Emily: The Epicenter of the NYC Pizza Revolution
Hi Everyone! Today, I'm super excited to talk about Emily, an eclectic pizzeria in Brooklyn, New York City. I first heard about this restaurant from my friend Jason. He told me there exists a magical place that, to many, serves some of the best pizzas in New York and, to others, makes the best burgers in New York. I knew I had to investigate further.
This location has been open for about 3.5 years this summer. And, they're opening a new Emily branch in the West Village on June 7th, 2017. That's why I absolutely had to pause the Japan/Spain reviews for this awesome restaurant.
We came for lunch on my dad's birthday. I think it's better to go for lunch because they open at noon and this is a pretty popular place. We arrived at around 12:05PM and it was still super easy to get a table. If you go for dinner, I've heard you may have to wait a long time.
After closer inspection, I'm going to have to agree that Emily serves some of the best pizzas AND burgers in New York City. This is definitely one of my favorite restaurant visits of 2017. I'm going to take all my friends here because I care about their emotional well-being and they need this food immediately.
If you come here with friends, I highly suggest sharing a few pizzas and a burger. You won't regret it!
Address: 919 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11238
Recommended:
Camp Randal Pizza (Red Sauce, Sausage, Mushrooms, Peppers, Cheddar Curds)
Emily Pizza (Mozzarella, Pistachios, Truffle Sottocenere, Honey)
Emmy Burger (Pat LaFrieda Dry Aged Beef, Tom Cat Pretzel Bun, EMMY Sauce, Caramelized Onion, Grafton Cheddar, Cornichon, and Horseshoe Fries
Horseshoe Fries (Chorizo, Cheddar Cheese, Salsa Verde, Slow Poached Egg, Cilantro)
Nguyen's Hot Wings with Gochujang, Radish, and Ranch
Rosé (Pinot Noir, Michel Girard, 2016, Sancerre, France)
To start, we ordered a bottle of Rosé to kick off the festivities. It was a 2016 Pinot Noir from Sancerre, France. It was delightful. Our waitress, Lauren, who is apparently the sister of Emily, recommended this bottle for us.
OK. To start, we went for some wings because there is an unspoken rule that if you see wings on a menu, you HAVE to order it. Remember this rule and tell all your friends because I didn't just make that up. I heard it from a very trustworthy source. Anyway, we got Nguyen's Hot Wings (see above), which came with Gochujang, Radish, and Ranch. This, by the way, was listed as one of the Honorable Mentions on Grub Street's list of best chicken wings in New York.
Gochujang is a sweet, savory, and spicy sauce made with fermented soybeans and red chili powder. The fermentation process gives the sauce a savory taste. It's not too spicy but Emily gives you a ranch sauce if you need to cool down.
Now, let's start analyzing the pizza. We ordered two pizzas. The first one was the Camp Randal Pizza (see above), which is topped with Red Sauce, Sausage, Mushrooms, Peppers, and Cheddar Curds. It was fantastic.
These wood-fired pizzas are delicious. Wood-fired ovens help distribute heat throughout the chamber for an even bake. The wood helps enhance the flavor of the pizza and reduces cooking time, which helps make sure that the crust comes out nice and crisp.
Our second pizza was the Emily Pizza. The pizza was topped with Mozzarella, Pistachios, Truffle Sottocenere, and Honey. Absolutely poetic. I usually like my pizza with a little bit of meat on it. But, the Emily Pizza didn't need anything else. For a split second, it felt like I was tasting food again for the first time.
The pizza doesn't have any tomatoes but it has two types of cheese. In addition to Mozzarella, the Emily Pizza has Truffle Sottocenere, which is an Italian cow's milk cheese. It's mild in flavor with an alluring truffle aroma.
This is a must-order if you go to Emily.
Finally, the Emmy Burger arrived (see above). If I may say so myself, I took a beautiful photo but I don't even think this photo does this burger justice. This majestic burger is made with a Pat LaFrieda Dry Aged Beef, EMMY sauce, Caramelized Onions, Grafton Cheddar, and a Tom Cat Pretzel Bun. The patty comes from a famous meat purveyor called Pat LaFrieda. It's been around for over 50 years and supplies many other awesome burger joints like Minetta Tavern and Shake Shack.
When it arrived, the bun was a bit wet but that may have been my fault for taking so many pictures before eating it. The meat was cooked perfectly with a light shade of pink throughout the patty. It was one of the most tender patties I've ever had.
For an extra $7, you can upgrade your regular fries to Horseshoe Fries (see above), which come topped with Chorizo, Cheddar Cheese, Salsa Verde, a Slow Poached Egg, and Cilantro. Yum yum.