Saraghina Pizzeria — Restaurant in New York

i'm getting worked up just thinking about what i'll write here -- because unfortunately my personal experience here really doesn't match up with the quality of their food. but that's the thing with restaurants anywhere, the service also really, really matters. it especially matters when you're 7 months pregnant. even more so when it's literally 5pm on a Tuesday and maybe 2 of the 10 outside tables have people seated at them, and then the host tells you they only seat complete parties. and then even after basically showing the host on 'findmy' that your partner is half of a block away (so maybe 90-120 seconds, walking), they make you stand and wait... it really colors your view of a place.

yes, i do need that to be the first story i tell about saraghina. (cause if you have any idea how hard it is to be pregnant, it's also especially hard to not be pissed when someone tells you you can't sit down at one of the many open tables when you're also about to order food and beverages, immediately.)

I must also add though, that this experience occurred a few years ago and while I did have an unsatisfying exchange with a staff member via yelp after writing about the event, I do still have positive hopes for their reflection and improvement. the bottom line is—give a pregnant person a seat, right away.

the second story however, is that their decor and internal atmosphere really is quite comfortable, hip, and "brooklyn." it's quirky, multi-layered, and maze-like to navigate. and, more importantly than the atmosphere, but honestly way less important than not being offered a seat when you're 7 months pregnant, the food is good. and good like -- no i wouldn't venture out of my neighborhood to go here if i didn't live 3 blocks away, but good like i'd be perfectly happy here with (or without) my partner and kids for a dinner out of the house.

what i like more, and usually go to once a week, is the bakery. why does it feel so difficult sometimes to get a really good baguette in brooklyn? i don't know. but - i feel lucky to have the saraghina bakery a...

This is on my dinner favourites list forever now omg I will be coming back FREQUENTLY. Went for the first time last night and everything was ON POINT. It was packed for a Friday night and somehow I got seated for my party of 2 within minutes of being there. Interior is cute and cozy. We were seated in the backyard space and it was just so nice, weather, ambiance, not so loud, music was actually really nice also. Cute date spot or to catch up with friends. Vibe was a 10/10 for me. We ordered A LOT so here we go:

Drinks: espresso martini - very good and it was strong but not overbearing. Negroni sbagliato with Prosecco - finally tried it, too many bubbles for me but she’s good. Margarita Italiano - that’s a cute drink fr, little too sweet for me but still delicious!! Negroni Classico - my fav, hit the spot.

Food: mushroom risotto - star of the night ???? Omg I would get this as an entree why is this in the sides?? It’s earthy, creamy, has very subtle chunks of mushroom in there. The taste is exquisite. I will ALWAYS order this Brussel sprouts - these are really some of the best brussel sprouts I’ve had, I will say after a while it’s quite sweet but overall I would have to play by ear if this is something I wanna order again or skip Fresh baked focaccia and whipped ricotta - so light and fluffy. I love the bits of olive and there’s also a hint of sweetness in there, lemon is a lovely touch Cacio E Pepe - safe dish to order, flavorful and filling, one thing I just wish it was creamier Winter ortolana - it’s unique definitely, squash weighs the slice down a bit which is kind of annoying but the taste is quite nice. I feel like a balsamic glaze would take this further. Also that crust is SO DAMN GOOD misticanza insalata - I feel like it’s missing a protein or an additional vegetable but overall flavourful, I don’t feel the need to order again tho

I LOVE this place. 10000% coming back I’m so ready...

The atmosphere is everything here. Great lighting and the table set up is awesome. Doesn’t feel too cramped and it feels like you get your own little spot on the floor. I haven’t tried the bar yet and not sure I will since it’s mostly a standing affair and is usually packed, but in a way that’s a good thing here - by not taking reservations this spot always feels like a proper neighborhood joint. Great vibes all around.

The pizza was awesome. We had the prosciutto funghi and the spicy artichoke pizza. My date got it with a GF crust and it was actually pretty good. The regular crust is great too, it has a slight sourdough tang to it that I loved. The mozzarella is top of its class and I loved that they used a thick cut of prosciutto. Mushrooms were fantastic as well.

It did take a little bit to get one of our pizza’s remade. It’s a neopolitan style spot so I expect they use a firebrick oven situation with limited space so make sure you specify your order correctly! We made the mistake of forgetting to mention the GF crust initially since we modified the coppa pie to be vegetarian, so that was definitely our bad.

We also had desert which I definitely recommend if you have the space. I got their cheesecake which was phenomenal! It felt very authentic and house made and if it wasn’t made in house then they’re definitely sourcing it from a great bakery because that may have been the best cheesecake I’ve ever had. My date had the affogato and that was stellar too. Hard to mess that up, but the espresso was great and the gelato was top notch.

Overall a great dining experience and I’ll def be coming back. Either with friends or even on my own. I want to try more of...