BY CAROLYN ONOFREY
L & B Spumoni Garden
2725 86th Street
Gravesend, Brooklyn
718-372-8400/spumonigardens.com
I went to Spumoni Garden for what everyone in their right mind goes there for, the Sicilian pizza and the spumoni. I had heard about Spumoni Garden from many reliable sources, all with the same verdict: delicious. Despite the one hour subway ride on the N train to the 86th Street stop, I was excited to try out what my boyfriend and best friend grew up on and what super foodie (and fellow New Yorker) Adam Richmond from Man vs. Food raved about.
L& B Spumoni Garden's Sicilian Pie.
The first pleasant day of the year spelled lines upon lines at the outdoor seating window at Spumoni Garden, where you order your food and then take it to your seat at one of the red picnic tables, fast food style. The outdoor tables were probably the more authentic way of enjoying a Spumoni Garden Sicilian pie, but we opted for a seat in the dining room where we were greeted by a basket of fresh Italian bread complete with cheese and pancetta baked right in.
While waiting for our pizza, I couldn’t help but to notice the strong sense of family and tradition all around me. It was clear that generations of Italian families had been gathering here for classic, homestyle Italian American favorites such as Chicken Parmesan, Veal Marsala, and an array of pasta dishes for years on occasions much like the birthday party next to us and for Sunday afternoon dinners.
Our small 12 slice Sicilian pie at $19.00 was delivered to the four of us, piping hot and screaming to be eaten. The first bite into the airy dough was even better than I had expected. The tangy, garlicy crushed tomato sauce paired with the salty parmesan cheese and the slightly charred crust worked in perfect harmony with the airy dough, the thin layer of crunch on the bottom and edges, and the mozzarella cheese which clung to the roof of my mouth, only making it water more.
Could this be the best Sicilian slice of pizza I have ever had the pleasure of eating? I would venture to say, yes!
With pizza left over to boot, we all ordered the second thing we came for, the famous homemade spumoni ($4.95). The tri-colored, green, brown, and white spumoni came served in an old fashioned glass ice cream dish in flavors pistachio, chocolate, and vanilla with a hint of the almond flavor you find in classic Italian cookies. The spumoni was lighter than ice cream, but creamier and packed with flavor.
Leaving L & B Spumoni Garden, I couldn’t help but feel like I too, had taken part in some, if minuscule, piece of history. A truly great experience in which I would gladly re-encounter every Sunday afternoon, if only it weren’t for the seemingly endless trek down to Brooklyn.
