Co Pane: No Knead Pizza!? (Insert Stereotypical Italian Exclaimed Remark)

NOW GOTZ THE TWITTER: http://twitter.com/#!/omnomzhero

Om Nomz Hero Note to Self: Eating copious amounts of spinach I did not feel a boost of strength but my teeth did feel squeaky, is that good?

Located in Chelsea in an area that has a high concentration of tapas bar is Co Pane, an artisan pizza outpost. Owned by bread whisperer Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street bakery, Co is a must go for any pizza enthusiast or anybody that does not have celiac disease (if you do have celiac disease, my condolences if you are doing it because it is cool, then you can go screw yourself). I came here in the early afternoon on a Saturday and the place had only a few customers, the first thing I noticed, besides the spacious, abundance of wood paneling and Nordic furniture catalog style décor was that the pizza oven was nowhere to be seen. Food after the jump!

The Meatballs and amazing bread

Co not only has pizzas, but they have a few starters ranging from soups, salads, crostinis and meatballs, which I decided to have a go at. The meatballs are made with veal so ethical animal eaters can skip this one, but people wanting to eat tasty food should not. The veal flavors was present and was not lost at all in the perfectly dense meatballs. The tomato sauce was thin, slightly sweet and broth-like paired well with the meatballs and complimented the intense veal flavors of the meatballs to shine. The hunk of bread served with it, after much questioning was his Pugliese loaf, prefect aeration and slight acidity, was nothing short of excellent and I found myself eating all of it and sopping up the tomato sauce with it. I went with the most popular pie, the Popeye which is a meatless pie, comprised of pecorino, gruyere and mozzarella and of course, spinach that may or may not have been acquired by a sailor.

The Popeye

Fresh spinach is generously piled onto the pie, creating a beautifully deep green iron-enriched blanket. The spinach, is just cooked till tender and had bits of slightly charred leaves, giving a smokiness to the spinach. The combination of the pecorino, gruyere and milky mozzarella made this a perfectly composed pie. The incorporation of the pecorino adds just the right amount of saltiness to the pie and accented the spinach topping. The Pie is a mix between a Roma style pies that has some Neapolitan attributes. The pie is thin and has more crisp than the doughy chewiness that is expected of a Neapolitan. The pie still had a bit of chew to it but nothing comparable to the chewiness of a Neapolitan pie yet had the leopard spotted char gave the classic smoky element taste to the pie.

Upskirt

I rarely comment on the service but the service at Co needs to be address and unfortunately as much praise I had for the food, I cannot say the same for the service. Service at Co can be summed up in one word: “Frantic”. The dining room was less than 50% full the whole time I was there and the servers, which there were only 2 with a third sauntering in a little before the end of my meal, were running around, like literally running backing and forth. One of the servers I do not think had command of the English language yet for when I asked him where the butter came from multiple times ( I was testing his knowledge, I really wanted to know because it was damn good), he just kept nodding and mechanically answering, “yes, butter”. When my pie came out, he told me it was the carbonara which it clearly was not. I later witnessed the table next to me, get a carbonara pie and when questioned if the pie was the Popeye (clearly not what the man ordered) the server just said, “Yes, Popeye”. When it came time for the check, I paid in cash, hoping it would be a quick thing, but ended up waiting for a good 15 minutes (I happened to look at my watch) to get my check and bring back change. I could have watched half an episode of Scrubs in that amount of time it took to bring back 10.50. I hope the service was just completely off that day because the food at Co is exceptional and I would like to make a return trip back and not have to deal with shoddy service.

Pizza Oven at Co. Yeah dude, I know I am a dick.

Unlike most pizza places that I have visited that the pizza oven is prominently displayed, the one at Co is tucked away in the kitchen. I found this interesting because pizza making, there is a bit of showmanship involved of having the pizzaolo out front creating edible art in front of your eyes. Here at Co, along with the minimalist-like décor there is a bit of a “no shit” vibe that it does not need to show you that yes, the pies are being freshly made and cooked in an insanely hot oven, just eat our pies and you will know and the food speaks for itself, at least this is the random theory or idea that I have come up with but in the end, who cares? Skip the surrounding tapas joints and grab a pie at Co. 

Co Pane
230 9th Ave 

New York, NY 10001

http://www.co-pane.com/ 

Franny's- Doing Artisan Pizza before it was like, cool

Om Nomz Hero Note to Self:  Ain’t never too hot to eat pizza

Back on 2004 when I did not know any better about food and Domino’s 5-5-5 deal was pizza awesomeness to me, Franny’s opened up in Flatbush. This was when Flatbush still was a shadier neighborhood and anybody dressed like a hipster would mostly likely not make it out of that neighborhood unscathed. Not only did the opening of Franny’s mark the start of this revitalization of Brooklyn, but it also was the vanguards of artisan pizza making. Before Neapolitan and wood fired pizzas were a standard in New York, there was Franny’s pumping out pizzas out of their wood fire oven. Years later with new places sprouting in every Borough, Franny’s is going strong and I was due for a visit here. 

Pork Cheek and Beef Tongue Terrine

I came here early in the afternoon before the families and hung over hipsters rush and Franny’s was still quite empty. Franny’s also has a garden outback but given the rising temperatures outside the day that I went, I decided I would rather chill in the comfortably spacious and air conditioned dining room. I started out with the pork cheek and beef tongue terrine, which for an offal lover like me I was instantly drawn too and knew I had to order. The terrine was served warm with slices of fresh, toasted pieces of rustic bread. The meat in the terrine was moist and tender with quivering globs of fat that was a natural spread on the bread. This was a great starter regardless if you are a fan of charcuterie or offal bits. Also the addition of fennel pollen on anything just kicks up the dish from a 10 to an 11. Anybody that likes meat in some aspect would like this terrine and the only signs that there were offal cuts in the terrine are the bits of cartilage (which by the way, I am unsure where it came from, but tasted good regardless). 

Clams, chilis parsley pie

The point of my coming here was to try a pie and although I should have gotten the Margherita in order to do the whole fair judgment and “control” I said to forget that and just get the clam pie. The clam pie here is a must get and is a clear stand out from most clam pies in the city or even the tri-state mainly because they are actually using fresh clams on their pies. Even some of my favorite pizza places use canned clams which can be tasty, but nothing can beat the taste of fresh clams on a pie. Although the clams were sparingly put on the pie, the clams were plump, juicy and tender reigning quality over quantity. The pie had a brush of cream that paired nicely added to the richness of the pie. The controlled use of chili flakes was great, with just enough heat to tickle the back of your throat with each bite.  

Pizza Up Skirt- light char

 One thing to note is that they are not making straight up Neapolitan pies. The best way to classify the pies at Franny’s is that they are artisan wood fire pies. The pies are lightly charred and have more a chew to them than compared to a Neapolitan pie. The pie i notice has considerably greater rise and can been seen with the numerous pizza bubbles dotting the pie. However, they dough has a depth to it that is reminiscent of a Neapolitan pie and tasty enough that pizza “bones” are rarely left behind on the plate. The same goes for the rest of the food, which they put an emphasis on local foods. Franny’s is a must go food destination in Brooklyn that will not disappoint.

Franny’s

295 Flatbush Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11217

http://www.frannysbrooklyn.com/