On Smith Street you gotta have a gimmick.
In November, Alan Harding, along with partners (and brothers)
Jim and Paul Mamary, opened their latest version of nostalgia-with-a-twist
restaurants – LaRosa & Son, a mom-and-pop-styled pizza joint
with better lighting at 98 Smith St.
The three, who also own Smith Street’s Patois, Union Street’s
Schnack and the LaRosa-adjoining Pacifico, around the corner
on Pacific Street, have one-upped the doughy neighborhood pies
with thin-crust versions, and added sundried tomatoes, arugula
and fresh basil to the usual pepper, anchovy and mushroom topping
roundup. Plain, pepperoni and red onion with zucchini slices
are pictured at left.
And, yes, you can buy it by the slice.
Diners can sit at the red-and-white checkered, cloth-covered
tables, under the vintage soda pop signs and old Life magazine
photos while they eat retro favorites like calzones, chicken
cacciatore and eggplant parmigiana.
There’s cheese ravioli on the menu, too, but Harding and company
have dressed it up for the locals with roasted garlic and portobello
mushrooms. One more thing they have that you won’t find in the
old neighborhood: a wine list and a well-stocked bar.
So Schnack on that!
LaRosa & Son (on Smith Street between Atlantic Avenue and
Pacific Street in Boerum Hill) accepts cash only. Entrees: $8.75-$10.50.
Lunch and dinner are served seven days a week. For more information,
call (718) 935-0545.
