Clockwise from bottom left: A tomato, mozzarella, and fennel-sausage pie ($14); a tomato-and-mozzarella pie ($10); Franny's window signage; our friend "N" digs in. (These photos look like ass because the lighting was dim and I didn't want to arouse suspicion with flash photography.)
Last night was opening night at Franny's, the latest entity participating in the rapid gentrification of Flatbush Avenue from Saint Mark's Place to Sterling Place. While I have no opinion on the oft-touchy subject of affluent renewal-and-replacement, I do have a mad interest in pizza and so wasn't that upset to see a wood burning–oven shop open in a space once occupied by a rundown pet store that had offered a dolphin-themed 25-cent kiddie ride out front.
After rushing home from work, this pizza blogger met up with a fellow pizza enthusiast, and we eagerly braved the April showers to sample Franny's fare. We arrived to find a dining room ripe with the smell of fresh construction, one that was bustling with customers but which still had a few tables available (good, because we were worried about having to wait in the rain).
We were seated immediately and, almost as quickly, were provided a small bowl of olives to munch on while perusing the menu. Apparently there were nonpizza items on offer; they were not heeded (future trips to Franny's will include the procurement of a menu and a subsequent relay of information from this website to you). After inquiring as to the size of the pies (12"; the waiter informed us that Franny's serves all small dishes), we went with one mozzarella-and-tomato pie (the classic pizza marguerite minus the basil) and a mozzarella, tomato, and fennel-sausage pie.
Pies were delivered after about ten minutes, each uncut, on a ceramic dinner plate. They looked good, not overly burdened by any one component; the crust was golden brown with a hint of charring here and there; and the cheese (fresh mozz) was melted but not browned or burned. The crust, tinged with a smoky flavor, was thin, pliant, and satisfyingly chewy without being tough—but was a tad soggy in the middle; we would have preferred crisper. The cheese was of high quality—fresh tasting and creamy. And the sauce, too, was fresh tasting, and bright, and on the spectrum of sweet and not, it was just this side of sweet. The sausage, cured in-house, was delicious.
Is this a place for hardline enthusiasts devoted to old-guard New York piemaking? Probably not, what with the small, pricey pies ($10 for the most-basic pizza; $14 or so for various toppings) and upscale setting. Nonetheless, we were pleased with what we tried and can say that Franny's turned out some pizzas far and above the likes of which the Park Slope-Prospect Heights area has seen in a while.
On a totally non-food note: My dining companion found the light from the 48-inch bare fluorescent tubes above the make table to be quite harsh, especially because, toward the back of the restaurant, it competes with the soft glow coming from the 60-watt overhead incandescents. I agree and would also point out that the fluorescents end up backlighting the pizziola stretching out dough in front of the nice-looking brick oven. A few changes in lighting ("n" suggests adding baffles to the fluorescents while I suggest training accent lights on the pizzamaker and the oven) could dramatize kitchen action and furthur highlight the artisan appeal of this nice little addition to the neighborhood.
Franny's
Address: 295 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11217 (Prospect Heights; map) Phone: 718-230-0221 Payment accepted: MasterCard, Visa, cold hard cash
For our pizza, we shared the tomato and mozzarella with fennel sausage. It was tasty, but for $14 I was a bit disappointed (keep in mind also that these are intended as one-person pizzas). I'm recovering from a head cold right now, so perhaps my taste buds are not as acute as usual, but I didn't think it was that flavorful. Also, the crust lacked that crisped/charred texture/flavor that one expects of brick oven pizza. One interesting aside: the pizzas are served as unsliced rounds. Apparently this is how it's done in Italy. However, they are happy to slice them if you ask.
is franny's open late? do they have slices? i'm probably going to need a bite after southpaw tonight. fluorescent lighting is never flattering (unless you're michelle williams of course).
Franny's: No slices. Only pies. When I called yesterday, the guy who answered told me their hours were 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Don't know what weekend hours are like, though. I'd assume longer. It's pretty pricey for what you get. Not so much a "stop off after a rock show" type place.
The pizza does hit the spot and the menu is constantly changing. Everything was delicious! Also, I noticed the lighting, as did they. As of last weekend, the lighting was fixed!
I live in Westchester, and tried to get a fix on Franny's via Chowhound.com, 'cause it's a real schelp for me to go if it's not worth it. I was just told by chowhound that someone or someones are befouling the chow boards, and they won't allow any info about Franny's on the boards due to shenanigans. Whoever is doing this is a jerk, because Chow boards are A) a great source of info and b) (should) reflect only the opinion of the contributor. I find it unlikely that the owners of Franny's would sully themselves by stuffing the ballot box of Chow, so what could be keeping Chow from allowing posts re: Franny? An overenthusiastic relative? An unsatifisfied customer? A cretin?
All I wanted to know was "is it worth the trip from W'chester, given that Johnny's in Mt. Vernon is supernal pizza and I'm married to the laziest person on the planet? Please, whoever is sullying the Chow boards, get a life and allow the voice of the people to be heard.
If you want to get a fix on Franny's the New York Magazine review (link is above in "Pizza Man"'s post) is accurate and very descriptive. Be sure to read the full review and not just the mini in their listings section. Trying to suss out Franny's from other web sources is tough because - from what I can gather - the restaurant climbed a very steep improvement curve in its first few months, and a lot of what's on the web (including some material on this site) dates from their shaky early days.
At this point I, at least, think they're brilliant.
NYPress got Franny's number right the first time they reviewed last year. Basically, the pizza's good, but not great, and the place is too fussy for it's own good...I mean, really, what kind of pizza place doesn't have Pepperoni and thinks its pretentious Nieman Ranch smoked pork is a substitute. They are also missing one or two other ESSENTIAL toppings, one of which is either onions or peppers, believe it or not. More to the point, the basic pie doesn't measure up to any of the best in the city (e.g. Totonnos, Grimmaldi's, Lombardi's, etc.). The crust is too thin, resulting in an unsatisfying cracker/tortilla texture, and it lacks a nice char for flavor. And the sauce has no zing. All and all, a pizza place for PC-types and people who think that great hamburgers come from Daniel Boulud.
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Pies were delivered after about ten minutes, each uncut, on a ceramic dinner plate. They looked good, not overly burdened by any one component; the crust was golden brown with a hint of charring here and there; and the cheese (fresh mozz) was melted but not browned or burned. The crust, tinged with a smoky flavor, was thin, pliant, and satisfyingly chewy without being tough—but was a tad soggy in the middle; we would have preferred crisper. The cheese was of high quality—fresh tasting and creamy. And the sauce, too, was fresh tasting, and bright, and on the spectrum of sweet and not, it was just this side of sweet. The sausage, cured in-house, was delicious. 
8 Comments:
is franny's open late? do they have slices? i'm probably going to need a bite after southpaw tonight. fluorescent lighting is never flattering (unless you're michelle williams of course).
Slice janelle at 4:45PM on 04/14/04
Franny's: No slices. Only pies. When I called yesterday, the guy who answered told me their hours were 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Don't know what weekend hours are like, though. I'd assume longer. It's pretty pricey for what you get. Not so much a "stop off after a rock show" type place.
Adam Kuban at 5:02PM on 04/14/04
Brick-oven pizza coming to Fort Greene...according to this tip. Seems to be a hot idea these days... but will any of these places ultimate deliver?
Slice astrid at 9:10AM on 04/23/04
I've been to Franny's multiple times. Each time it seems to get better! Check out:
http://nymetro.com/nymetro/food/reviews/underground/n_10321//index1.html
The pizza does hit the spot and the menu is constantly changing. Everything was delicious! Also, I noticed the lighting, as did they. As of last weekend, the lighting was fixed!
Slice Pizza Man at 5:37PM on 05/04/04
I live in Westchester, and tried to get a fix on Franny's via Chowhound.com, 'cause it's a real schelp for me to go if it's not worth it. I was just told by chowhound that someone or someones are befouling the chow boards, and they won't allow any info about Franny's on the boards due to shenanigans. Whoever is doing this is a jerk, because Chow boards are A) a great source of info and b) (should) reflect only the opinion of the contributor. I find it unlikely that the owners of Franny's would sully themselves by stuffing the ballot box of Chow, so what could be keeping Chow from allowing posts re: Franny? An overenthusiastic relative? An unsatifisfied customer? A cretin?
All I wanted to know was "is it worth the trip from W'chester, given that Johnny's in Mt. Vernon is supernal pizza and I'm married to the laziest person on the planet? Please, whoever is sullying the Chow boards, get a life and allow the voice of the people to be heard.
Slice Deborah at 7:56PM on 08/26/04
Deborah,
If you want to get a fix on Franny's the New York Magazine review (link is above in "Pizza Man"'s post) is accurate and very descriptive. Be sure to read the full review and not just the mini in their listings section. Trying to suss out Franny's from other web sources is tough because - from what I can gather - the restaurant climbed a very steep improvement curve in its first few months, and a lot of what's on the web (including some material on this site) dates from their shaky early days.
At this point I, at least, think they're brilliant.
Slice Andy at 12:15PM on 08/30/04
NYPress got Franny's number right the first time they reviewed last year. Basically, the pizza's good, but not great, and the place is too fussy for it's own good...I mean, really, what kind of pizza place doesn't have Pepperoni and thinks its pretentious Nieman Ranch smoked pork is a substitute. They are also missing one or two other ESSENTIAL toppings, one of which is either onions or peppers, believe it or not. More to the point, the basic pie doesn't measure up to any of the best in the city (e.g. Totonnos, Grimmaldi's, Lombardi's, etc.). The crust is too thin, resulting in an unsatisfying cracker/tortilla texture, and it lacks a nice char for flavor. And the sauce has no zing. All and all, a pizza place for PC-types and people who think that great hamburgers come from Daniel Boulud.
Slice mike at 12:15PM on 09/09/05
This "pizza" is basically naan with cheese sauce for thirty dollars. not worth it...only sheeple will eat at franny's.
Slice dawn summers at 2:21AM on 01/22/07