North Brooklyn New Wave Neapolitan Pizza Battle Royale
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<p>For reasons that aren't entirely clear, the hipster triangle of Williamsburg/Greenpoint/Bushwick has somehow become ground zero for new-school Neapolitan pizza. Between O.G. <a href="http://gothamist.com/2008/02/25/camera_in_the_k_97.php">Roberta's</a> in what once a desolate corner of Bushwick (it's since been <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/27/dining/reviews/27unde.html"><em>Times</em>-approved</a>), the Williamsburg <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/09/15/motorino_williamsburg_the_leaning_t.php#photo-1">Motorino</a> (which, for the record, opened <em>before</em> the Manhattan version), pizza fanboy wet dream <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/03/29/photo_tour_of_paulie_gees_pizza_in.php#photo-1">Paulie Gee's</a> in Greenpoint, and brand newcomer <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/06/16/new_restaurant_and_bar_openings_7.php#photo-1">Forcella</a> (a stone's throw from Motorino), the competition is fierce. We're breaking down each of the contenders for the North Brooklyn New Wave Neapolitan Pizza Battle Royale (NBNWNPBR) to help you make the right choice.</p>
<p>(Photo via <a href="http://motorinopizza.com/">Motorino's website</a>)</p><p></p><strong>Motorino</strong>: With its long history of Italian residents, there's been good pizza in Williamsburg for a long time, but the introduction of Motorino in 2008 was a game changer. Belgian-born chef <a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/10/02/mathieu_palombino_chef.php">Mathieu Palombino</a>'s Neapolitan pies are regularly hailed as some of the best in the worldâand with good reason. They boast a light, chewy dough with just the right amount of crunch, exquisitely sourced toppings and next to no pretension. Plus, the non-pizza fareâthink meatballs and saladsâare just as good as the pizza. And while the tiny Manhattan outpost is a constant zoo, in the past year the Brooklyn original has calmed into a surprisingly accessible pizza mecca. (Garth Johnston)<p></p><em>319 Graham Ave, Brooklyn // (718) 599-8899</em>
<p>(Photo courtesy of Forcella)</p><p></p><strong>Forcella:</strong> If you told us a year ago that a serious Motorino contender would be opening up just blocks from Mathieu Palombino's Williamsburg stronghold we would have laughed at you. But then <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/06/16/new_restaurant_and_bar_openings_7.php#photo-1">Forcella</a> opened, just last month. The small pizzeria doesn't look like much from the outside, but what does that matter? The inside is charming and chef Giulio Adriani's pies are the real deal. The restaurant makes its own mozzarella, and the pies that come out of its imported Italian oven are pitch perfectâif not all necessarily ones you are used to. In addition to the expected standards Forcella also boasts some unique pizzas, including a deep fried pizza (in which the dough is deep fried before being finished with the toppings in the oven), a carbonara pizza (exactly what it sounds like) and our recent obsession, the Vomero (a white pie topped with mozzarella, ham, cream, ricotta and corn; trust us). Forcella, like Motorino before it, is already planning a second outpost in Manhattan and we eagerly await that day. And hopefully by then they'll have dealt with their one downside: a not particularly on-the-ball staff. (Garth Johnston) <p></p><em>485 Lorimer St, Brooklyn, (718) 388-882</em>