Roberta’s Pizza

Phone: (718) 417-1118
www.robertaspizza.com

This place singlehandedly put Bushwick on the map and we’re not even exaggerating.  So what’s the big deal?  Killer pizzas, for starters, and then there’s the seasonal plates, many scattered with freshly picked ingredients from Roberta’s very own garden.  The best part is you’d never know it from the outside… or the inside, for that matter.  Step inside this dingy-looking, converted garage and you’ll feel like you’ve just entered some roadside bar with loud music playing, long wooden tables with benches, painted cement walls and twirling ceiling fans.  You’ll probably be inclined to grab a beer, or even better, a cider and you should order something to pass the time while you wait for a table, which is par for the course these days.

Before you get involved with a pie, I suggest starting with a few appetizers, like Roberta’s house baked bread and butter or the Squid, livened up with a zingy dose of Meyer Lemon, Chili and Scallions.   Because it’s so seasonal you never know what you’ll find, but we’ve been lucky enough to find house-cured Duck Prosciutto, Grilled, whole leeks kissed by the smoke of the oven, flavored with green garlic, spring onions and miticrema cream cheese.   You can even share a simple pasta, like the Torchietti, mingled with clams, garlic, herbs and olive oil.

As for pizzas, you’ll want to get at least two, so you can fully appreciate the magic of their oven and bubbly, beautifully charred pies it.  You can’t go wrong with the Margherita, but there’s plenty of more interesting options.  If you’re looking for something traditional, try the Margherita or something even simpler, the Rosso, with garlic sans the cheese.  If you’re up for something hefty, I highly recommend the “Involto,” which is like a Pie-Sized Calzone, folded onto itself and filled with fresh and unusually fluffy ricotta, mozzarella, red pepper, garlic and sopressata.   My favorite of all was the “Sprewell,” a dreamy combination of sunchokes, mozzarella, finocchiona (pork salami), shredded cacio de roma cheese, and parsley.   Feel free to fill up because they don’t serve dessert. No matter.  You’ll be on a pizza high.