PIZZA in New York: Ogliastro Pizza Bar

So I’ll admit up front that not every perfect variable was in place for my critique of Ogliastro Pizza Bar. I was dining with my gluten-free wife and my seven-year old son. So the pizzas may have been ordered slightly different than I would have if I was dining alone.

We stopped by after a visit to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden and it seemed like the rest of the neighborhood had the same idea. It was bustling for an early Sunday evening with friends and families. Their outdoor garden was not yet open for the season, so there was limited space (and staff).

We got a seat rather quickly but waited a long time for our food. The table next to us even pulled out a box of Girl Scout cookies in a desperate attempt at an appetizer. My seven-year old almost had a hunger freak out, but managed to contain himself.

Finally the food came and I can’t begin to explain how disappointed I was.

Ogliastro is named for the owner’s hometown in Sicily, yet these pizzas more closely resembled what I understand to be from Naples. This didn’t feel Sicilian, which is fine, but something else was also missing here.

Let’s start with my son’s Margherita pizza. He ordered this without basil (again, he’s 7), so I know it was not fully complete. But the tomato sauce was terribly watery without a hint of acid or sweetness. I don’t know how or why it was so bland. The globs of fior di latte were the best part and while the dough had a nice char, there was a strange sweet flavor to it that put me off a bit.

The other two pies we got were made with the gluten-free cauliflower crust. This is one of the few places to get fancy pizza with a gluten-free option and the crisp cracker-like dough was not so bad. It may have been slightly overcooked (burnt spots rather than char) and a bit dry, but again, not bad for gluten free.

My issues came with the lack of flavor throughout the combination of ingredients. I started with the Funghi, which featured ingredients I can never resist on a pizza.

Mushroom pizzas are my favorite, but this one was unbelievably bland and completely forgettable. The menu claimed it featured “wild mushrooms” which made me think of earthy funky funghi, but from what I could tell, the pie only had maybe white button and cremini mushrooms. Nothing too wild about either of those.

The cheesy fior di latte made a base along with hints of chewy smoky scarmoza. The scarmoza, when discernible, was the best part. It was also sprinkled with paprika which somehow got lost among the richness. This needed some acid or greenery or olive oil or something to make the flavors pop. There was nothing and I was quite disappointed.

My wife chose the Primavera special, which sounded great on paper: spicy tomato and cream base, fior di latte, pea greens, asparagus, prosciutto, and burrata. Again, this was terribly one-note and didn’t have much going on despite the overabundance of ingredients. The ingredients were overly peppery – which is a flavor I enjoy but not with this much aggression – and didn’t leave room for much else. Again, a squeeze of lemon or something more to hint at the beauty of spring (primavera) would have been nice and would have added a sense of balance.

I know a kid’s order and a round of gluten free pies on a super-busy night is not the best way or time to judge a pizzeria. I definitely give them a pass with the crowds and timing, but even with a slightly altered order, I expect a Brooklyn pizzeria to get the flavors right. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen here.

Is Ogliastro Pizza Bar the best pizza in NY? Even if the gluten free crust or the kid’s pie were not perfect, I would have hoped for some flavors or simple balance, but unfortunately all three struck out and I have to rate them a 5 out of 10.