In 2009, Frank Bruni interviewed pizzaioli Michael Ayoub for The New York Times, discussing that period’s culinary boom and craving for artisanal pizza. A decade later, Ayoub and his Italian restaurant Fornino (849 Manhattan Avenue) are still at the forefront of this movement.
Neo-Neapolitan, as Ayoub describes its culinrary style, Fornino has been a Greenpoint mainstay since 2013 but has also enjoyed some sibling locations: the waterfront gem in DUMBO (which on a busy night can go through a thousand pies) and an older, now-closed spot in the heart of Williamsburg. The Greenpoint location may not have a sweeping view of the East River, but it easily charms with its twinkly backyard during the warmer moths and its cozy interior warmed by the fire of the wood-burning oven. While the restaurant is often busy packing up to-go pies, half the fun is eating in person and seeing the crackling oven at work.
Everything is cooked in and around this hearth: the soft but filling meatballs, the wood-roasted brussel sprouts, and (naturally) the nearly 30 pizzas on the eclectic menu. Some varieties are more traditional faire (your margherita, your marinara), and others are more daring: the gorgonzola (comprised of the namesake cheese, rosemary, mozzarella, caramelized onions, and not a bit salty) or the copa e kale (spicy copa, stracciatella, truffle honey, pecorino). All delight and come out bubbling, served by an attentive staff.
Casual, family-friendly, and neat, Fornino also offers a wide variety of drinks from local beers to Italian wines. All this makes for a fine (and affordably priced) meal, but the main course may be more a feast for the eyes: an immense collection of hanging red orbs designed and crafted by Ayoub, who studied under the iconic glassblower Dale Chihuly. Glowing and magical, they are just another delicious creation of Ayoub’s — sadly, not edible.
Celebrate National Pizza and Beer Day on Wednesday, October 9 — enjoy any small pizza and a Brooklyn Brewery beer on draft for just $20 (dine-in guests only).
It’s an undisputed fact that Greenpoint residents love pizza. From Paulie Gee’s to Vinnie’s and Ria Bella to well, Paulie Gee’s, we have a plethora of savory slices to choose from.
Stop what you’re doing and sit down. Now for the great news: The Museum of Pizza is coming and it’s headed to North Brooklyn. So take your love of pizza and enjoy an immersive art experience at The William Vale this month. By immersive, we hope this means that we can eat all of the pizza we want.
For $35, pizza revelers will enjoy “a place to take amazing photos and absorb every wonder of our larger-than-life, immersive installations. A space to bask in multi-sensory, psychedelic pizza joy.” Plus, you get a ticket for a free slice of pizza outside the museum. We assume this immersive experience will include sick selfie backdrops, music, and some dope video art (involving pizza, duh). And, a portion of every ticket sale will be donated to a free meal for a family in need.
Tickets for the opening weekend are already sold out, so act now. Buy tickets now.
WHO: The Museum of Pizza WHERE: The William Vale, 55 Wythe Avenue WHEN: October 13-October 28
❤️🍕 It seems someone has posted to Craigslist Missed Connections asking for our help! Were you at Franklin Street Pizza this past Saturday?
Saturday night, pizza place at Franklin and Greenpoint This was around 8pm on Saturday 9/8. We were both waiting for slices at the same time at that little pizza place by Broken Land and Homecoming. You were on the far left side of the counter, and I was at the far right. There were some party girls in between us, but you and I had a conversation going with our eyes. And you were there with a guy with long hair who was waiting for you. (I’ll assume he was your brother.) Maybe Greenpointers can help us out here?
The wait is finally over. Starting at the end of this month, you can get Paulie Gee’s famous ‘za by the slice at his new Slice Shop on Franklin (110 Franklin Street). Paulie formally announced the August 29th opening on Instagram this weekend, to thousands of thrilled fans, with many offering to taste test before the official opening.
Despite the hoards of psyched-as-hell foodies, the pizza shop originally faced neighborhood opposition from Noble Street neighbors when the plans for the shop began a few years back. Almost 300 residents signed a petition in an attempt to prevent the shop getting a liquor license, out of concerns about late night crowds and excessive noise.
New slices at Ria Bella Pizza. Photo via Instagram
In the northernmost part of Greenpoint, pizza options are a little thin (pun not intended), but now Ria Bella (1049 Manhattan Ave) is slicing up their tasty pies for single serving folks. Their pizzas are ceramic oven-baked, with either a thin or traditional Sicilian crust. And all of them are delicious combination of soft and crispy, and made with authentic family recipes. You can taste the care and love that goes into every pie, and now you can taste it with by the slice too. Perfect for a Saint Vitus (1120 Manhattan Ave) pre-show nosh. Thanks for lookin’ out, Ria Bella!
$1 oysters, $5 beers, 2-for-1 cake slices, these are just some of the great happy hour deals we can find in North Brooklyn, each making the end of the day a little bit brighter. And now you can add 21 Greenpoint’s $15 pizza special to the list. This isn’t any old pizza, though, it’s star-shaped because really, we all deserve a star for making it this far. Continue reading →
Pizzeria La Ferrera is an intimate and casual pizza supper club hosted by Molly Baker (a graphic designer) and Jason LaFerrera (a software developer) inside a Greenpoint apartment. If you’re one of the lucky few who’s attended, you chowed down on one or more of the 256 pizzas—weighing in at 292 pounds—that they made last year (the pies weren’t all different, but still that’s a LOT of pizza). About 4-6 people attend each supper club event, and 6-8 pizzas are served at each one—which is an average of 1.4 pizzas per person. Mmmmmmm. Pizza. To find out how more about Pizzeria LaFerrera and to snag an invite to their next event, sign up for the mailing list here. After the jump, read their Year In Review—fun stats about all the ‘za they made last year. Continue reading →
Most Brooklynites would probably consider themselves qualified to judge a slice of pizza—it’s a skill we’ve all honed over years of hard New York living. When we take that first bite of cheezy ‘za, we’re able to make a detailed analysis in a matter of seconds: we subconsciously measure the thickness of the the slice, the crust’s crispiness, the ratio of the sauce to grease to cheese. And whenever we travel outside of the city, we generally snub our noses at pizza from other places; it can’t possibly be as good as a legit New York slice.
Photo: Julia Moak
Now, pizza lovers will have another option to choose from on Graham Avenue that’s going to challenge fans of Carmine’s and Tony’s. And if you can get over the fact that this pizza comes to us via Portland, Oregon, then Sizzle Pie (457 Graham Ave.) might become your new favorite neighborhood slice joint. Sizzle’s got a variety of interesting pies (among others, The Gold Ring: white truffle, oil, goat cheese and green onion, and The Stolen Firebird: hatch green chiles, eggs, bacon and hashbrowns) as well as a wide range of vegan and gluten free options. And as far as we know, they’re the only place where you’re able to get a half slice—perfect for when you’ve already had two slices and want just a taste of another slice but don’t want to feel over-the-top full. They’re also serving beer and wine, and by summertime the back patio will be fully open and bumpin’. Check ’em out and decide for yourself who’s got the best cheese slice—Carmine’s, Tony’s or the Portland wild card that is Sizzle.
Sizzle Pie | 457 Graham Avenue 11am-3am Sunday thru Thursday, 11am-4am Friday & Saturday 718-RAD-PIES
Most Brooklynites would probably consider themselves qualified to judge a slice of pizza—it’s a skill we’ve all honed over years of hard New York living. When we take that first bite of cheezy ‘za, we’re able to make a detailed analysis in a matter of seconds: we subconsciously measure the thickness of the the slice, the crust’s crispiness, the ratio of the sauce to grease to cheese. And whenever we travel outside of the city, we generally snub our noses at pizza from other places; it can’t possibly be as good as a legit New York slice.
