Two Brooklyn Openings
Ziggy's in Dumbo and Nino Coniglio's latest pizza joint in Bed-Stuy
Friends!
I’ve got two fun openings to share with you this fine Monday morning — Ziggy’s Roman Cafe in DUMBO and Pizza Crew in Bed-Stuy. Before we get to it, wanted to share my latest for Eater NY — an interview with John Winterman of Francie about his recent opinion piece in Food & Wine titled “The Real Life Limits of Unreasonable Hospitality” about whether diners are asking too much of restaurants — like bringing in their emotional support boa constrictors to dine with them. Also have a fun story in Eater NY about The Rise of Kaiseki, if you have time to check it out!
And now, The Strong Buzz for your Monday morning. Grab a coffee and enjoy.
xx
andrea
Ziggy’s Roman Cafe
As I reported back in September, this Roman-inspired restaurant and bar in DUMBO comes from founders Igor Hadzismajlovic, co-founder of the globally acclaimed cocktail bar Employees Only and Helen Zhang, a former restaurant publicist with 15+ years in hospitality PR. The couple lives in DUMBO where they found themselves constantly searching for a local restaurant they could take their kids to as much as a place to catch up with friends over drinks.
As the saying goes, if you can’t find it, build it. (Is that a saying? Well, it is now.) Anyway, Ziggy’s is named for their son and checks all the boxes – a menu ideal for families, full of approachable yet high-quality Italian cuisine, and an elevated ambiance designed for any day of the week, and exceptional cocktails. Also, there’s an art gallery for kids and a soft mat play area with sensory toys for younger kids and toddlers!
The all-day menu, developed by Chef John Poiarkoff, the former Executive Chef at Marta and a USHG alum) features salads, pizzas, pastas, antipasti and secondi – a feast for every appetite and craving. There are Roman comfort classics like Cacio e Pepe and Carbonara, Artichokes alla Romana, and a smashing salad of chicories with squash, pears, hazelnuts and cider vinaigrette. There’s also a selection of crostini, salumi and cheese selections; hearty simple large plates like Salcissa with fennel agrodolce and simply grilled skirt steak.
Beloved downtown pizza maker Federico Crociani was tapped to create a menu of thin-crust Roman-style pizzas made fresh in their own pizza oven, with favorites like Stracciatella with cherry tomatoes and basil, Marinara with anchovy-speckled Romanpesto, Tartufo with speck and preserved black truffle, and more.
The cocktails are from the legendary Jason Kosmas, co-founder of Employees Only and Ford’s Gin and a Strong Buzz pal. His menu is divided into the Martinis like The Wrong Bridge – Olive Oil–Washed Vodka, Vodka-Washed Olive Oil, Dashi Brine; Fancy Cocktails like the “La Colomba,” made with Sundried Tomato & Calabrian Chili-Infused LALO Tequila, Lime, Grapefruit Soda, and The Auntie Spritz from Sauvignon Blanc, Passionfruit, Club Soda, Jalapeño, and Basil. He’s also got a cute Bellini section with a Bellini Sbagliato — Pitars Nature Prosecco, Campari, Carpano Antica, Mathilde Pȇche, and juicy Peach Purée. Finally, there’s a collection of Low ABV drinks, good if you’ve got kids in tow — featuring the Delulu — Malfy Con Limone Gin, Limoncello, Tonic, Lemon, and Olive. Beer and wine are there too.
The space, designed by architect Joni “Bato” Ademovic, includes a bar and main dining room on the first floor with dramatic 25 foot ceilings fitted with a custom billboard-style whiteboard with pierced lighting, forming an optical illusion that playfully spells out the word “Roman” when viewed from a specific angle. The installation is complemented by a moon-like lighting fixture by Dutch designer Bertjan Pot.
Here’s something super cool if you’ve got a kid who loves to draw. The space is filled with inside jokes from the team carved into the walls, as well as a makeshift gallery featuring kids’ artwork curated by Helen who received online submissions from enthusiastic parents in the neighborhood. Children can submit their own artwork for display, with the pieces put on sale and proceeds going to any charity of their choice.
For parents with toddlers and younger kids, the mezzanine is of note – the floor is home to a discreet soft play mat and sensory toys for kids. There’s also a semi-private dining room hung with a playful abstract portrait by Brooklyn-born artist David “MrStarCity” White, titled Sitting in this garden from his series LOVERBOY: Moonlit Roses And Heartache.
“We want to welcome people, especially residents and neighbors, as they are, with or without kids and without pretense. The menu philosophy stems from wanting to give parents, neighbors, and everyone in between a place where they can come in at any time of the day but still enjoy a well-made cocktail and food in a friendly and intimate space,” said Igor.
Ziggy’s Roman Cafe is located at 15 Main Street in DUMBO, Brooklyn, and will be open Wednesday through Sunday, 5pm - 10pm, with additional operating hours and offerings to roll out over the next few months, with walk-in service only. For more information, follow @ZiggysRomanCafe or visit ZiggysRomanCafe.com
Pizza Crew
The quality and quantity of fantastic pizza in Brooklyn is staggering these days with pie shops like Third Time’s The Charm, Lucky Charlie, F&F, L’Industrie, Chrissy’s, Lucali, Ops, and Nate’s, among others. Now comes Pizza Crew, the latest pie shop from award-winning pizzaiolo Nino Coniglio, the culinary force behind Williamsburg Pizza, will open Nov 19th in Bed-Stuy at 234 Malcolm X Blvd. The restaurant is the eighth in a chain of Williamsburg Pizzerias from Nino and partners Aaron McCann and John Kutinsky; but obviously that name doesn’t work as well in Bed-Stuy, hence Pizza Crew.
The pie shop dates back to 2008, when John was working in finance and everything was crashing. With his wife Leah and his partner Aaron, they teamed up with Nino to open the first store in Williamsburg, since there was no good pizza nearby. The rest, as they say, is history.
The old-school New York slice shop has a nostalgic vibe with checkerboard floors, and vintage signage, the sort of place that feels like it’s been around for half a century. The menu leans into Nino’s signature long-fermented dough in slices and fresh hot pies bordered by puffy crusts that give an satisfying audible crunch when cracked into by a round pie slicer.
Nino does both Grandma Squares and classic Neopolitan rounds (gluten-free too) in all manner of combinations from the Brooklyn topped with mozz and tomato sauce to the Bianco with mozz, Grana Padano, ricotta and parsley, and make your own with a list of toppings that includes all the things – from garlic, spinach and mushrooms to meatballs, anchovies, cup & char pepperoni and soppressata, and more. There are a few other dishes as well – meatballs, a meatball hero, garlic knots, pepperoni knots, and party-sized salads (Caesar, Kale, Apple Gorgonzola) for 6-8 people.
“Bringing my pizza to Bed-Stuy feels like bringing our craft to one of the cultural heartbeats of New York,” said Nino. “This neighborhood has shaped legends. We’re just honored to feed the next generation of them.”
Pizza Crew opens November 19th, follow here @pizzacrew | @williamsburgpizza
Can't wait to check these out! Especially Pizza Crew which looks like such a great addition to the neighborhood!
Immediately forwarded the Eater piece to our food server daughter. She is livid about the boa constrictor.