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No. 7 And Pulino's Alums Bring Crazy-Topped Pizza To Crown Heights With Pete Zaaz
By
James Thilman
Published Jan 17, 2012
Modified Jan 17, 2012
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By
James Thilman
Published Jan 17, 2012
Modified Jan 17, 2012
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Just a few blocks from the Brooklyn Museum of Art, an ambitious new pizza parlor, Pete Zaaz, breathes new life into an old world classic with its toppings-driven creations. Co-owners/Chefs Peter Entner, formerly of No. 7 under Chef Tyler Kord, and Glen Hudson, formerly of Pulino's, combine a simple crust with some not-so-simple toppings for a truly inspired outcome.
On Monday night, the special—which, according to Hudson, is destined to be added to the regular menu—was Chili con Carne pizza, an inventive pie with ancho chili paste, cream cheese burrata all topped with pickled corn, green onion, and a dollop of sour cream. Sound delightfully overwhelming? It is! Throw on a little of the housemade gremolata (dehydrated thai basil, pickeled jalapeños, parmigiano-reggiano and... blended Cheez-Its) and you've got yourself a taste sensation you won't soon forget. Their most popular pizza thus far is the baked purple potato pizza with crème fraîche, white cheddar, bacon, and green onion. Zaaz offers vegetarian friendly options as well; General Tso's Tofu pizza draws inspiration from the No. 7 sub by the same name. A 14 inch pizza ranges from $13-15. In the "Not Pizza" section of the menu you'll find reuben stromboli, kimchi rolls, and broccoli knots.
Bruce Davidson prints and vintage boardgames adorn the walls of the cleverly designed albeit exceedingly narrow space. For the moment Zaaz seems best suited for take-out rather than dining in, but come spring the owners promise the back patio will fill with hungry pizza lovers. Upon arrival of a beer/wine license, "We're going to set up a bar in the hood of an old car out there and play movies on a projector. When we opened this place we wanted it to be somewhere fun to hang out, not just your average pizza parlor," said French Culinary Institute-trained chef Peter Entner. A large area at the back of the outdoor space—shared with neighboring coffee house the Glass Shop—is reserved for a garden where they plan to cultivate tomatoes, mushrooms, and jalapeños.
A few vestiges of the space's former life as the bakery for No. 7 remain, including the commercial double oven originally intended to pump out baguettes and brioches. With the help of custom made pizza stones almost two inches thick, "we get it up to about 600 degrees," said co-owner and self-proclaimed "dough man" Glen Hudson, "That's as hot as it needs to get. I'm not going to name name's here, but there's a certain place in Brooklyn that just burns pies all day long. I don't understand why some guys think hotter is better. 900, 1000 degrees? Come on! I think its more of a machismo thing. With an oven this size we can cook mad pizza." And they'd better. Online ordering has been non-stop since they opened four weeks ago. "It comes out and arrives at your door nice and toasty," added Entner.
Now that pizza is a vegetable, feel free to carry out (in biodegradable pizza boxes, no less) or dine in guilt free at Pete Zaaz, open noon til 11pm, closed on Tuesdays. Says Entner, "Bring the family, bring a date, or come hang out with us!"
Pete Zaaz // 766 Classon Ave, Brooklyn // 718.230.ZAAZ (9229)
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no 7
Pete Zaaz
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pulino's
James Thilman
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