"We could tell you about the way the pizzaiolo at this cash-only, BYOB restaurant rolls out the dough with empty wine bottles on a marble countertop in the candlelit dining room. But those details, along with the fact that eating at this Carroll Gardens institution requires lining up at 2pm, don’t matter for this guide. What matters is Lucali's thin New York-style pies, which have crunchy crusts, a serious sprinkle of minced garlic, and tomato sauce that’s a little sweet, a little tangy, and good enough to eat with a spoon. And yet it’s the piles of fresh basil that put the pizza here over the top—and make you feel the type of emotional connection your ex said you weren’t capable of." - bryan kim, willa moore, kenny yang, carlo mantuano, molly fitzpatrick