Paulie Giannone has almost as much fun naming his creative pies as he does concocting them at his eponymous Greenpoint pizzeria. Case in point: Feel Like Bacon Love, A Whiter Shade Of Kale, Ricotta Be Kidding Me and Anise And Anephew. Sure, they're a little cheesy, but what good pizza isn't? It's all part of the charm that makes eating at Paulie Gee's so enjoyable, like Paulie's table-side chats with customers and the befuddling latches in the bathrooms.
But you're there to eat, not chuckle at the menu, and while it's hard to make a bad decision from the selections, you'd do well for your palate and your pizza paunch to indulge in the pie known as Cherry Jones ($18). Tomato sauce purists, look away now; this white pie eschews the tart fruit sauce in favor of a mixture of fresh mozzarella and gorgonzola cheeses, which melt beautifully over the thin, charred crust to form a kind of dairy glue for the toppings.
As for those toppings, the pie is dotted with dried bing cherries, of course, which add the sweet-tart element needed without tomato sauce. Layers of thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma are then lasciviously draped across the top, followed by a luscious lick of orange blossom honey, balancing the intense salt from the blue cheese and pork. Each bite is at once sweet and tart and salty and funky.
Paulie Gee's is located at 60 Greenpoint Ave Between Franklin and West Streets, (347) 987-3747; pauliegee.com
