686 Sixth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215 (at 21st Street; map); 718-788-1186; kitchenbarny.com Oven Type: Wood-burning Pie Style: Neapolitan The Skinny: A relaxing, laid-back pub whose name belies the fact that there are some great little Neapolitan-style pizzas coming out of the rustic wood-burning oven here. Small, 12-inch, well-balanced pies are crisp at the edges but do exhibit some tip sag
You could be excused for overlooking the great little pies being served at Toby's Public House. The exterior looks more like something I'd imagine you'd see in small-town England, and the name doesn't exactly scream pizza. But step inside, glance to the back, and you'll find a rustic-looking wood-burning oven with a couple no-nonsense-looking pizzaioli going at it with the dough.
What's more, on our initial visit there last week, we spotted a familiar face—Nicola Bertolotti, who once worked as the lead pizzaiolo at Fornino in Williamsburg. I've always liked the pizza at Fornino, so I Bertolotti's presence seemed to go a long way in backing up the praise-laden emails and IMs I'd been getting about the place since it opened in March.
Pizzas here are Neapolitan-style, about 12 inches in diameter, and come out of the oven crisp, chewy and foldable. Crispness consistency seems to vary from pie to pie. Our sausage and onion pie (top) was near perfect on the crisp-chewy scale, but our Buffalina (above; a Margherita topped with buffalo mozzarella) had some major tip sag on half the slices while the other half of the pie was crisp enough to present a proud upskirt (right).
When we sent a second round of Slice correspondents out for another go (I had been spotted and wanted an unvarnished sampling), the pies were reportedly crisper. We might conclude that, like many pizzerias with temperamental wood- or coal-burning ovens, the consistency may vary here.
What seems pretty certain though is the nice balance of crust, sauce, and cheese. I thought the sauce was pretty standout. While many Neapolitan places feature a barely-cooked (or not-cooked-at-all sauce), this one was thick and rich and had a pleasant enough herby flavor.
For me, the jury's still out on Toby's until I can visit it enough to see if it holds up. But it's a great addition to this part of whatever neighborhood it's in—Park Slope? Windsor Terrace? "Greenwood Heights"? And it's good enough to draw me the 20-minute walk from my North Slope home.
I won't go too much into this thing, but Toby's also offers a unique (at least to me) dessert in its nutella-ricotta calzone. It seems like a weird combo, but it works. Paired with a glass of Fra Angelico, as suggested by the staff, and you're golden. More on this item at Serious Eats New York »
Hey, Adam: do you think pizzerias are now posting your photo in their kitchen in the same way restaurants have photos of Frank Bruni so their personnel will know when he visits? Will you need to adopt a disguise?
Since this is a "Public House," can you comment on the brews they serve?
@famdoc: Funny enough, when we had the 2005 Gothamist-Slice pizza party at Fornino, the owner there, Michael Ayoub, said that he had taped up a photo of me behind the server stand at the door. But I had already been in on opening night before they did it.
I was recognized at Toby's—probably first by the manager, who said he saw me snapping photos through the window. (We were sitting at an outside table, and I thought I was out of sightline, but apparently not.) I recongnized Nicola Bertolotti, the pizzaiolo here, when I walked in, but I don't think he recognized me until the manager said something to him. Then he put two and two together.
That said, it was too late for them to change anything, as we'd already had our pies on the table before that. Of course, they could have amped up production of the dessert calzone, but that's not going to make or break a place on Slice. Heh.
@famdoc: You know my MO. I'm unabashedly pizza-focused. I didn't really peruse the beer list as closely as I should have. I did enjoy a Coney Island Lager with my pies, but I wasn't super into it. It was a bit bitter; I think something else would have paired with the pizzas better. Next time I go, I'll make notes on the beer list.
Delirium Tremens
Radeberger Pilsner
Old Speckled Hen
Guinness
Blanche De Bruxelles
Coney Island Lager
Toby's Cheap Beer (Old Saratoga Lager)
Hofbrau seasonals... maibock now summer in a few days
Weinstephan Hefeweizen
Stone IPA
All Draught
Based on the review above, I decided that the first chance I got, I would check out Toby's. Actually it was based on that stunning calzone shot. I finally got the opportunity on Tuesday evening before attending the Dylan concert in Prospect Park. Once again, I'll let my camera do the talkin':
Unfortunately, my friend did not realize I wanted a full pie shot. He now understands. Luckily though, the folks at the next table were very accomodating. And BTW, if you like beef jerky, be sure to check out Bam's homemade stash. Be prepared though. It's got a bit of a kick.
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Pizzas here are Neapolitan-style, about 12 inches in diameter, and come out of the oven crisp, chewy and foldable. Crispness consistency seems to vary from pie to pie. Our sausage and onion pie (top) was near perfect on the crisp-chewy scale, but our Buffalina (above; a Margherita topped with buffalo mozzarella) had some major tip sag on half the slices while the other half of the pie was crisp enough to present a proud upskirt (right).
6 Comments:
Hey, Adam: do you think pizzerias are now posting your photo in their kitchen in the same way restaurants have photos of Frank Bruni so their personnel will know when he visits? Will you need to adopt a disguise?
Since this is a "Public House," can you comment on the brews they serve?
famdoc at 1:06PM on 07/01/08
@famdoc: Funny enough, when we had the 2005 Gothamist-Slice pizza party at Fornino, the owner there, Michael Ayoub, said that he had taped up a photo of me behind the server stand at the door. But I had already been in on opening night before they did it.
I was recognized at Toby's—probably first by the manager, who said he saw me snapping photos through the window. (We were sitting at an outside table, and I thought I was out of sightline, but apparently not.) I recongnized Nicola Bertolotti, the pizzaiolo here, when I walked in, but I don't think he recognized me until the manager said something to him. Then he put two and two together.
That said, it was too late for them to change anything, as we'd already had our pies on the table before that. Of course, they could have amped up production of the dessert calzone, but that's not going to make or break a place on Slice. Heh.
Adam Kuban at 2:45PM on 07/01/08
@famdoc: You know my MO. I'm unabashedly pizza-focused. I didn't really peruse the beer list as closely as I should have. I did enjoy a Coney Island Lager with my pies, but I wasn't super into it. It was a bit bitter; I think something else would have paired with the pizzas better. Next time I go, I'll make notes on the beer list.
Adam Kuban at 2:47PM on 07/01/08
Delirium Tremens
Radeberger Pilsner
Old Speckled Hen
Guinness
Blanche De Bruxelles
Coney Island Lager
Toby's Cheap Beer (Old Saratoga Lager)
Hofbrau seasonals... maibock now summer in a few days
Weinstephan Hefeweizen
Stone IPA
All Draught
bottles as well
tjudge77 at 12:21PM on 07/02/08
Based on the review above, I decided that the first chance I got, I would check out Toby's. Actually it was based on that stunning calzone shot. I finally got the opportunity on Tuesday evening before attending the Dylan concert in Prospect Park. Once again, I'll let my camera do the talkin':
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pauliegee/sets/72157606718468571/
Unfortunately, my friend did not realize I wanted a full pie shot. He now understands. Luckily though, the folks at the next table were very accomodating. And BTW, if you like beef jerky, be sure to check out Bam's homemade stash. Be prepared though. It's got a bit of a kick.
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
pauliegee at 11:03PM on 08/14/08
famdoc, here's a version with prices:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pauliegee/2761168823/in/set-72157606718468571/
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
pauliegee at 11:12PM on 08/14/08