Motorino
319 Graham Ave., Brooklyn; 718-599-8899
It’s not every day that a classically trained chef decides to drop his saucepans and trade them for a pizza slab. But chef Mathieu Palombino (right), who worked with Laurent Tourondel at BLT Fish, has a Southern Italian father who encouraged pizza-eating trips to Italy. Hence, a lust for pies was born. His authentic Neapolitan pizzeria, named Motorino after the Italian scooter, offers bubbly, hand-tossed pies crafted according to strict Neapolitan tradition.
Must-have meal: Arugula salad with figs, smoked bacon and gorgonzola ($8); grilled sweet pork sausage ($6); a Pizza Margherita DOC, a classic pie topped with imported mozzarella di bufala with house-made tomato sauce and basil (above, $13).
Soundtrack: Mostly ’80s rock like Billy Squire, Foreigner and Rick Springfield, with a little Elvis mixed in.
Hours: Sun.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-11 p.m; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-midnight. Brunch: Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Vinegar Hill House
72 Hudson Ave., Brooklyn; 718-522-1018
The similarities between Vinegar Hill House and Freeman’s are easy to spot. First, there’s the food: Vinegar Hill’s owner and chef, Jean Adamson, used to run the kitchen at Freeman’s and is serving a similar brand of hearty, wintry fare cooked in a fire-breathing hearth. The décor also harkens to the back alley of Freeman’s: A snug dining room with weathered wood floors and distressed walls is decorated with a slew of salvaged pieces from an old church. (Curiously, there’s no taxidermy.) The crowds are also here in numbers, from primped-up Daily Candy girls to flannel-clad hipsters with handlebar mustaches. You’d never know you were in Brooklyn’s fledgling neighborhood on the fringe of DUMBO and the Navy Yard.
Must-have meal: Wood-fired tart of the day ($12); roasted chicken with shallots and sherry pan sauce ($15); a side of sweet potatoes with orange thyme caramel ($7); and, for dessert, the Guinness cake ($6).
Soundtrack: Lots of ’80s rock, including the Cure and Iggy Pop.
Hours: Tues.-Sat., 6-11:30 p.m.; Sunday, 5:30-10:30 p.m. Closed Mondays. Reservations for parties of six or more are taken two days in advance by e-mail only at reservations@
vinegarhillhouse.com