FBI Pizza

The Neapolitan pizza scene in this city is borderline over saturated.  We have more chains than we can deal with, a handful of great, more rustic style pizzerias and of course, plenty of crap.  What we didn’t really have was an electric oven, NY style, non chain pizzeria that used the highest quality ingredients.  We finally have one in FBI pizza and save for a few details that fall short for me I’m psyched about it.

FBI was started by the guys over at Queen Margherita.  Margherita and it’s rivals like Libretto, Pizza e Pazzi, etc, don’t do delivery.  You can grab some take out but honestly if you don’t live 2 blocks away it’s a big waste.  Neapolitan pies are the porcelain dolls of pizza - dainty.  A big complaint from people not familiar with Neapolitan pie is that it’s “soggy” in the middle.  While I think that’s a load of crap imagine what that “soggy” center would do after sitting in a cardboard box for 20+ minutes.  I’ve always wanted a pie that followed the same ethos as a Neapolitan pie but did so in the more accessible, and easily deliverable NY style.  FBI seems to be the first to go after this market and I was very excited to hear about them opening.

Unfortunately for us downtown folk FBI is located at 2336 Lake Shore Blvd West.  I’m curious as to why they didn’t find a location closer to downtown but what can you do.  I say this because by the time the pie comes out of the oven, into a box, into a car and then to my door it’s been sitting around for at least 45 minutes.  Nothing like humid cardboard smell working it’s way into my beautiful pizza.  Again, what can you do.

Seeing as we were getting our first taste of a good NY style pie with real ingredients in the city we went with the toppings choice we went with when visiting DiFara in Brooklyn - mushrooms, sausage and fresh basil.  When I opened the box after my sprint from the front door to the dining room I just about lost my shit.  Never in my life have I smelled a delivery pie that good.  You know that smell of a beautiful Neapolitan pie fresh out of the oven?  The smell of naturally sweet tomato sauce and good ingredients with a hint of fresh basil?  Ya, that.

The toppings were fresh and delicious.  I loved the fior di latte, the San Marzano sauce was simple but delicious and the fact that basil is on the menu is super exciting to me.  There are no NY style pies in this city that put fresh basil on their pies.  Why?  I have NO idea.  A pizza is never as good as it could be with fresh basil in my opinion.  The pie is baked on a steel mesh pizza pan.  This allows for better transfer of heat to the dough while still allowing the pizza to come into direct contact with the floor of the oven.  The crumb had a bit of crunch before giving into a nice, soft chew and stayed together well.  That being said found the crumb a bit bland.  But they've barely been open a few days so there's that.

In short, really great pizza.  Not the cheapest pie in the city but you get what you pay for.  Also, I ate there within days of it opening and I’ve since read other people talk about the crust being bland.  So here’s to hoping they take constructive criticism.  Based on distance from my home and price this isn’t an every week kinda pie.  But if you’re having a nice night in with your significant other and a bottle of wine - a must have.