Fried Pizza Brunch at Forcella – NYC

Supposedly, fried pizza has been around for decades in Naples. Yet, it’s only recently fried pizza has become popular in the U.S. Why it took this long, in this land of extreme excess, is beyond me. Perhaps because it’s not actually as health-debilitating as it sounds.

At Forcella, the Montanara ($10) is fried, but it’s not battered and deep-fried like a twinkie at a state fair. The dough is shaped, flash-fried, and then topped with bright tomato sauce and creamy, housemade fresh mozzarella before it’s finished in a wood-burning oven. The result is a Margherita with a wonderfully airy, crisp crust with just the barest hint of oil. It’s quite good, and the farthest thing from anything from a state fair. My only complaint was that the underbelly was a tad light on my visit, but that may have been because it was the first pie out of the oven. The BF and I went at brunch, and the wood-burning oven may not have been hot enough.

David, more of a brunch traditionalist, decided to have poached eggs over sliced polenta, mushrooms, and cheese with an arugula salad and fried potatoes on the side ($11). I had a few bites, and it was as good as it sounds. Filling but plain. I’d stick to the pizzas.

And for those scared at the thought of a fried pizza, not all the pies at Forcella are fried. And for those who aren’t, don’t hold it against them.

Forcella
334 Bowery (b/n Great Jones & Bond St; map)
New York, NY 10012
212-466-3300