« l&b spumoni - 2 omens & i'm there »
First, a friend posted on FB a photo of a triple scoop spumoni from a meal we had there a few years ago. Then, walking down my block (which is nowhere near the place) I caught view of one of their discarded pizza boxes. Ah such is life: meaningless signs easily propel me down to Gravesend.
People from Brooklyn, I mean really from Brooklyn, deep in Brooklyn, they all know this place. Even those who have since moved to Jersey, they still come back. The explanation is simple: L&B's pizza is certifiably addictive. As co-owner Louis "Lou Lou" Barbati puts it (click player below to hear short audio clip): "It’s the sauce and the dough and the height and the light."
Apologies to my friend C. who does not dabble in pizza taller than 1/2" (L&B's stands about 3/4" high), but this is no ordinary Sicilian. What features! The sweet 'n' juicy sauce on top, the doughy softness of its cake-like base, the bottom's crunch, and the slight tug of cheese from the middle - for a thick crust specimen, this pizza truly stands separate from the pack.
Besides the pizza, there are two other alluring reasons to head over to L&B - perhaps even enticing enough to satisfy my friend C. Firstly, the ambiance of L&B is a throwback to another era. Like Crisfields, (previous pizzacentric entry), L&B is yet another place where I hope they never change a thing. The 50's fairground atmosphere-meets-Brooklyn-accents-and-attitudes - you couldn't make this stuff up if you tried! And the spumoni - a chocolate, vanilla, and pistachio Italian ice masterpiece - is such a treat, you'll want to bring some home!
(According to Lou Lou, actor Harvey Keitel (after filming a movie scene at L&B) asked (with great seriousness) how to properly restore spumoni to its original creamy consistency at home. Answer: take it out of the freezer and store it in the fridge for about 30 minutes prior to eating.)
Map L&B Spumoni Gardens (call ahead for days/hours).
Brooklyn, NY | Topics: Multimedia, People, Pizza, Places
Reader Comments (2)
skeptical but intrigued. And definitely would go for the spumoni!
L&B has over 37,000 fans on FB.