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[Photographs: Michael Berman]
As part of an ongoing effort to try more pizza in Brooklyn's southern reaches, today I checked out Pizza Den. I was immediately stricken by the old-fashioned countertop and the eight vinyl-topped stools that face it. Good looking place.
First I had a regular slice ($2.50). At many New York pizzerias, the sauce seems to evaporate during the bake—but not at Pizza Den. Here, it holds its ground and melds well with a thin layer of (ample) cheese. Unfortunately (and perhaps it was an off day, or maybe it was because I'd asked for my slice "very hot"), it did fall apart a bit when I tried to fold it. But, taste buds activated, I opted next for a square ($2.75).
Top row: Pizza Den's regular slice wowed me despite its falling apart; Bottom row: Pizza Den's square with fresh mozzarella and cooked sauce supplied good crunch.
The guy behind the counter (who turns out to be the owner's brother) referred to what I had next as a "regular square with fresh mozzarella cheese." This pizza (like all of the pies at Pizza Den except for the regular round pie) features a cooked sauce. Though the edge was a little soft, it held together well enough. The crust was not brittle, but did provide a good crunch. The sauce, while tomatoey for sure, also contributed a healthy dose of garlic. And the fresh mozzarella (which some pizzerias under-furnish, in my opinion) had excellent coverage.
Pizza Den
8521 18th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11214 (map)
718-837-1691
Michael Berman is a photographer and writer based in New York. He publishes multimedia food stories on his blog www.pizzacentric.com; and more frequent, sometimes mundane Twitter observations at @michaelberman.