Park Slope Reader

pizza

Eating Local: New in the Neighborhood

By Filed Under: Eat Local Tagged With: , ,

MOTHERDOUGH PIZZA

72 7th Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn

929-295-0012  website: https://motherdough.pizza

 

In a city where pizza reigns superior, newcomer Motherdough makes it possible to continue this motto even if you’re on a health kick. 

A filling yet calorie-light endeavor, Motherdough’s naturally leavened pizza doughs come in a variety of guilt-free crusts including barley, whole wheat and even gluten free. And while many of us may shudder at the idea of a grease-free pizza, Motherdough’s craftsmanship actually manages to retain the “fluff” of a crust despite its “GF” nature.

Motherdough’s interior is playful and clean. While the space offers limited seating, perhaps 10 to 15 people at most, the building itself feels spacious. A massive kitchen reveals pizzas at work in the rustic ovens, and splashes of bright yellow and white cover the walls and tables. 

A stacked menu with fresh, light ingredients gives you plenty of variety in your guilt-free pizza experience while still staying true to the dish’s true Italian roots. The selections are organized into whole wheat, barley, and gluten free dough. Treats like the burrata & crudo di parma and margherita keep things classic, but if you want to get a pizza unique to the restaurant, try the veggie pizza with hummus, toasted almond slices, and more. The spinach and shrimps pizza also offers some interesting toppings (mustard and peanuts on top of what’s mentioned in its name). 

We decided to test the gluten-free margherita, the only gluten-free pizza on the menu. After tossing in a couple extras of the prosciutto crudo parma PDO, we were stuffed by the end of it. Although these are allegedly personal pan pizzas, you could easily split them too. Even though we were filled, it wasn’t in such a way that was over-bloating or greasy. Each bite felt fresh, and we didn’t leave feeling like we had just eaten 1000 calories. Instead, we felt ready to conquer the day, energized by a wholesome meal.

While Motherdough won’t give you the exact satisfaction of a craving you may be looking for with a traditional pizza, it certainly provides the opportunity to go out for a meal without ruining your diet.

From Media to Mozzarella – Our Interview with WILD’s Marina Charny

By Filed Under: Eat Local Tagged With: , , , , , ,

It takes a lot of courage to completely change career paths. When WILD’s manager Marina Charny found herself frustrated with the PR business, she decided to take a 180 and dive head-first into the restaurant world, helping the small chain open a third location in Park Slope just last year. We chatted with Charny about the flip, how she found WILD, and what the South Brooklyn native loves about the neighborhood.

How did the company get started?

It’s all kind of random. So Miki [Agrawal] founded Wild 10 years ago. It was called Slice at the time. It happened all kind of organically. There was really no gluten-free options at the time and she was having a lot of stomach issues and health issues and she was finding that a lot of the food she was eating was making her sick, and pizza was her favorite food. So basically she’s really creative and an entrepreneur, and she was thinking, “I just wish there was an option for healthier pizza.” I don’t think she had celiac disease, but I think there was sort of a tolerance or something along those lines so she basically set out to create this great pizza. When she founded the restaurant it was called Slice and she opened it on the Upper East Side 10 years ago and it was just a regular over-the-counter pizza place. It was really cool for being one of the first 100% gluten-free places but there were other issues. She had never really run a restaurant before. So she ended up finding this great partner whose name is Walid Hammami, who’s still involved with the business, and they sort of rebranded, which took a couple of months. They changed some of the things that were going into the pizza dough. They actually simplified it. They made it what it is now, which is thin crust. There’s just a few ingredients that go into it. So yeah, long story short they basically rebranded, they changed the concept, they made it kind of the farm-to-table, sustainable organic simple from the earth ingredient type of place, which is what we do now. Changed the name. It’s not an over-the-counter pizza place anymore. It’s a full service restaurant. And then they moved downtown, so now Wild is open in the West Village. Together they opened another location in Williamsburg, and then shortly after that they came up with the idea to create a franchise.

Where did you come along in the journey?

I have no restaurant background, so a lot of people have asked me how I ended up getting involved. I was working with this journalist named Gail. She met Miki and I met Miki through her. It was like a little sort of connection and I was just really interested. She’s not even really directly involved with running the restaurant anymore. She founded this other company called Thinks, which is this period underwear company. So yeah, she’s kind of like this serial entrepreneur. She just starts companies and then moves onto something different. I was just really fascinated with her and was interested in all the different projects she was working on and when I went to check out the restaurant in the West Village I thought it was so cute and I’m from Brooklyn. All I had was this idea that the restaurant would be a nice fit in Park Slope. I just thought it was a good demographic for gluten-free, for healthy, for vegan. I saw that they had just started this franchise and that was nice because it was really small, not like a McDonalds type of situation where there’s a billion locations. I was like it might be nice to get to work closely together and just sort of pursue it, and I reached out to them and ended up getting in touch with her directly and they liked the idea of opening up a third location in New York because both she and her partner are based in New York. That was it. It was born after that. I immediately started looking for places and found this spot. It used to be a Spanish restaurant so it looks completely different. Fast forward 8 months and here we are.

What was it like building up a restaurant without any experience?

I did have it easier than it could’ve been because I had some assistance. Like I said, Miki is not directly involved anymore, her partner Walid…he still runs the other locations so I would say I had some assistance from him and we have the same menu across all three locations so the hardest part, which is designing and building a menu, that’s already been done. It was definitely difficult. I was sort of going off of my instinct and best thought process as far as designing the place, and… I don’t know. I just wanted it to be, because it has these harmonica doors, I just thought it’d be nice to have a sort of open vibe, like inviting and airy. I thought with the whole farm to table concept it might be nice to have plants and stuff like that.

Is it similar to the aesthetic of the other places?

No, all the other locations look completely different, which is funny. People comment on that. All three locations look totally different, and we’re the only location that has a full liquor license. The other ones only serve beer and wine, and then we also have the outdoor seating. So yeah, I was just navigating through the open waters as I went. I just thought I’ve been working in PR and just getting frustrated with that job and I wanted to do something different. I never owned a business before but I was thinking, now’s the time to try. You know, you get to a certain point in your life where you’re in your 40s and you have kids and you’re married and you have a house and all these responsibilities. You can’t just quit your job and chase a dream. That’s literally what I did. I quit the job I was working in and was like, let me just throw myself into this full speed ahead.

Do you live in Park Slope?

No, I live in the City on the Upper East Side. I grew up in Brooklyn. I lived in South Brooklyn my whole life. When I was finally ready to move out of my parents’ home I was like, I can’t wait to move to the city! And I lived in the city for two years before this whole restaurant thing happened and now I commute back, which is kind of silly. It’s nice to kind of distance yourself because I’m here a lot. So when I go home, I feel like I’m home. I kind of cut myself off a little bit. I think if I lived nearby I would never leave.

Do your parents come here?

They do! They always come. It’s funny because everybody knows they’re my parents but they always pay for their meals and they like to be waited on and they just want to be treated like regular customers. It’s really cute.

What’s your favorite thing on the menu?

Probably the pizzas. I mean, definitely the pizzas. They’re really good. I love pizza too. I’ve always tried to watch what I eat myself. I don’t have celiac or anything like that. I just generally try to eat healthy. I eat these pizzas almost every day and it’s nice to constantly be able to eat pizza and not feel guilty about it or feel like you’re overwhelming yourself with fat and greases and stuff like that.

Which particular pizza?

The local mozzarella is our basic margarita pizza is really good. The caprino pizza, which is our vegetarian option, is really good, and the pear gorgonzola, which is what we call our dessert pizza, those are my favorites. The wild truffle mushroom penne is really good. That’s probably my favorite pasta. The salmon is really good. I’m biased but the pizzas are definitely there.

What do you like about Park Slope as a restaurant owner?

A lot of things. We get a lot of regular customers. It’s really nice to see the same people over and over, especially the customers that have been coming here since day one. We get customers that are like, oh we were here when you first opened and now everything looks different! We were here when your bar was empty. We were here when you had a different chef and things tasted different. It’s nice that they’ve been here on this journey with us.

We’ve had customers that were like, “Oh it was a little rocky in the beginning but now everything is great and we waited it out with you and kept coming back.” We had a customer whose wife was pregnant and now she’s had the baby and it’s like you feel like you know them because they come in so often. There’s also a lot of events that happen on 5th avenue that all the businesses are invited to participate in. It’s very nice. I know that at the Wild in the city, there’s a lot of tourists so it’s busy because it’s Manhattan. It’s not like that here. It’s more community spirit, which is nice. It’s a beautiful neighborhood, and there’s so many different people.

It seems like the food scene changes here drastically? Some of which opened around the same time?

Some of those restaurants, within the time we’ve been here, which is about a year and a half coming up. Some of those restaurants have already closed, so I think two of them are already closed. It’s very competitive and it’s kind of nice that we’re slowly but surely building up our customer base and it’s nice. Challenging but rewarding.

 

https://www.wildparkslope.com

How Do I Love Thee, NYC

By Filed Under: Dispatches From Babyville Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

I don’t need an “I heart NY” T-shirt to proclaim my love. The proof is in the being here. As a native, I didn’t have to come here from somewhere else, but I’ve stayed. I’ve chosen to make this city home to my three kids, aged 5, 10 and 13. So, clearly, I love New York. 

But not always. 

Any relationship takes work, and my long-term love affair with the city is no different.  As places go, it’s not the easiest to keep loving. It’s high-maintenance, draining, often temperamental. It can be difficult, sometimes maddeningly so.  I just finished helping my son apply to high school while also helping my daughter apply to middle school – and if that doesn’t explain why New York and I are on the outs, nothing will.

If I could find a T shirt to express my feelings about NY of late, it wouldn’t be “I heart NY.” It would be “I have-to-sometimes-wonder-what-the-hell-I’m-still-doing-in NYC.”  Life would be easier, and cheaper, and warmer, in a lot of other places.

When this happens, when I’m fed up with re-routed trains, and exorbitantly-priced cups of coffee, when I’ve had enough of the (sometimes literal) rat race, and with the anxiety and stress that sometimes seems inescapable in the city that never sleeps — when this happens, I need to focus on the little things I love about my hometown.

I can remind myself of the big perks, the headliners – the diversity, the culture from museums to plays to music, the incredible schools I’m now intimately acquainted with – but those things, while convincing on a cerebral level, don’t make my heart melt. It’s like reading your husband’s resume – it reminds you he looks good on paper but, it doesn’t make you swoon. What makes you swoon are the small idiosyncrasies, his off-kilter sarcasm, the scratch of his unshaved face, the particular tilt of his head as he looks at you over the tops of his glasses.

What makes me swoon for this city are the same kind of small stuff, stuff that doesn’t mean anything but, at the same time, means everything. How do I love thee, NYC? Let me count the ways.

1) Secret subway art 

Have you ever been on the D train, wearily staring out the filthy window, as the subway barrels out of DeKalb? And then, suddenly you think you’re seeing things because, somehow, impossibly, you seem to watching a movie on the subway wall? It’s not the mad musings of an addled brain, it’s Bill Brand’s Masstransiscope, a flipbook-style moving picture painted in the old Myrtle station. There’s so many little gems of subway art like this – the Beehive Lights at Broadway-Lafayette are another one of my favorites. That surprise, that unexpected delight, the beauty when you least expect it, that’s exactly what I love most about New York.

2) Bodega cats

Just bodegas, themselves, should be high on any list of things to love about NYC They’re the kind of things you don’t miss until they’re gone. Such was the case when I moved to LA and couldn’t figure out where to get an egg-and-cheese sandwich for under $3 in three minutes or less, while also buying Tylenol and laundry detergent. Bodegas are enough to love on their own. But the cats that live in bodegas, and create for my animal-loving (and animal-deprived) children an extensive network of surrogate pets – well, those turn the bodegas from great to beloved.

3) Walk-and-eat pizza

There is no pizza, anywhere, more portable than the New York slice.  Okay, Rome maybe. But, even then, the square shape makes it less ideal for eating while walking. The New York slice pleases palates, wallets and tight schedules, all at the same time. Let us never take it for granted.

 

4) The New York minute

Sometimes, when I’m outside of New York, I can’t help but feel like I’ve taken some psychedelic drug that make time slow to a crawl, just meeeeeeeelt, like I’m in a Dali painting. Things that take 30 seconds in NYC, like tossing a pizza pie into a box, take five . . . full . . . minutes. Now, this item probably should go on the list of “Things About NYC that Ruin You for Other Places and Probably, Just Ruin You in General” but I’m choosing to put it here. A minute in New York counts for five in most other places. So, in a way, we’re living longer. If you don’t count the toll exacted by such stress.

5) People wearing incredible things

In all sense of the word incredible – the good, the bad, and the incomprehensible. Once I saw a bunch of youngish-sounding guys wearing paper bags on their heads. Not only do I enjoy how much more interesting this makes a commute, I also relish the freedom it affords me. Knowing that a paper bag is a feasible apparel option for me – well, that’s priceless.

6) Hearing more languages than you knew existed

On the bus and the train and the sidewalk, in pharmacies and coffee shops and laundromats and banks and bathrooms and elevators. Not only do I love hearing the sounds of words I don’t understand, I love hearing my kids hear those sounds. Because what those sounds unlock is the understanding that the world is big, so big, bigger than us, bigger than we can even imagine. And what a thing to know.

7) People making music everywhere

Nothing, and I do mean nothing, raises my spirits like the right busker singing the right song at the right time. Just this morning, a guy with a guitar and a killer voice singing “I’ll Fly Away” brought grace and gratitude to my morning commute.

There’s one such moment I always think of as a kind of quintessential New York moment, a magic moment that stands apart from the rest of memory in a little well-preserved bubble. It was about two years ago, a Sunday afternoon in May and my daughter, then 8, and I were on our way to Union Square, to see a guy about a hamster. It was her first-ever real pet, and she was brimming over with joyful anticipation. A trio of men walked into our car, singing “You Are the Sunshine of My Life,” and the way their voices worked together, you could tell they’d been working together for a while. It was a big,robust sound that filled the whole car, and made us look up and smile. The passengers enjoyed the song, so much so that the trio stuck around and as we pulled into the Prince Street started a new song. “Raspberry Beret.”

“It’s Prince!” my daughter exclaimed, “On Prince Street!”

It was, indeed. Prince had died only weeks before so our listening had an unusual reverence to it.

Maybe it was because my daughter was clapping with particular fervor, or maybe it was the dollar she dropped in the hat held out for donations, but when they were done with Prince, they started singing “My Girl.” To my girl. It was a sudden, sweet serenade and my daughter beamed every bit as bright as sunshine on a rainy day.

The voices of these three strangers twined together to express, perfectly, the full feeling in my heart just then. And for a moment, I think all of us on the train felt it – or, if not all then, many. The trio and I did, at least, and my girl did, too.

A moment later, we got off the train at Union Square. My daughter was smiling the kind of smile mothers live for.

“I think that was a good omen,” she said.

I smiled back. “Me, too.”

 

Nicole C. Kear is the author of The Fix-It Friends chapter book series for kids, including Eyes on the Prize, and Three’s A Crowd, released this January from Macmillan Kids. For more info, visit fixitfriendsbooks.com.

Art by Brenda Cibrian

A Slice of Life

By Filed Under: Eat Local Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The pizzamakers of Park Slope

There’s nothing quite as satisfying as a tasty slice of New York pizza. I chatted with three local pizzeria owners about why they do what they do, how the neighborhood has changed and what their favorite slice is.

Lorenzo Scotto, Pino’s La Forchetta, 181 7th Avenue

Lorenzo Scotto, or “Larry,” has been involved with Pino’s since 2005.

“Almost 12 years,” he said. “Wow, fast. Ohmygod, time flies.”

Pino’s opened in 1962. They had another store in Staten Island, which his father recently sold, before the Brooklyn location. The biggest change since 2005 is from lots of walk-ins to way more delivery with Seamless and Grubhub.

“I think that made people stay inside all day,” he said. “They don’t wanna move; they just play with their phones and that’s it.”

Pino’s actually had its own delivery app for a while, but even with a 10% discount, people still used Seamless and Grubhub. Of course visiting a pizzeria has its own perks, including the potential for a freshly made pie right out of the oven.

“We just try to make it fun; service with a smile—we try very hard for it,” he said.

“People ask for crazy things though. Sugar is a weird one. A sprinkle of mustard before baking?—Too far. Ketchup; I could understand once in a while, but mustard?!” he said.

Business-wise, this year was “exceptionally crazy,” he said, partly due to the snowstorms closing roads in the winter. But it’s been consistent otherwise, and new locations are definitely possible, probably in New Jersey or downtown Brooklyn.

lorenzo-larry-at-pinosThe pizza: “Old school straight up pizza.”

Preferred slice: “Me personally I like regular and Sicilian – plain. I like the plain just regular old style.”

Drink with a slice: “I’m addicted to water.”

William Rubin, La Villa Pizza, 261 5th Avenue

La Villa has been in the neighborhood for 13 years. The biggest change Rubin has noticed is that people are here to stay, he said.

“There’s more people making this home and sticking around and settling in,” Rubin said.

There are two other La Villa locations, one in Mill Basin and the other in Howard Beach in Queens. The Howard Beach one opened over 32 years ago. Another location in Dyker Heights is on the way.

Rubin said La Villa had the first wood-burning oven in Park Slope when they opened.

“We actually flew out to Seattle, where they make the ovens, and we did a test kitchen. We brought our own water and flour and then we came back and made a decision to put wood-burning ovens in here. The other locations now have wood-burning ovens … I wondered what it was like transporting buckets of water through airport security. This was about 15 years ago though, probably right before 9/11″, he said. “What’s the sense in using Seattle, Washington water when that product could be different? The water is 50 percent of the product.”

His business partner’s mother is from Italy and works at the Howard Beach shop. A lot of the recipes come from her family.

“We try to represent an authentic Italian feel as much as [we can] being an American restaurant,” he said. The restaurant keeps the menu consistent, updating it maybe once per year, he said. They do have daily specials starting at 4pm.

william-rubin-from-la-villaThe pizza: “Wood-fired oven pizza. Personal and large size. Pizza cooked to high heat and charred to perfection. You’re not gonna get a lightly baked pie if you don’t ask for it that way.”

Preferred slice: “Grandma slice; anything with pepperoni on it I can eat. I go traditional; I don’t go out of the box.”

Drink with a slice: “Coke. I like a coke and a slice.”

Phil Castellano, Roma Pizza , 85 7th Avenue

Phil Castellano’s father owned a pizzeria on 5th Ave. when he was a kid. His family is Sicilian. Back then, the neighborhood was very different.

“5th Avenue was horrible. You couldn’t walk on 5th Avenue past sundown,” he said.

It was particularly scary running a business there, especially since all the businesses were cash-only back then. In 1982 they opened Roma on 7th Ave. His pizzeria is still cash-only today.

“That’s just the way it was, and no one really changed it. Now, people get a real kick out of it. It’s like going back in time,” he said.

Castellano remembers playing outside when he was nine or 10 and sneaking away to eat a whole pizza pie himself. There was no doubt he was going to go into the family business.

“Women were seamstresses, and men were cooks,” he said.

The same recipes from his father’s shop are used at Roma today. The shop now has a liquor license and serves more meals like veal, mussels, clams and handmade soups.

filippo-castellano-from-roma-pizzaThe pizza: “Traditional, classical NYC street pizza. What the city is built on.”

Preferred slice: “Regular and Sicilian. Those are our biggest sellers.”

Drink with a slice: “I drink a lot of water. Coke occasionally.”

Park Slope’s New Businesses — Week of August 28th

By Leave a Comment Filed Under: New Wave Tagged With: , , , , ,

CerealBar

Kith Brooklyn
233 Flatbush Avenue

This week, Kith opened up its revamped Brooklyn flagship store and it looks like a streetwear boutique from the future. The bright white interior and perfectly arranged sneaker displays lets people know that they are a high-end streetwear boutique. Founder Ronnie Fieg separates his Brooklyn store from the pack with his latest addition — a cereal bar.
Kith Treats gives customers a choice between twenty-four different cereal brands (e.g. Fruity Pebbles, Rice Krispies, and Cocoa Puffs), twenty-five different toppings (e.g. Oreos, coconut flakes, Marshmallow Charms), and five different types of milk (chocolate, hemp, almond, skim, and whole). All cereal purchases come with a straw-spoon (so you can slurp up the milk after you’re done) and is served in a shoe box. In honor of the US Open, cereals are currently being served in Andre Agassi shoe boxes. With every cereal bought, customer’s get a Proof-of-Purchase ticket. Collect five, and you’ll get a special gift — a Kith-branded tennis ball (while supplies last).

 

Courtesy of Artichoke Basille's Pizza
Courtesy of Artichoke Basille’s Pizza

Artichoke Basille’s Pizza
59 5th Avenue | (347) 763 – 1975

While several pizza places have opened up by Barclays Center recently, new contenders are willing to face the stiff competition. Enter Artichoke Basille’s Pizza, a mini-chain that has locations in Manhattan and Queens — and, as of recently, Brooklyn. Located between St. Marks and Bergen Street, Artichoke’s is less of a restaurant and more of a stand. The decision was likely based on the ease of picking up a slice on the way to (or returning from) Barclays. Its big name and reputation for its famous artichoke slice will be one of its distinguishing features from the rest of the pizza pack in North Slope.

Park Slope’s New Businesses – Week of July 24th

By Filed Under: New Wave Tagged With: , , , ,

These two businesses live right next door to each other. Go visit one and then pop over to the other!

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Hugo & Sons

367 7th Avenue | (718) 499 – 0020 | hugoandsons.com

The perfect word to describe this restaurant is quaint. From the bright red booths to the old-fashioned tile, the overall aesthetic is straight from the 1950’s. The food, however, is fresh and delicious. The menu is mostly Italian classics, but there are a few French-inspired items as well. The gnocchi is a delight — and not too heavy! For those with a sweet tooth, be sure to try their desserts as well. Their strawberry shortcake is a favorite. If you’re not the type who has time to enjoy a sit-down restaurant but loves pizza, then it would be good for you to know that anything from the pizzeria is available when you place an order on Postmates. In conclusion, a cute, sweet, and vintage-feeling restaurant to take the family to dinner (or brunch, if you’re come on Saturdays and Sundays.)

FullBodyBigNose

Big Nose Full Body

389 7th Avenue | bignosefullbody.com | (718) 369 – 4030 | wine@bignosefullbody.com

This isn’t necessarily a new business, but it’s in a new location, so we’ll count it. Big Nose Full Body has moved to Seventh Avenue (and are across the street from Hugo & Sons). BNFB is a wine shop that is run by genuine wine enthusiasts who are eager to help their customers. The wine selection is extremely organized. There’s even the option to purchase wine chilled or at room temperature if you desire. If you follow their website, you can get updates on wine tastings held at the store, find out the favorites in selection each month, and order wine online.

Park Slope’s New Businesses – Week of July 17th

By Filed Under: New Wave Tagged With: , , , ,

 

Park Slope’s cheap eats scene continues to grow with two new restaurants.

 

Poutine at Perfect Potato

 

 

Perfect Potato

172 5th Avenue |(917) 909 – 0465

It’s a common complaint amongst Canadian expats that there is simply no good poutine in New York City. As of Perfect Potato’s opening a few weeks ago, they may have to hold their tongue. Owner Stephanie Seitman spent a great deal of time studying poutine all over Canada, which included her time as an intern at the Chez Claudette in Montreal. As such, she takes a great deal of pride in not only her classic poutine, but also her specialized versions. For fans of poutine who are trying to add more vegetables to their diet, the Mushroom poutine offers some greens in the form of peas – along with onions and, of course, mushrooms. That said, the true favorite for brunch fanatics in Park Slope will be the Hangover poutine. While Perfect Potato (tragically) will not be open for super late nights, poutine is an excellent remedy in the morning after a night on the town.

Patsy's Pizza

 

 

Patsy’s Pizzeria

450 Dean Street | patsyspizza.nyc

Pizza, pasta — the Italian duo. Patsy’s offers these things, plus the classic Italian New Yorker charm. Fans of thin crust pizza will be pleased, as the pizza is light and easy to eat. The pies are large enough to feed a table of two, or perhaps a very hungry table of one.  If pizza isn’t your thing but seafood very much is, the Scoglio is a must-try. Clams, mussels, shrimp calamari with squid ink tagliatelle and marinara sauce is a delight. While Pasty’s seems to be located in area with plenty of pizza-related competition, its personable staff will surely make it stand out amongst the rest. If nothing else, the fact that it’s right by the Barclays Center will surely attract hungry event-goers!