "pizza cheese", brightened by the fresh mozzarella. The grana added a nice sharp and salty bite. The anchovies were excellent.
My only complain was the center of the pie was a touch underdone (read soggy), but I imagine they will work out this kink.
Cost for the pie was a bit above market ($20 with the anchovies), but the pizza was very tasty and is something I will have again.
CTownFeedR
Oct 16, 2006 12:50PM
Sounds like they're trying to do a DiFara knock-off. Hey, if they can pull it off, more power to 'em - it would have to be better than DeMarco's.
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My thoughts exactly. Forgot to mention there was a drizzle of EVOO added at the end, so it seems like your reaction is accurate.
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Not that you're incorrect of course... I have no problem going to Savoia regularly and DiFara's almost as regularly. However, I do bemoan the closing of Cristardi's a # of years ago and this place may, hopefully, replace it.
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I ate there tonight and the answer is definitively yes.
first of all, it's really a pizzeria, not an italian restaurant, and the pizza is excellent. the crust is the perfect combo of chew and char, the ingredients first rate, and if occasionally a pie is jsut slightly soggy in the middle, well, that's in the neopolitan tradition as half of the many pizzas i have had at famous places in naples were soggy in the middle as well.
There is no comparing this to savoia. Savoia is more in the roman style, (tho imho not as good as true roman pizza) and this is definitely more neopolitan/new york.
and yes, difara's is an influence. I asked. It's different from dom's, but still very good, a lot closer to my house, and without the long lines ( or at least not yet)
the pizza is better than leonardo's was, but i sure do miss that garden!
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true, there are lots of average pizza places around, but few are memorable. I have been looking forward to a nice brick oven pie since Leonardo's closed last year.
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this is not "some new" place, but the numbers shop run by Carmela's (nephew). aka Formerly the only soda fountain left in Bklyn with real egg creams. the guys are LOCAL. (like, around the corner). Yep, we DO need this. Nino's pizzas are much soggier now. And at least its not some horrible nouveau cooking school interloper funded by daddy like Crave, or another stupid bistro like the french ones that bought all the laundromats on Henry (with their "spin" turntables and their stupid wine lists), or that digusting Naidres with the hipsters slurping chai lattes and writing their "novels" all day or the dead lettuce bagel pit across from Mazzolos or the crevette snob place spawned by boullabaise that kicked out the Moroccan takeout from Columbia St (she's gone up to Lincoln in PkSlope, cheaper rent now) -- be grateful there's something left of brooklyn after all the slacker media publicists get through ruining the neighborhood. Or maybe they will all move back to Minneapolis or Ohio or Virginia or Jersey or whereever they slunk in from and we can have brookyn back. And our pies.
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or maybe not.
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back the f*up..."Moroccan takeout from Columbia St (she's gone up to Lincoln in PkSlope, cheaper rent now) " WHERE?
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ROTFLMAO
don't hold back rotterdamerung!
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Okay, digression here, but this has been niggling with me ever since October. "Hipster" is not a general term that can be applied to all young people. There are almost no hipsters in this neighborhood. And NO self-respecting hipster would be caught dead at Naidre's, with its lame playlist, crunchy-granola vibe, and legions of strollers. This is a term that's tossed around a lot on CH, and often innappropriately. I will happily buy you a Single Ride on the G train to Bedford so you can see the genuine article in all its absurdity - anything in the cause of linguistic accuracy!
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Sadie-
Agreed. I think when people say "hipster" they frequently mean to say "yuppie".
Hipsters are slightly disheveled, wear trucker caps, ironic t-shirts, messy hair, oversized sunglasses and $400 jeans.
Yuppies are simply people who realized they could get more for their money in Brownstone Brooklyn than in Manhattan/people who didn't grow up in the neighborhood. ;)
Peter
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Hipster is a term used by people to describe a group of people they secretly or not think are "cooler" than them.
Yuppie is a term used by people to describe a group of people they secretly or not think are "lamer" then them.
No hipster thinks he/she is a hipster, and I would imagine no yuppie thinks he/she is a yuppie.
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Well if we are trying to correctly define the term here for our purposes in NYC. If you take the G train to Williamsburg you will find what they now call Baby'burg. It seems this inclusive hipster gang are not a bunch of baby haters. And yes we do have a share of them in CH and in CG and no not at Naidre's. To their great reflief when they moved into this hood they didnt drop dead. Also no self respecting NYer has worn a trucker hat in 2 years. We moved here from NJ and we aren't going anywhere - seems too many people from Brooklyn kept moving into our hoods there and took up too much room. Now back to the food which is what this is about - Lucali's is for anyone with good taste regardless of what you look like - taste buds come with us all.
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What is this place called?
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Not sure. I forgot to ask and didn't see any sign out front or inside.
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We went tonight and got a pie to go. I am going to love this place. They are still clearly feeling their way around, but it was halfway full and this is only on word of mouth.
It's a very open room - almost feels like you're in someone's kitchen instead of a restaurant. The vibe is great and the owner(?)/chef is really nice.
He burnt our first pie but brought us edible slices to the table where we were waiting, and was very interested in how we thought it tasted.
So, the pie: Great, with the potential to be superb. The pie we took home had excellent flavor, wonderful sauce, a little char and a drizzle of olive oil and fresh basil.
Better than Leonardo's? By a mile. Better than Difara's and Grimaldi's - remains to be seen but a true contender.
We will definitely be back. I almost felt guilty getting it to go when the place and the staff are so inviting. They said this is still a test run and they are having a grand opening with full menu on November 1st. I forgot to ask the name of the place, so unless anyone else knows, it shall remain nameless for now.
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Notice they're just serving soda and other alt. bevs now. Anyone know if it's ok to BYO?
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we BYO'd the other night, no problem.
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I think we have a winner here! IMO, the pizza is not like DiFara's. It's brick oven and the crust is somewhat thicker. There no real sag in the middle. You can eat it without a knife and fork. And this cheese is more pizza cheese-like (i.e. chewy) than DF. And, at least for now, the toppings are all ordinary (that is, no broccoli rabe or baby eggplant), but they are fresh. They sliced the peppers and onions for our pizza just before they put it in the oven. In all, the pizza reminded me more of Totonno's than DF, but it was certainly very good.
The atmosphere was great. The service nice. While they are in a soft opening period, the sign says that Nov. 1 is the formal start of business, the chef/owner said that they were not planning to add much to the menu except for some appetizers and, I would guess, desserts. And, of course they expect to have beer and wine. In the meanwhile, there is a grocery story a few doors down with a passable beer selection (we got the Sierra Nevada Brown Ale) for BYOB.
As to the name, there isn't one yet (that too, will be coming Nov. 1) He told us what it would probably be, but I forgot...it began with an L.
By the way, the chef said it has been very crowded. There wew a number of availble tables when we were there, but that was the night of the final Mets game.
And while it's still a drive for us, it's a whole lot closer and much less effort than DF. Thanks CTownFeedR and the other posters for alerting us to this place. We'll certainly be back.
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Hey Rotterdamerung. Did you leave anyone you hate off that list? So much bile spilled. Thanks. I've lost my appetite.
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Went last night and the place was filled with locals -- an older, less yuppie crowd than what you see at Bocca Lupo. Service was friendly. The pizza was tasty and well cooked, but the ingredients aren't as top-notch as DF or Grimaldi's, particularly the cheese.
That said, it's still the best pizza in the nabe, so we'll be back. Def a welcome addition to the neighborhood.
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went tonight and it was fantastic. the dough was airy and chewy with the right amount of char. had a great family vibe. everyone in there seemed to know each other. service has a few quirks to iron out, but it didn't really seem to matter on a relaxing sunday evening. apparently the space used to be a soda fountain called louie's (as pointed out in an earlier post), and the owners' daughter's name is callie, so i think they said the name of the restaurant will be loucallie.
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We were there too!! We got there at 6. Where were you sitting?
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The attention should be on the pizza of course, and I can't wait to try it myself. As to rotterdamerung's comments, why are his so wrong while it was okay for mshapiro to question if Chowhounds need another pizza/italian restaurant in Carroll Gardens. As a local girl, grandmother raised four kids in a one bedroom on Union Street, the answer is yes. The neighborhood has lost it's character and become homogenized due to the demands of the new influx.
Brooklyn has just become a layover for those who've been priced out of the city. They never had an interest in embracing its charms; they couldn't wait to order their nonfat, decaf, no foam lattes. I personally like Naidre's food but forget about getting a seat if you're a hungry paying customer because like he said, the next "Million Litttle Pieces" is in the works.
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Any name on the place yet? What are it's hours/days of operation? Do they do take-out/by the slice?
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No name that I know of yet. There really are no signs posted with menu or hours of operation. No slices but they do take out. All will be revealed, I'm sure, at the grand opening on 11/1. I honestly hope they don't deliver because I'm not sure they're large enough to handle it, at least at the cost of quality. In any event, it's a couple blocks from where I live and I know it will move up into our (ever growing) list of frequented places.
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The waitress told us the name of the place is "Loucallie's" although she didn't give us the spelling. Lou is the name of the previous place (soda fountain)that was in that location---and I forget where Callie came from.
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We went last night and it was TERRIFIC - pizza great, as described, and a wonderful warm atmosphere: Caruso on the box, low lights, that great woodsmoke smell. He's still working out the kinks, true, but all the elements are there. Because it was quiet (Mark, the owner. says it's the first quiet night he's had!) we chatted to him a lot - he's a doll - and got to sample several different cheeses and pizzas. Mark is indeed a big DiFara fan, but he's a true son of Carroll Gardens, and says he got a lot of guidance -and equipment! - from the owner of Leonardo's, who's given everything the seal of approval. As for the recipes, they're all his grandmother's. Sausages are from Esposito's, natch, coffee's from d'Amico.
This place should succeed. He's got the passion and the pizza - the rest is up to us. Mark, I know you are reading this, and I wish you good luck! In fact, I'm already feeling nostalgic for last night's serene atmosphere...
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More details from New York magazine ... http://nymag.com/daily/food/2006/10/b...
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When we were there on saturday the Leonardo's family were having dinner, enjoying their pies. Besides the excellent pizza (anchovies), i also had the calzone -- incredible, just molten ricotta in a charred crust -- a good option for dessert until they get the full menu.
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sliceny.com, the arbiter of all things crusty, has also weighed in on Loucallie's:
http://www.sliceny.com/archives/2006/...
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I went there last night and had a pie with garlic -it was fabulous. The crust was both soft and crunchy, it had some nice charred spots, and just the right amount of cheese and sauce. The only thing I could suggest is that they roast the garlic more before putting it on the pie because some of it was a little bitter.
The atmosphere is also wonderful, as others have commented.
I hope this place stays around for a long time!
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They were packed tonight, however the pizza we ate was worth the 90min wait. A 6-pack of Becks from the deli next door passed the time, and the 1/2 peperoni pie was fabulous... hoping to go back early next week when there's less of a crowd.
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90 MINUTES!? This makes me sad, in part because I live around the corner and was fortunate enough to taste the stuff on Friday night. It is indeed wonderful pizza. We went around 9 PM and were able to sit down right away, but they only had 5 doughs left. I recommend getting a margarita on your first trip. We had one of those and a pepperoni + onion. The chef came over at the end and wondered if the onion was okay, and asked if it made the dough soggy (no). He said he'd like to do antipasti and maybe sunday dinners. I say stick with the pizza and turn those tables quickly!
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Don't let the "90 minutes" scare you. We were there on Sunday night, a little after 7pm. The two of us sat down right away, and the service was prompt and friendly. The pizza took about 25 minutes to arrive once we ordered. This is a good family-run place that is making excellent pizza. We'll be back soon.
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The name of the place is Lukali's:
http://www.brooklynrecord.com/archive...
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Actually it's with a C -- Lucali's. Been twice now and loving it. Will post more thoughts shortly.
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anyone know their phone number?
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718-858-4086
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But, if they don't answer the phone, don't assume that they are closed. This is a family-run place, and they sometimes let that slip when they are very busy.
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Anyone have the right number? That number above is NOT correct.
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Phone: 718-858-4086
http://www.sliceny.com/archives/2006/...
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Like I said, that's wrong. Called it a few times to be sure, much to the person's annoyance!
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I just dialed that # and it is correct. Maybe you dialed wrong.
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I dialed it about a week ago and got a takeout pizza.
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Indeed, you're right, sorry about that. Very strange because I called twice earlier today. Maybe it was the cleaning staff or something. Anyway, my bad.
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I went last night with a friend to assess how long a pizza to go would take. The rain must have kept away some potential pizza eaters; we went right before 8, and the wait for a pizza was only 10 minutes! They could not have been nicer and my only regret is that they weren't yet serving wine so we could have had a glass of red while we waited. The pizza (pepperoni and mushroom) was delicious - $23. next time I'll try something more pungent like anchovy and garlic!
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We called in advance and then picked it up 1/2 hours later. It was great!
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We got a pie to go last night around 7:30 as well. No wait. We got a pie with only garlic and I'll tell ya, that's all it needs. Superb.
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I ate there last night, and it seems that they're aware of the long wait for a pie. I was told by my waitress that they're training a second guy to run the oven (this, I was told, explained why my pie had slightly more charring than it should have). The pizza was excellent, as already detailed above. I just need to state once again, though, that the dough is perfect. Just crispy enough, but retaining some chewiness. I can't wait to go back.
My only complaint is that it seemed to me that they were giving preference to take out orders. Although I obviously don't know when people called their orders in, it seemed like many more pies were going out the door than were going to the tables. Hopefully having two people working the ovens will let them iron out these kinks.
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Just a quick update: ate there for the third time last night and yes, delicious and crowded! Mark apologized for the new corkage fee, $5, which he said is angering some early fans. It seems that the volume of byo wine bottles was so high that the restaurant's costs had gone way up! So, we can hardly hold it against them...
Also, he said they were going to stop doing takeout and just concentrate on diners, as the demand is simply too high.
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Oh, and p.s.: apparently they'll be in the Times this Wed. Wow,we sure didn't have it to ourselves for long!
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I've eaten there twice and the pizza was great the first. The second visit proved amazing bordering on revelatory. I don;t need to trek to Midwood, Coney Island or Manhattan anymore. The shaprness of the grated cheese combined with the crispest crust ever on this type of pizza makes me glad to live just across the street.
Mark, this is the gal who's Nana lived on Union Street and went to Sacred Hearts. Good for you if you are stopping takeout. You're pizza is worth waiting for. From a gal who also works in the restuarant biz, I say focus on one thing and perfect it. Then branch out. Forget about any requests for salads. I can make that myself!
As for the corkage fee, I was surprised to see it since it seemed a step backwards but do understand it from a bottom line point of view. I didn;t mind paying it but will add if you're going to charge a corkage then the waitresses should open the bottle. Don't worry about refilling the glasses; just make me feel like I got more than empty glass for my money.
Good luck and it's good to see a great product from a local guy!!!
p.s. thanks for posting the hours of operation.
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I agree about the pizza getting better and better. I've been three times, and each time the flavors have been more delicious and the crust more perfect. The service is really warm and friendly too. Love that this place is just a few blocks from my apartment -- I just hope the Times review doesn't crowd us out!
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