Article & Photos By: Katherine Jacobson

Speedy Romeo New York Review

From wood fire grilled pizzas to mozzarella made in-house, Speedy Romeo will easily become your go-to restaurant. And if you’re a fan of the hit show Girls, stop by to see the restaurant, as this is a location they frequently film at.

Aside from the lively ambiance and the friendly staff, the food here is spectacular. Our waiter, Jacob, gave such vivid descriptions of each dish, my mouth was watering before we even ordered.

I think it’s safe to say that Executive Chef Justin Bazdarich and Chef de Cuisine, Devin Gaffney have a gift for combining unique ingredients in the most spontaneous and intriguing ways. People rave about their unusual pizza combinations that seem to work incredibly well together. Two of the most unique pizzas include The Kind Brother (mushrooms, smoked mozzarella, and fried egg) and The KC Royale (clams, pancetta, kale, fontina, béchamel, and lemon).

I decided to go with more of a summery meal and ordered two light appetizers and a pizza paired with a glass of Foss Marai Roos. The first appetizer I ordered was the Kale Apple Salad, which includes seasonal fruit, croutons, and walnuts. The fresh cherries combined with the crunch of the walnuts were just plain heaven. The thin apple slices topped it off for me. Overall, it was a guilt-free and delicious appetizer.

What really blew my socks off, however, was the second appetizer. I would come here again just to order the House Mozzarella and a glass of wine. This was by far the best mozzarella I’ve ever had. As I mentioned before, it’s made in house! This dish includes dollops of mashed English peas and chunks of toasted sourdough. It’s then drizzled in pancetta vinaigrette and sprinkled with fresh basil leaves.

My main course was the classic Speedy Romeo, a Wood Fire Grilled Pizza with ricotta cheese as the sauce base. It’s topped with raw tomatoes and arugula, which officially makes it my dream summer pizza. They give you a jar of crunchy pickled peppers to put on your pizzas, which added just enough fire and flavor to the pizza.

Speedy Romeo is open for brunch, lunch, and dinner. If you’re looking for a good deal, go for lunch between 12 and 4 Monday through Friday and get an appetizer and pizza for $20.