Breaking: Bar Birba Opens in Bed-Stuy
Matt Diaz has opened a new wine bar and pizzeria with Lucali Veteran Aminu Tedla
Matt Diaz, who you may recall is the founder of the marvelous masa-focused cafe For All Things Good, and its sister Mexican wine bar in Williamsburg of the same name, has opened Bar Birba in Bed-Stuy.
Birba, which translates to “mischevious,” is a natural wine bar and pizzeria located in the space that was Nice Pizzeria, a neighborhood fixture which closed in a hurry in the fall. Diaz had long been dreaming of opening another wine bar (he worked in the wine business and made wine before opening For All Things Good), so when Nice closed up, he swooped in and grabbed the space with partners Guadalupe Candia, the tortilla chef and “resident mom, who keeps everything running” at For All Things Good, and Bob Edinger, a friend from the wine business.
The team signed the lease on September 15th, spruced up the space with the help of designer Ilaria Edera, and opened December 15th with a fire-breathing floor-to-ceiling pizza oven and a rustic menu from former Lucali, Pasquale Jones, and Speedy Romeo chef Aminu Tedla.
Aminu’s menu is playful and fun, and leans into the ethos of Slow Food model as much as possible, serving pizzas and snacks perfect for exploring relatively unknown natural wines from across Italy. The pizza is adjacent to Roman in style, with a soulful thin-ish crust that’s cooked in a rectangular pan and dished out in generous quarter-pan portions.
There are four pies on the menu every night including a Marinara without cheese, a Bianca without sauce; a very cheesy, saucy Margarita, and a Mannaggia draped with ‘nduja, creamy ricotta and mozzarella. All pies get a lustful dousing of Sicilian olive oil, which adds a beautiful glossy finish of flavor.
There are also salads, crudo, arancini, meatballs, and two very cool folded-over pizza dough sandwiches, one filled with mortadella and pistachio pesto, and another, an open-faced fried dough extravaganza with eggplant and Parmigiano. “It’s a playful and snack-oriented menu, just the right mix for a neighborhood hangout.” Agreed; it’s already a favorite.
Bar Birba is located at 340 Franklin Avenue, between Greene and Lexington Avenues, and is currently open from Thursday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to midnight.