Barboncino's Dome

There is a pizzeria/bar/restaurant in Brooklyn worth checking out.  It's called Barboncino and I think it means "poodle".  I suppose the place is named after a fancy dog because it's sophisticated and a cut above the rest - just like the breed.

And rightly so.   I walked in and the first thing I saw was this beautiful brick oven.  It made me think of Brunelleschi's dome.  Max, the amiable host, explained how each brick was laid in by hand and brought to the States from Italy by boat. 

This sort of attention, detail, and raise-the-bar attitude is just the thing I love.  And it was reflected in the staff.  In my opinion, they were hand-picked.   I chatted with the sous-chefs and they were wonderful.  They were all so nice, unaffected, and efficient, I was certain my food was in good hands.

Sous-chefs Matt and Mike

Confidence was not misplaced.  The Bibb lettuce salad was amazing.  This is a must.  It had just the right amount of sharpness from the Gorgonzola crumbles, just the right amount of woodsiness from the walnut bits, and just the right amount of sweetness from something I couldn't quite figure out.  It wasn't agave, it wasn't corn syrup, so I had to ask.  It was an infusion of dried cherries!  Simply exquisite.

The pizza came and I credit the exceptionally light, airy blistered crust to the domed hearth.  It had to be something about the oven's roof.  (I can only imagine as my study of architecture is limited to Ayn Rand).   

And Max raised high its roof beam when he rimmed a very cold glass of Allagash with lemon.  I had never had Allagash with a twist of lemon and it made the pizza taste all the better.  Again, the attention to detail made all the difference.

The only other thing that took the pie to the moon was the olive oil.  Instead of dispensing the usual shaker of dried pepper flakes,  Barboncino soaks them in olive oil (another infusion) with which you drizzle over the pizza.  Or in my case, douse.  The olive oil was that good.  Frantoia - from Sicily.  In fact, many of the core ingredients come from Italy.

There's a time and place for local, but there's something to be said for bringing the tomato sauce, the olive oil, the flour, the meat, and a gorgeous brick oven from the Old World.  And that is what Barboncino does. 

So go pay homage to its fiery pagoda.  Not quite the Duomo, but it's still impressive and the pizza's divine. ~e

Barboncino, 781 Franklin Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11238.

Ph: 718.483.8834