Still Got It: Saraghina

mcmillianfurlow's flickr

In this city, restaurants come and go faster than you can say "sustainable locavore burger." And even though there are great new additions to the culinary landscape popping up every week, you've gotta give kudos to anyone who can stick it out for over a year. With that in mind, we bring you Still Got It, our tribute to establishments that continue to serve mouthwatering meals and drinks long after the buzz has faded—or if the lingering hype is still justified.

There is certainly no shortage of pizza places in the five boroughs, from the greasy to the thin-crusted to deep-dish (if that's even really pizza). Pizza is so important here, it's spawned it's own mini industry of connoisseurs, several websites dedicated to rating the almighty slice. But whenever we find a place where everything in addition to the pizza is also exceptional, from the atmosphere to the service to the seating, we know we have a keeper. And Bed-Stuy's Saraghina is just such a place that makes us want to linger.

Saraghina is a model of minimalism and simplicity done right: their menu is only one page, buoyed by a rotating lineup of seasonal specials every night. They only accept cash, don't take reservations, and don't do delivery. But they're a restaurant that actively wants you to come, sit, and stay for awhile, and has the room for larger parties. When you walk into the front dining room, you're greeted by a wood-burning oven and several busy but friendly servers; when you walk to the back room, it has an even nicer, somewhat-romantic ambiance, with a decor that is a mix between farmhouse and European. The pizza is fresh, ungreasy and delicious, there are several vegetarian options, and the grilled octopus salad is highly recommended. And perhaps best of all, they have a garden sitting area. It's a gem worth braving a trip to Bed-Stuy for.

435 Halsey Street, Brooklyn; (718) 574-0010

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By Ben Yakas in Food on May 1, 2011 6:30 PM

Comments [rss]

Howard Cho

I just ate there on Saturday for breakfast and lunch (was on a video shoot up the block). The pizza was really good, but I did have a relatively strange experience. When I got back to the shoot with the pizza, I realized they forgot to cut it. I brought it back asking that they cut it, and they took it into the back and seemingly only cut the cheese on it. The crust/dough wasn't cut at all, and I ended up ripping the pizza into pieces to eat it. That was an annoyance, but the pizza was still really good.

Even with this weirdness, I would go back again. The waitress was really nice, even after she realized that the pizza hadn't been cut. On top of this, the pizza was pretty tasty.