Our final full day in New York was dedicated to exploring the burgeoning borough of Brooklyn. We started the day in Bushwick, “arguably the coolest place on the planet” and home to the much buzzed about restaurant Roberta’s.

Here at this cruddy shack located a short walk from the L train, Chef Carlo Mirarchi makes some of the most beautiful pies around. Born in Queens, raised in Long Island, and educated at NYU, Chef Mirachi is a self-taught cook with a knack for foods that comfort and flavors that pop. Roberta’s takes no regular reservations, which wasn’t an issue for us since we dined here for lunch on a Monday afternoon.

Prior to opening the restaurant, Chef Mirachi and his team traveled to Italy to apprentice with a pizzaiolo. While in Italy, they also procured this flashy red wood-burning oven from a bankrupt pizzeria and had it brought back and assembled in Brooklyn.

Nearly everything on the menu sounded right up our collective alleys, but with just two bellies at the table and dinner plans around the corner, we could only order so much.

The Astronomer and I selected “The Bee Sting” ($15) from the list of pizzas available. Topped with tomato sauce, house-made mozzarella, sopressata, chili flakes, fresh basil, and honey, each bite treated our taste buds to a rush of tangy, spicy, and sweet. The evenly spotted crust held up to the toppings structurally and flavor-wise. We polished off every last slice.

Served alongside the pizza was the tagliatelle ($15), silky noodles dressed in a luxurious beef shin and celery sauce. This too disappeared into the darkest recesses of our gullets. Leftovers have no place on vacations.

Perfectly executed pizzas and noodles are the way to this carb-loving gal’s heart. While we didn’t sample nearly as many dishes as my aforementioned carb-loving heart desired, the two that graced the (communal) table met my sky-high expectations and then some.

I’m so smitten with Chef Mirachi’s style and cooking that I hope to snag a seat at his newest venture Blanca ($180-a-head, 25+ courses) the next time I’m in Brooklyn. I hear reservations are impossible.

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Roberta’s
261 Moore Street
Brooklyn, NY 11206
Phone: 718-417-1118

There’s more to eat in the burgeoning borough of Brooklyn on Gastronomy:

• Baked – Brooklyn
• Dough – Brooklyn
• Peter Luger – Brooklyn