Though us New Yorkers take a lot of pride in our pizza, the city is definitely seeing more and more places popping up and serving pies we may not necessarily be familiar with–take Appas Pizza, for example, the East Village’s new Korean pizza parlor.
And considering NYC is officially the #1 best U.S. city for pizza addicts, we’re always open to try something new–right? And Lala’s Brooklyn Apizza is the newest place to give us that opportunity.
The owners behind this new rooftop restaurant and bar are combining outside influence with personal tradition, serving pies that that pull inspiration from New Haven-style apizzas, some of their favorite Brooklyn pies, and the pizzas they make at home with their kids.
Apizza is a thin-crust pizza that is traditionally baked in a coal-fired brick oven that gives the crust a sooty, smoky flavor. Visitors will find these thin sourdough pies on the menu topped with seasonal produce and cooked in a pizza oven sourced from Italy.
Specialty summer pizzas include Hot Pepperoni with tomato sauce, pepperoni, serrano chilis, and honey, Clam with local little neck clams, aged mozzarella, garlic, Physica Riesling butter sauce, and fresh parsley, Squashed with summer squash medallions, squash blossoms, egg yolk drizzle, ricotta, and cracked black pepper, and Cozy with mashed potatoes, bacon, and fermented tomatoes.
And though the specialty pies will change with the seasons, Lala’s offers two year-round pies–Red with tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, pecorino, olive oil, and White made with fresh mozzarella, garlic, oregano, pecorino, olive oil, both of which can be customized with toppings.
Non-pizza menu items include house lacto-fermented pickled vegetables, salad, and a selection of desserts.
Lala’s Brooklyn Apizza is the brainchild of Lauren and Joe Grimm, the husband and wife duo behind the award-winning brewery Grimm Artisanal Ales and sister natural winery Physica Wines.
Their pizza-making process uses the same spontaneous fermentation that gives Grimm beers and Physica wines their unique flavor profiles.
Guests who visit the 4,000-square-foot open air space will be met with floor-to-ceiling accordion doors (to create an indoor-outdoor seating during the warmer months), biergarten-style long tables and benches, and a terracotta bar.
Their rooftop terrace offers stunning sweeping views of Brooklyn and Queens, making for the perfect place to enjoy a pie along with a drink from their beverage menu which includes a full list of Grimm beers, natural wine from Physica Wines, and a small cocktail menu featuring housemade batched classics.
Lala’s Brooklyn Apizza is located in East Williamsburg on the roof of Grimm Artisanal Ales at 990 Metropolitan Avenue. They’re open Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. – 10 p.m., and Sunday 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.
You can learn more on their website.