Find delicious pies along the G train — Photo courtesy of iStock / masa.k
Although the G train is rarely used by tourists, some of the most popular pizzerias in New York are along the section between Greenpoint and Park Slope. This list focuses on Neapolitan-style eateries, but also includes a traditional slice joint as well as a taste of the Midwest in Brooklyn.
Fornino
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Fornino offers antipasti, beer, wine, calzones and three generations of pizza in a welcoming setting. The first generation of wood-fired pies are traditional Neapolitan style, while the second generation ventures out to other parts of Italy. Finally, the third includes quirky variations like the Al Roker (yes, named after the Queens-born journalist and cousin of Lenny Kravitz) and the $35 (for an individual) Tartuffo. They offer vegan cheese as a substitute for the real thing.
Nearest G train station: Greenpoint Av
Paulie Gee's
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With nearly 50 different pies as well as salads, soups and desserts, Paulie Gee's is the most popular no-slices pizzeria in Greenpoint. They have more than a dozen different vegan pies with quirky names such as Red, White, and Greenpeace; Vegan Grapeful Dead; In Ricotta Da Vegan; and Chop't 'Til You Drop.
Owner and namesake, Paulie Giannone is so insistent on his wood-fired pies being enjoyed fresh out of the oven that they no longer offer takeout. The closest thing you'll find to a traditional margherita is the Regina, which has the red, white, and green of the Italian flag and is also garnished with pecorino romano.
Nearest G train station: Greenpoint Av
Forcella
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Williamsburg may have more pizza options than Arthur Avenue, but Forcella manages to offer a different twist on Italy's greatest culinary gift to the world: montanara, or fried pizza. They also offer a dozen different wood-fired Neapolitan pies (both red and white) as well as delectable, doughy desserts like Angioletti alla Nutella (deep fried pizza dough strips) and their 12" Nutella pie.
Inside, patrons are treated to an unobstructed view of pizzaiolos preparing Neapolitan pies, which come out in under two minutes. If you want to put your forcella (the Italian word for fork) to use, they have appetizers, pasta dishes, salads and other desserts.
Nearest G train station: Metropolitan Av
Speedy Romeo
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This St. Louis-influenced Brooklyn institution offers a Midwestern twist on Italy's most famous culinary export. Speedy Romeo serves 12" hardwood-fired Neapolitan-style pies along with a full menu of appetizers, salads, entrees and desserts. The crust is slightly crunchier than most of the other places in this list.
If you've never had pizza in Missouri, try the St. Louie, which is topped with San Marzano tomato sauce, pepperoni, Italian sausage, pickled chilies, and Provel cheese from St. Louis. Provel is a mix of cheddar and Swiss and has a low melting point, resulting in a semi-buttery texture.
Their other import from the Midwest is the K.C. Royale, which is topped with bechamel sauce, clams, pancetta, fontina, lemon and kale. If you want to try pizza with bechamel sauce but can do without the kale, try the White Album. Despite the name, it's not a double (no accompanying "Honey Pie," but it may taste better on your "Birthday").
Nearest G train station: Classon Av
Emily
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Emily serves wood-fired, New Haven-style pies in a cozy setting on the south end of Clinton Hill. The pizza section of their menu is cleverly divided into four sections: red, white, pink and green. The pink pies are topped with vodka sauce, while the greens use a tomatillo (also known as Mexican husk tomato) sauce.
Traditionalists can order the Luca, which is a traditional Neapolitan pie, or The Classic with red sauce, handmade mozzarella and oregano. Their flavorful sauce and chewy crust are what make Emily worth the journey from Manhattan, Queens or other parts of Brooklyn.
If you want to enjoy the sauce without being distracted by other fancy ingredients (like honey, kimchi, pickled jalapeno, pineapple, etc.), try the double-sauced Red Planet pie.
Nearest G train station: Clinton-Washington Avenues
Sottocasa
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Italian for 'under the home,' Sottocasa is nestled beneath a classic Brooklyn brownstone along the busy Atlantic Avenue thoroughfare. Since 2011, they've been serving red and white wood-fired pies in Boerum Hill. You won't find any kale or vegan cheese on any of the two dozen pies at Sottocasa. Their dough is light and chewy while the sauce is on the thinner side, with a hint (but not an excessive amount) of garlic.
Nearest G train station: Hoyt-Schermerhorn
Enoteca on Court
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This Carroll Gardens wine bar (Enoteca means "wine repository" in Italian) is owned and run by a Johnson & Wales-trained chef and offers 17 different brick oven pies.
Traditionalists will feel right at home here as you won't find any pies with quirky names topped with pineapple or kimchi. Instead, most are named after parts of Sicily (as well as parts of the boot itself). The crust is thin and on the crunchier side, while the homemade sauce has a more subtle flavor.
Nearest G train station: Carroll St
Lucali
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Possibly the most difficult table to get in Brooklyn, this cash-only, BYOB, compact Carroll Gardens institution attracts everyone from locals and pizza aficionados who want to see what all the fuss is about, to celebrities such as Jay-Z and Beyonce.
The menu is written in chalk and more than any other place in this list, Lucali keeps it simple. Just small or large calzones and pies with thin crust from dough custom-flattened with Lucali's signature wine bottle. You may have seen it on the pizza episode of Ugly Delicious.
Nearest G train station: Carroll St
Pizza Moto
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Pizza Moto sits under the Gowanus Expressway on the border between Red Hook and Carroll Gardens. They offer ten different pies, ranging from the basic Marinara (vegan) and Margherita to the breakfast-themed Eggs in Hell.
The sauce is on the tangier side while their dough is chewy, with the inevitable char spots and bubbles on the outer crust. For something a bit on the zanier side, try the regionally-themed Vermonter or the 'Jerzy Pork Store.
Nearest G train station: Smith-9th St
Smiling Pizza
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The only traditional New York slice joint in this list, Smiling Pizza has that classic pizza parlor from your childhood feel. You'll see a dozen of their (mostly round) brick oven sliced pies displayed behind the pizza counter, which is just a few short steps from the arch-shaped entrance from 7th Avenue.
Their Sicilian and Grandma pies are both square and a hit with locals. The part brick / part checkerboard walls are adorned with cute little trinkets with sayings like, "I only eat pizza on days that end with a Y."
Nearest G train station: 7 Av
