The Village Voicehas namedRoberta's in Bushwick 2009's Best Naples-Style Pizza.
Look, I'm going to say it: Roberta's makes inventive pizza. Roberta's makes great nonpizza food—amazing nonpizza food, even. Roberta's laid-back atmosphere makes you feel at home. But Roberta's does not make the best Naples-style pizza in the city.
The sustainorganica thing? Very cool and laudable. The beer garden and the shipping-container radio studio and the rooftop garden? All really, really cool. I love the atmosphere of the place and its vibe.
But I think all that other stuff has distracted them from their pizza game. When I first visited earlier on in Roberta's life span, I thought the pizza was good but had room for improvement. The crust was flavorful but was too chewy and often crunchy rather than perfectly crisp-pliant. It remains so to this day.
It seems that rather than concentrate on the pies, the owners have chosen to expand in all directions.
Which is fine. As Ed Levine mentioned in his review of the place, "Roberta's varied and decidedly nontraditional toppings are where this place makes its mark in New York's hypercompetitive pizza scene."
Pizzas like the improbable Cortes (chorizo, crema fresca, jalapeño, shaved radish, pickled red onion, and cilantro) are confounding in theory and awesome in reality. But the crust at Roberta's is more a vehicle for delivering these unique flavor combos to your mouth. You would be hard-pressed to put a Roberta's Margherita or a Roberta's RPS (roasted red peppers and spicy soppressata) up against their counterparts at Motorino. The puffy end crust, crisp-chewy overall crust, and airy hole structure of Motorino is just not there in the Roberta's crust. And no matter how inventive the toppings, without a great foundation, you can't call it the best.
Best-of Lists Predictably Unpredictable
See, it's because best-of lists are a yearly trope with alt-weeklies and local magazines in every city. And unless there's a lot of openings and closings or a serious attempt at betterment on the part of a restaurant/pizzeria or a disastrous drop in quality, the best XYZ is pretty much going to remain the same from year to year.
So to introduce some variety into the annual dog-and-pony show, publications have to get all "unpredictable," picking a seemingly nonintuitive place to fill the top spot. Hence you get Mister Softee named Best Soft Serve and a pork bun named Best Hamburger.
It's become even more important in recent years to do this sort of thing, since you can pretty much go on any social-web review site and get an idea of the top spots are in the popular imagination. Also because, with a shrinking readership of the print product, you want to get a hundred and one blogs writing screeds decrying your picks.
Like I'm doing now. D'oh.
Blah blah blah. So in short, Roberta's is awesome on many levels, but best Neapolitan pizza joint in the city? Naw, sorry.
Good spot, Adam. I went there for the first time this year - Holy Moly, love at first bite. Definitely some of the best pizza I've ever had. I see the Village Voice qualified it as "Naples-Style" because the serving size feeds one. If that's the case, I had Naples-Style coffee this morning and am thinking of taking a Naples-Style nap when it wears off. Oh, and it will be the BEST NAPLES STYLE NAP this year!
Roberta's makes a very good pizza, but saying it is the best Naples-Style pizza in New York is nothing short of laughable.
From a pizza perspective only, it just shows how lucky you bahs-tards are up there in New York. In Baltimore, Roberta's would be not only the best Naples style pizza in the city, it would currently be the best pizza of any type in the city. And loh and behold, Roberta's is not even close to being the best Naples style pizza in New York.
We've got some solid up and comers serving thin-crust style, but it literally breaks my heart that we don't have a great Neapolitan influenced style pizzeria in Baltimore. Looks like someone is gonna have to rectify that....eventually.
Now, Roberta's is very much one of the coolest spots to relax, eat food and hang out that I've been to in many a moon. As Paulie is fond of saying, Roberta's is "off the hook". Being that pizza is only a part of the puzzle which makes up the heavy vibe that is Roberta's, I couldn't agree more.
I like Roberta's because it's not a Naples-style pizza. The crust has heft and substance without being doughy, and it can support itself rather than just turning into a revolting mass of wet dough at the center. Also, the lunch pie at Roberta's is magnificent -- more of a bread than a pizza, but so what? It's what Co should have been like.
After Chowhound picks Co. as "Best Pizza Ever!" and now this, I totally see Adam's point- it's more lucrative to single out a lesser-known fringe spot than the well-known obvious favorites. Is this just naivety or a lapse in culinary journalism in exchange for subscriptions?
With you on this Adam. Went there a few months ago and was not impressed with the pizza either. Not bad, and certainly a nice atmosphere in that back garden, but I can think of a dozen better places off the top of my head.
Moreover, the "true pie of Naples" is almost unbelievably bland....................
That sentence alone cements my belief that this clown ( as too many other commentators ) masquerading as a food journalist has probably never eaten Pizza in Naples,and wouldn't know shit from shinola.
@seriouspizza
Easy there! Not everyone digs the neapolitan style. Although it is strange for a writer who shows a distinct lack of love for the style to write about what they deem to be 'Best Naples Style Pizza'. Does the title even mean anything at that point?
The use of quotation marks as well as the context (rest of the article) indicates the writer was talking about the trend of neapolitan pizza in NY. What seems to have been the main thrust of the blurb, was their opinion that 'naples style' is being used to sell a more expensive pizza
It's a fair point that in a crowded market, terms like 'authentic neapolitan' are now common currency used to justify the existence and alleged ethos of any given 'neapolitan style' pizzeria.
I suspect these claims of authenticity are a red herring (which Napoletanaphiles get easily hung up on) when price and quality should be the real issues for any place that makes and sells pizza.
@seriouspizza: Wha? I'm going to defend Robert Sietsema here. He has indeed eaten pizza in Naples and was in fact kind enough to contribute to Slice very early on with a photo essay of pizza in Napoli—and this was way before anyone of his stature took the site seriously. I've always remembered that and have had great respect for Robert and his work.
I myself have not eaten "the true pie of Naples." As I've said elsewhere, it's a serious hole in my pizza game. (@seriouspizza: You can stop reading Slice at this point.) But when I started Slice it was less about "Naples-style" pizza and more about kick-ass New York–style pizza. (Lately, with the Neapartisan pizza trend sweeping the nation, I've probably focused too much on Neapolitan and "artisan" pies. I know some readers have dinged me for that.) Anyway, I think Sietsema is partially correct: If you get a Neapolitan Margherita from a pizzeria that has a flavorless dough and a dull sauce, that thing is going to be unbelieveably bland. When I find myself eating pies like that, I yearn for some inventive toppings to ease the pain.
Good points all.....as long as the pizza has good balance of flavors and textures between crust, sauce, cheese and whatever else is on the pizza, then style is much less a concern for me. --K
My knee jerk reaction was probably exactly what Sietsema had desired ! I stand corrected about him eating pizza in Naples.In his original V V article that you referenced, he sounds as though he liked what he had in Naples ( "Sublimely bland" ) and IMO the whole piece on Roberta's is a machiavellian piece of journalism,that only contributes in a less than desirable way to the confusion over Neapolitan pizza and peoples understanding of what it really is.I must say,I have a problem with evaluating "Spirit" when it comes to pizza?.
Regarding the price structure of Neapolitan pizza in the US,I applaud UPN for having the balls to charge such exorbitant prices for his product and allowing New Yorkers the indulgence of supporting him in maintaining his limited work hours,and single handedly spearheading a change for restaurant employees. I hope he charges $50 in San Francisco.It would be refreshing to think that there are people out there more foolish with their hard earned money than gullible east coast foodies.A $10 Marinara seems obscene in Manhattan these days.How is a business supposed to survive?
Maybe the distinction should not be Naples style vs NY style anymore since apparently Naples gets confounded on the boat ride over here. Maybe it should just be Classic vs new New York. Just lump them all together. and then classic slices would be another category. lombardis vs keste vs sal&carmines . I'm just saying.
@Adam Kuban "way before anyone of his stature took the site seriously. I've always remembered that and have had great respect for Robert and his work."
Adam,is that why you pulled the less than favorable review of Saraghina : A First Visit to Saraghina, Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn around 8/18/09 when he published a somewhat gushing commentary on that very same day? Did you fear your diametrically opposed opinions less credible than a blogger of his stature ? Maybe that is the point I should have stopped reading or at least taking your opinions seriously ?
@seriouspizza: I removed the review because it wasn't a fair review. It was a bad piece of "pizza journalism." If you'll recall, my pie was woefully undercooked to the point of having raw dough. I should have sent it back and asked for a properly cooked pie. And I needed to visit a couple more times to see whether that was an anomaly or how they usually roll. It basically turned into a hit piece without giving them a fair shake. So, yeah, that was a low point—a breach of trust—and if I've lost you as a reader, it's my own fault.
Oh, and about Sietsema, though I "have great respect for Robert and his work," I'm not afraid of him, and his review was the last thing I had in mind when I pulled my "review."
The most important judgement is now in and Roberta's stands at the pinnacle of pizzadom. As part of Sean Taylor's annual celebration of National Pizza Month, he has awarded them a perfect five pies. Check it out at www.31daysofpizza.com . While you are there, be sure to check out Day 3.
Thanks Adam .I admire your honesty.It had bugged me for a while thinking that you had the luxury of doing a hatchet job of a review and then seemingly,unapologetically pulling it after the damage was done .Hindsight is 20/20 and though I'm neither a journalist nor restaurateur I think that the ethical and courteous thing to have done would be to have left the Story Header and put up a footnote disclaimer such as the explanation you have given here.
Yours respectfully,
seriouspizza
@Paulie Gee.....I look forward to seeing how you handle such a situation,should anyone EVER give your output such negative scrutiny.....being from Brooklyn and all !
@seriouspizza I'm going to do my best to avoid such occurrences, but I'm sure they will be impossible to dodge completely. When those times do come, I will do my best to betray my Brooklyn instincts by channeling the Slicemeister.
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19 Comments:
Bold review Slicemeister. And I'm still itchin' to go to there right now. I love that friggin' place.
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
pauliegee at 7:28PM on 10/21/09
Good spot, Adam. I went there for the first time this year - Holy Moly, love at first bite. Definitely some of the best pizza I've ever had. I see the Village Voice qualified it as "Naples-Style" because the serving size feeds one. If that's the case, I had Naples-Style coffee this morning and am thinking of taking a Naples-Style nap when it wears off. Oh, and it will be the BEST NAPLES STYLE NAP this year!
sean_taylor at 5:40AM on 10/22/09
Well put Adam.
Roberta's makes a very good pizza, but saying it is the best Naples-Style pizza in New York is nothing short of laughable.
From a pizza perspective only, it just shows how lucky you bahs-tards are up there in New York. In Baltimore, Roberta's would be not only the best Naples style pizza in the city, it would currently be the best pizza of any type in the city. And loh and behold, Roberta's is not even close to being the best Naples style pizza in New York.
We've got some solid up and comers serving thin-crust style, but it literally breaks my heart that we don't have a great Neapolitan influenced style pizzeria in Baltimore. Looks like someone is gonna have to rectify that....eventually.
Now, Roberta's is very much one of the coolest spots to relax, eat food and hang out that I've been to in many a moon. As Paulie is fond of saying, Roberta's is "off the hook". Being that pizza is only a part of the puzzle which makes up the heavy vibe that is Roberta's, I couldn't agree more.
I wanna go back to see those laying hens! --K
Pizzablogger at 8:19AM on 10/22/09
I like Roberta's because it's not a Naples-style pizza. The crust has heft and substance without being doughy, and it can support itself rather than just turning into a revolting mass of wet dough at the center. Also, the lunch pie at Roberta's is magnificent -- more of a bread than a pizza, but so what? It's what Co should have been like.
jozersky at 8:49AM on 10/22/09
After Chowhound picks Co. as "Best Pizza Ever!" and now this, I totally see Adam's point- it's more lucrative to single out a lesser-known fringe spot than the well-known obvious favorites. Is this just naivety or a lapse in culinary journalism in exchange for subscriptions?
pizzacommander at 9:46AM on 10/22/09
With you on this Adam. Went there a few months ago and was not impressed with the pizza either. Not bad, and certainly a nice atmosphere in that back garden, but I can think of a dozen better places off the top of my head.
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt at 10:17AM on 10/22/09
Moreover, the "true pie of Naples" is almost unbelievably bland....................
That sentence alone cements my belief that this clown ( as too many other commentators ) masquerading as a food journalist has probably never eaten Pizza in Naples,and wouldn't know shit from shinola.
seriouspizza at 12:32PM on 10/22/09
@seriouspizza
Easy there! Not everyone digs the neapolitan style. Although it is strange for a writer who shows a distinct lack of love for the style to write about what they deem to be 'Best Naples Style Pizza'. Does the title even mean anything at that point?
The use of quotation marks as well as the context (rest of the article) indicates the writer was talking about the trend of neapolitan pizza in NY. What seems to have been the main thrust of the blurb, was their opinion that 'naples style' is being used to sell a more expensive pizza
It's a fair point that in a crowded market, terms like 'authentic neapolitan' are now common currency used to justify the existence and alleged ethos of any given 'neapolitan style' pizzeria.
I suspect these claims of authenticity are a red herring (which Napoletanaphiles get easily hung up on) when price and quality should be the real issues for any place that makes and sells pizza.
foolishpoolish at 1:23PM on 10/22/09
erm...price, quality and taste....yeah taste - I forgot about that one!
foolishpoolish at 1:27PM on 10/22/09
@seriouspizza: Wha? I'm going to defend Robert Sietsema here. He has indeed eaten pizza in Naples and was in fact kind enough to contribute to Slice very early on with a photo essay of pizza in Napoli—and this was way before anyone of his stature took the site seriously. I've always remembered that and have had great respect for Robert and his work.
I myself have not eaten "the true pie of Naples." As I've said elsewhere, it's a serious hole in my pizza game. (@seriouspizza: You can stop reading Slice at this point.) But when I started Slice it was less about "Naples-style" pizza and more about kick-ass New York–style pizza. (Lately, with the Neapartisan pizza trend sweeping the nation, I've probably focused too much on Neapolitan and "artisan" pies. I know some readers have dinged me for that.) Anyway, I think Sietsema is partially correct: If you get a Neapolitan Margherita from a pizzeria that has a flavorless dough and a dull sauce, that thing is going to be unbelieveably bland. When I find myself eating pies like that, I yearn for some inventive toppings to ease the pain.
Shinolally yours,
Adam
Adam Kuban at 2:00PM on 10/22/09
Good points all.....as long as the pizza has good balance of flavors and textures between crust, sauce, cheese and whatever else is on the pizza, then style is much less a concern for me. --K
Pizzablogger at 5:11PM on 10/22/09
My knee jerk reaction was probably exactly what Sietsema had desired ! I stand corrected about him eating pizza in Naples.In his original V V article that you referenced, he sounds as though he liked what he had in Naples ( "Sublimely bland" ) and IMO the whole piece on Roberta's is a machiavellian piece of journalism,that only contributes in a less than desirable way to the confusion over Neapolitan pizza and peoples understanding of what it really is.I must say,I have a problem with evaluating "Spirit" when it comes to pizza?.
Regarding the price structure of Neapolitan pizza in the US,I applaud UPN for having the balls to charge such exorbitant prices for his product and allowing New Yorkers the indulgence of supporting him in maintaining his limited work hours,and single handedly spearheading a change for restaurant employees. I hope he charges $50 in San Francisco.It would be refreshing to think that there are people out there more foolish with their hard earned money than gullible east coast foodies.A $10 Marinara seems obscene in Manhattan these days.How is a business supposed to survive?
seriouspizza at 1:54AM on 10/23/09
Maybe the distinction should not be Naples style vs NY style anymore since apparently Naples gets confounded on the boat ride over here. Maybe it should just be Classic vs new New York. Just lump them all together. and then classic slices would be another category. lombardis vs keste vs sal&carmines . I'm just saying.
http://www.entertonement.com/clips/fvqrydxlkp--Ima-let-you-finish-Kanye-West-Taylor-Swift-Kanye-West-Interrupts-Taylor-Swift-MTV-Olympics-2008-2009-MTV-Video-Music-Awards
I'm just sayin...
jeffsayyes at 10:55AM on 10/23/09
@Adam Kuban "way before anyone of his stature took the site seriously. I've always remembered that and have had great respect for Robert and his work."
Adam,is that why you pulled the less than favorable review of Saraghina : A First Visit to Saraghina, Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn around 8/18/09 when he published a somewhat gushing commentary on that very same day? Did you fear your diametrically opposed opinions less credible than a blogger of his stature ? Maybe that is the point I should have stopped reading or at least taking your opinions seriously ?
http://www.villagevoice.com/2009-08-18/restaurants/please-welcome-saraghina/#Comments
seriouspizza at 10:44PM on 10/26/09
@seriouspizza: I removed the review because it wasn't a fair review. It was a bad piece of "pizza journalism." If you'll recall, my pie was woefully undercooked to the point of having raw dough. I should have sent it back and asked for a properly cooked pie. And I needed to visit a couple more times to see whether that was an anomaly or how they usually roll. It basically turned into a hit piece without giving them a fair shake. So, yeah, that was a low point—a breach of trust—and if I've lost you as a reader, it's my own fault.
Oh, and about Sietsema, though I "have great respect for Robert and his work," I'm not afraid of him, and his review was the last thing I had in mind when I pulled my "review."
Adam Kuban at 11:16PM on 10/26/09
@Slicemeister You have a talent for handling criticism with class and restraint. You obviously didn't grow up in Brooklyn.
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
pauliegee at 11:25PM on 10/26/09
The most important judgement is now in and Roberta's stands at the pinnacle of pizzadom. As part of Sean Taylor's annual celebration of National Pizza Month, he has awarded them a perfect five pies. Check it out at www.31daysofpizza.com . While you are there, be sure to check out Day 3.
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
pauliegee at 6:14AM on 10/27/09
Thanks Adam .I admire your honesty.It had bugged me for a while thinking that you had the luxury of doing a hatchet job of a review and then seemingly,unapologetically pulling it after the damage was done .Hindsight is 20/20 and though I'm neither a journalist nor restaurateur I think that the ethical and courteous thing to have done would be to have left the Story Header and put up a footnote disclaimer such as the explanation you have given here.
Yours respectfully,
seriouspizza
@Paulie Gee.....I look forward to seeing how you handle such a situation,should anyone EVER give your output such negative scrutiny.....being from Brooklyn and all !
seriouspizza at 12:13PM on 10/27/09
@seriouspizza I'm going to do my best to avoid such occurrences, but I'm sure they will be impossible to dodge completely. When those times do come, I will do my best to betray my Brooklyn instincts by channeling the Slicemeister.
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
pauliegee at 12:36PM on 10/27/09