Roberta’s – American (Pizza), Bushwick (Brooklyn)

Posted on January 30, 2010 by justineateat

Roberta’s
261 Moore St Brooklyn,NY
(718) 417-1118

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: American, Pizza
Favorite Dish(es): The Beast Master ($17)

For our anniversary we wanted to go somewhere low-key and unpretentious, instead of doing a fancy reservation-only spot. Upon recommendation from my friend (and new daddy) David, a true man about the town, we trekked over to the far industrial reaches of Bushwick for Roberta’s Pizza. This is no ordinary New York brick-oven pizza joint by any means (go to Lombardi’s, John’s or Grimaldi’s for that). Their ingredients are unconventional, super fresh, and many are grown right on the premises in their cool little DIY greenhouse out back. The service is better than top notch – you’re bound to learn a thing or two. Roberta’s is a really special place – almost magical if you will. You should make sure to add to your must-go list.

Let’s get right down to the pizza. The crust is simply amazing. It’s super light and crispy on the outside with big bubbles (for those who love them), and chewy and tender on the inside. It almost has the consistency of a super light naan (the Indian tandoori-oven baked bread). The ingredients are right on par with the crust in their quality, using really fresh mozzarella and just the right amount of ripe tomato sauce. Their toppings are the real star. The “Specken Wolf”, one of their trademark pizzas, features Speck, a salty, smoky ham originating from Austria and Italy, sliced super thin and accompanied by mushrooms, oregano, onions, and mozzarella. The “Beastmaster”, our favorite, is a monster of a pizza combining seven toppings: tomato, mozzarella, gorgonzola, capers, onions, Berkshire pork sausage, and jalapenos. It’s a flavor rollercoaster ride of salty, savory, sour, and sweet that puts any “Supreme” pizza to shame. The other pizzas also have a good combination of toppings, and we’re definitely aiming to try each and every one.

Shpecken ze Wolfen?

You can't Master this Beast at the Hut.

It’s also worth mentioning that we started off with a homemade pasta dish that we shared as an appetizer. “Orechiette (little ear-shaped pasta) with braised oxtail and parmagiano”. It had good flavor and was seasoned well, but the portion was a bit on the tiny size, even for one person, so it’s definitely only fit as an appetizer. In retrospect we could have done without the pasta and just ordered more pizza – which we ended up doing in the middle of the meal. We split 3 pizzas between the two of us, with 2 slices left over for a midnight snack.

Roberta’s is more than just a pizza spot, with a warm inviting ambiance, and plenty of areas to lounge. The interior is super low-brow, decorated in a homey way with a hodge-podge of random trinkets and little bits of artwork. There’s a decent size bar area for people waiting for takeout orders. The backyard is a special spot, with a cozy fireplace with another bar that serves warm mulled (spiced wine) during cold weather. There’s even a small local internet radio station that shares part of the patio, and the greenhouse is built directly on top of their room, that you can walk up to and check out. Roberta’s is like a Romper Room for big kids to hang out at for hours on end. Brooklynites in the area should consider themselves truly lucky.