North of Brooklyn on Rogers Road
North of Brooklyn has this standalone location that turns into a licensed “pizza garden” out front in the summer, seating about 40.
It’s one of only a couple of North of Brooklyn locations that aren’t operating within other bars like Get Well and Greater Good.
While the interior has a scant number of stools, in winter it’d still make for a nice place to cozy up with a pie and a couple beers or a glass of wine.
Local Arva flour is used for the dough, crusts here thin but definitely not Neapolitan, perhaps more New-York-leaning as the name of the place might suggest but certainly a Canadian style all their own.
San Marzano tomatoes are used for glossy red sauce, and while I love the white pies here too in my opinion it’s what makes a pizza from North of Brooklyn unmissable.
Speaking of unmissable, the Margherita ($15 for a 14-inch pie) is a great pie to try first if you’ve never been here before. Sweet red sauce is a lovely foundation for creamy mozzarella balanced out by sharper pecorino, basil and oregano providing a classic herby note, everything finished off with a luscious splashing of olive oil.
The NY Cheese ($15) is another incredible standard, topped with a blend of brick and whole fat mozzarella plus pecorino, herbs and spices for a sincere and slightly elevated take on the iconic New York slice.
This is what you picture in your mind when you think of a cheese pizza.
Kale + Bacon ($18) is a go-to that’s been on the North of Brooklyn menu a long while, a white pie topped with mozzarella, pecorino, kale and double-smoked bacon.
I tend to miss the red sauce, but if you love the combination of kale and bacon this is a great way to get it, and a ton of garlic oil takes this pie over the top.
Specials tend to stick around for about a month, this one for $18 topped with a smoky, crispy combination of bacon, onion and mild Aleppo chillis.
Mandatory accompaniments include a house-fermented hot sauce available by the 100 mL bottle for $4, and trust me, you won’t regret being able to take it home. Made with habanero and bell peppers, onion, garlic and spices, it zings but doesn’t burn painfully, tangy and a little sweet.
There are also creamy garlic, marinara and Caesar dips ($1.50).
This is the only North of Brooklyn spot to have their own taps, with options like a Muddy York Helles ($6.50) or Left Field Bang-Bang dry hopped sour ($7.50), and there’s also wine and cider.
Salads and garlic knots on the menu fill out a meal here.
Hector Vasquez