At first you might wonder how this classifies as one of my favorite things on a food blog. It won’t take you long to see why.
In 1989 I moved back to Brooklyn for a few years and shared an apartment with my sister. I’d have to say they were really fun years, probably some of the best in my life. We lived on Court Street in what is known as the Cobble Hill/Carrol Garden’s area. Back then, the neighborhood was rich in Italian culture and walking home from the train at night from the hustle and bustle of the city was like really coming home. You could pass by the fish store and the owner would wave to you from the window, Jim or Andy from the fruit market ran out to tell you what came in fresh that day, and the smell of bread from the many bakeries permeated the air in the street.
Saturday was laundry day and my sister and I would walk a few blocks to the laundromat put our clothes in a machine and walk across the street to Sal’s Pizzeria for a couple slices of pizza while we waited for the clothes to wash. In my mind, this is some of the best pizza there is. My sister and I love pizza, always have but it has to be really good pizza. Back then no one worried about eating too many carbs, or food allergies, or about eating dairy – you just ate and enjoyed. In addition to their pizza, the pasta is so fresh and light – don’t even get me started on how delicious the eggplant parmesan is!
In April, we were in NY and had what we called a “Brooklyn day” with my sister and her kids. We try to do that whenever we can. Each time we do, having a slice at Sal’s is a must. Sal’s son John is the owner now. Both of his parent’s have since passed away. The restaurant was opened in 1957 and his father bought it in 1970 when John was just 10 years old. He told us how cool he and his siblings thought it was that they owned a pizza place. They would go there after school, eat there, do their homework there, then he and his brother and sister helped serve dinner. He still lives around the corner. This guy is the salt of the earth and whenever we go back to Brooklyn and eat at his restaurant (which is every couple of years) he always remembers us and that is something special; especially since we haven’t lived there in over 20 years.
Going there really is like coming home. The pizza is just as delicious now as it always was. While the area around his restaurant has changed, the high quality and integrity of their food remains the same. On this visit we sat in the extension of his restaurant, Mama Maria’s named after his mother. We ordered a delicious black kale salad with pine nuts, and wish I had the recipe for the dressing – one of the best salads I have ever had! Of course we had to have pizza so we ordered a plain cheese pie. In addition to that we had the bruschetta pizza filled with sweet teardrop tomatoes and garlic. My son ordered fettuccine Alfredo that was so light and fresh with just the right amount of everything. Finally we had to have a cannoli but sadly found out that it’s no longer on the menu. It was his mother’s secret recipe. Instead he offered us tiramisu – who could say no to that? It was light, creamy, and had just the perfect hint of cocoa, espresso and cinnamon.
Now we are into the next generation of our family. As you can see, they love it as much as we do and always look forward to going back. With the changing landscape of Brooklyn, Sal’s Pizzeria is a refreshing historic gem. I only hope the gentrification of this area can appreciate what they have and support him. I know I’m doing my part all the way from Ohio! Sal’s Pizzeria/Mama Maria’s 307 Court Street, Brooklyn, New York. 718-852-6890
