Openings: Fornaccio, Williamsburg

Posted by Adam Kuban, July 7, 2008 at 10:00 AM

When we visited Toby's Public House last week, not only did we pick up on some great pizza, we also picked up a tip to pass on to you.

Nicola Bertolotti, who was brought in to school the other pie-makers at Toby's, will be opening his own place in Williamsburg in mid August.

The new pizzeria will be called Fornaccio, which Bertolotti told us means "old oven." The name derives from the fact that Bertolotti happened up an old house with a hundred-year-old oven that he's been restoring, along with the rest of the place.

Fornaccio will make Neapolitan-style pizzas there, and the oven will be wood-fired. Bertolotti plans an extensive wine list for the pizzeria as well, importing glassware and tableware from Italy for some authentic detail.

The space is on Havemeyer between North 6th and North 7th streets, not more than a pizza-brick's throw away from Fornino, where Bertolotti once worked under chef-owner Michael Ayoub. Past performance is not a guarantee of future returns, but given the pies Bertolotti turned out at Fornino and those he's overseeing at Toby's, I'd put stock in Fornaccio to emerge a strong buy in the area.

You can catch Bertolotti's work at Toby's in Park Slope–Windsor Terrace for the next three weeks or so before he moves north to concentrate on finishing his spot. Look for the ribbon-cutting later this summer.

Fornaccio

Havemeyer Street, between North 6th and North 7th streets

9 Comments | Tags: Brooklyn, Fornaccio, Neapolitan-Style, NYC, Openings, Williamsburg, Wood-Oven

9 Comments:

huh, right near brick oven gallery too...

canonizer at 12:45PM on 07/07/08

I think BOG is closed.

Adam Kuban at 2:37PM on 07/07/08

seriously? I don't think I'd been there since winter but I kind of loved that place. Thanks for the follow-up.

canonizer at 12:31PM on 07/08/08

Yup. BOG closed. So sayeth the Eater blog.

Adam Kuban at 12:33PM on 07/08/08

apparently eater jumped the gun and didn't bother following up
http://gowanuslounge.blogspot.com/2008/03/burgs-brick-oven-gallery-is-very-alive.html

boscoep at 1:40PM on 07/08/08

@boscoep: And now I have egg on my face for trusting Eater and not verifying myself. Thank you so much for setting me and everyone else straight. Thank you!

Adam Kuban at 2:11PM on 07/08/08

Good news for fans. They used to have a wonderful Sun-Wed type deal. Thanks for clearing it up, boscoep.

canonizer at 1:55PM on 07/09/08

BOG IS closing in about two weeks, after the conclusion of the Giglio Feast. So sayeth Kenny, the owner. I will be sorry to see them go, along with the best pizza in the area.

skowl at 3:05PM on 07/09/08

I am sorry to add that i will not be openning in that location due to complications in lease terms.
I am making my classic italian style pizza at Toby's Public House at 686 6th ave @ 21st street, Brooklyn. Looking for a space in Manhatttan, more to come....

Come see me, italian pizza is NOT all the same.

Grazie,
Nicola Bertolotti

NicolaB at 5:04PM on 08/14/08

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