"As incredible as Lucali is, it’s not the kind of place where you can stay and hang out for a while. That’s the beauty of Baby Luc’s, the new slice shop from Lucali’s Mark Iacono and his team of pizza professionals. This Carroll Gardens spot is open every weekday except Monday from 2pm until whenever they sell out of pizza—which means you can head over on your lunch break to pick up Sicilian-style slices without much of a wait. (Baby Luc’s also opens at noon on weekends, but if that’s when you decide to stop by then, you might wind up standing in line for 30 minutes.) The best thing here is the margherita pie. It has a creamy, dense layer of mozzarella and some sweet tomato sauce on a thick focaccia-style crust that makes a crackling sound with every bite. Pair a slice with one of the housemade bottled negronis, and lounge on the sidewalk patio like the host of a grown-up pizza party. Food Rundown Pepperoni Pie It’s hard not to like baked bread topped with roni cups. So it’s no major surprise that we enjoy this pepperoni pie. The crust is dark, blistered, and chewy, and if you’re lucky enough to get a few basil leaves on top of your slice, you’ll get a nice herbaceous kick. If we could change one thing, we’d ask the chef to add a bit more tomato sauce. Margherita Pie It might not sound like much, but this classic margherita pie is exactly what we imagine when we’re daydreaming about pizza on gloomy afternoons. The mozzarella is salty, the sauce is sweet and acidic, and the basil keeps the whole thing feeling fresh. Ricotta and Broccoli Rabe Pie By doubling up on cheeses, this white pizza successfully balances the bitterness of the broccoli rabe. Each glob of fresh ricotta tastes like a sweet blessing from the gods of dairy. Just be aware that this pie is extremely rich. Negroni Remember what we said about Baby Luc’s feeling like an adult pizza party? That’s mostly because of the $13 batched negronis. These are absolutely delicious, and if we lived nearby, we’d pick them up on a weekly basis." - Nikko Duren
