In the spring of 2016, Matt and Emily Hyland pulled off that exceedingly rare trick of following up a big hit restaurant, Pizza Loves Emily in Clinton Hill, with an even bigger hit restaurant, Emmy Squared in Williamsburg. In fact, the Hyland's thick, chewy, cheese-infused Detroit-style pies proved to be so popular that they've been in expansion mode ever since, opening an Emmy in the East Village, a hybrid Emily/Emmy in the West Village, and two locations in Nashville, Tennessee, which is not as random as it sounds, since one of the primary investors in the burgeoning empire is based down there.
And there are more Emmys on the way! Coming sometime this fall, a big new Emmy Squared is moving on up to a prime location in the Upper East Side. Stay tuned for more details. Even better news for any and all of you who aren't eating gluten: starting today in Williamsburg, and eventually rolling out to all their locations, Emmy Squared is offering a gluten-free option for every pie on the menu.
The Colony, with pepperoni, jalapeños and honey; the signature Emmy with banana peppers and ranch dressing; the Hula Hog with bacon and pineapple; the Hot Chicken with Nashville's famous spicy bird and Alabama white sauce... anything you want is now available with a rice-flour, gluten-free crust. There is a $4 surcharge for each pie, so the gluten-free Roni Supreme, for example, will set you back $26. It's not that the Hyland's new brown- and white-rice flour is super expensive, it's more about supporting the labor required to create a second type of crust each day, and a whole separate storage system and working space.
The Gluten Free Colony, $27. (Scott Lynch / Gothamist)
I went to a special press preview dinner of these gluten-free beasts last week and can say that, while I wouldn't order one instead of a regular pie, the next time I'm here with gluten-free companions I'd happily share a pie or two with them and still feel like I got the full Emmy Squared experience. The thing about Hyland's Detroit pies is that, while the crust is important, the ample, big-flavored toppings and the chewy baked-in cheese do a lot of the work, and all of those items remain the same in the gluten-free versions. The new rice crust also maintains a nice soft, doughy layer that balances out the crispness around the edges and on the bottom.
Unrelated to the gluten-free good news, Emmy Squared is also mixing up several new cocktails starting today, including the party-time Punch Bowl, a large-format drink made of hibiscus infused tequila, blackberry liqueur, pineapple and mint. Stick this beauty in the middle of your table and start ladling. Or try the more demure Plum Negroni, a mixture of gin, sweet white vermouth, Salers, and Averell Gin Liqueur.
Emmy Squared gluten-free pizza will be available at the Williamsburg restaurant starting today (8/21), 364 Grand Street at the corner of Marcy Avenue (emmysquared.com)
