I made this video back when Roberta’s first opened.
They just had a great article in the times that explains what they’re all about. I’ll let them tell the story.
The place has a D.I.Y. feel, like a Bushwick loft. The ceilings are high, with beams exposed, and the floor is poured concrete. The din
ing room can seat about 50 people, and there will be room for 20 more when winter ends and its backyard deck can be opened.
Tables are big, made from repurposed old wood, and flea market chairs sit nearby. Cord upon cord of wood is stacked just beyond the door; the pizza-making station, with its marble slab and handsome red pizza oven, is out in the open, the visual focal point of the room.
The 12-inch pizzas ($7 to $15) are the focal point of the short menu. Roberta’s offers a margherita and a tomato-only rosso, but the restaurant is not a destination for anyone looking to stoke memories of Napoli: the heretically creative pies are the thing to get. (Neapolitan purists may now want to avert their eyes.)
I get a pretty good idea of how they’re doing, seeing that I walk by the shop at least twice a day on the way to the train. They’re definitely doing things right, an intelligent, good looking clientele can be seen outside of the door smoking cigarettes and talking. Occasionally I see an axe wielding employee outside on the sidewalk cutting wood. They make a great neighbor – the streets are busier, it feels safer to walk home. The food is very well done, though i admittedly haven’t ordered it that many times. I gauge this opinion mostly on the consistently great reviews I hear from friends and neighbors.
It make a difference when a store or restaurant understands the neighborhood. Nothing seems contrived, it clearly took an immense amount of work. Living in a less developed part of new york city as Bushwick/E. Williamsburg is, has its advantages and its short comings. On one hand, you don’t have to deal with a lot of the terrible over developed/over planned shops, restaurants and residences, and more importantly the people that accompany them. Have a look at the “Edge” in Williamsburg, which is sure to attract annoying stores and annoying people. On the other, there really isn’t much out here. A pretty good deli a pizza shop and a couple of bars. After seeing how Roberta’s is doing, I’m sure this summer will surely have a few people checking out property.
June 15, 2008
Roberta's Pizza Bushwick.
Eding Post
This is something that caught my eye on a trip last year to Tokyo. Nothing complex, just t-shirts and bags in the shape of fast food
- First, I thought it was a regular hamburger, but wehn I looked thoroughly, I realized that I was wrong.
- A piece of T-shirt has appeared from what was thought to be a hamburger.
- When something that we consider ordinary changes into a peculiar subject, our mundane life might look extraordinary.
Maybe a t-shirt that is shaped like a hamburger won't make your life look extraordinary, but it's a nice outside look at fast-food culture.
Yam Cart
I like to think this is an example of doing everything right. I took this in a fairly residential neighborhood outside of Tokyo at around 6 PM. People were getting off of work and on their way home to likely prepare a meal or pick something up for their families. Along comes this gentleman driving a truck with a wood fired oven in the back.
Tsukiji Market
One of the most impressive markets I've ever seen. Tsukiji gets rolling every morning around 6 AM. This is where virtually all of the fish that is served in Tokyo comes. The sites and sounds are incredible, auctioning of fish, motorized carts buzzing around carrying shipments from the vendors to shipping.
Egg Soldiers
I like to think this is an example of doing everything right. I took this in a fairly residential neighborhood outside of Tokyo at
World Dinner Maps
I like to think this is an example of doing everything right. I took this in a fairly residential neighborhood outside of Tokyo at
