Unlike most restaurants where you can reserve months in advance, Lucali Pizza, nestled in Carroll Gardens, remains one of the hardest restaurants to get into.
Stepping into Lucali is more than just a dining experience – it's a journey into Mark Iacono's world of passion and flavor. The interior has a rustic and intimate feel. The walls are adorned with memories, both shared and borrowed, from Mark’s old boxing gloves to a photo of Louie and the Carroll Street Boys to Jay Z’s bottle of Screaming Eagle 2011. The tables are wooden, the chairs are foldable, and the candles are perfectly dimmed. The simplicity of it all is where its charm lives.
As you put in your order, you realize you are making your own pizza. Yes you can choose your own toppings. And there you have it, a whole pizza, toppings of your choice, a thin pliable crust mastered to perfection. As a nostalgic new-yorker, this is my dream.
Lucali is a high-end restaurant disguised as a pizza joint and this is why: whether you are an A list celeb or a janitor in your local high school, it's the pizzeria for you. Every customer is treated with the same amount of care and respect.
Pro tip: Ask for the Nutella Pie.