The pizza and natural wine restaurant Ops opened three years ago in an old Bushwick garage and, thanks to some excellent food and an unusually warm and welcoming vibe, it quickly became one of those neighborhood spots that's impossible to eat at without a wait. Like two hours or more sometimes. But fret not! Team Ops now gives us Leo, in Williamsburg, offering two different ways to dine on a lot of fantastic pizza and, as it turns out, a bunch of other really good things to eat as well.
The owners, operators, and pizza makers here are Mike Fadem, Joey Scalabrino, and Gavin Compton. Leo—which is not someone's name, but rather an obscure sub-reference to the Roman goddess of grain, Ops—is split into two distinct but also very connected parts. Located on the corner of Havemeyer and Grand in the space formerly occupied by longtime neighborhood barstaurant Lodge, Leo started service last weekend after finally getting its liquor license.
This is a counter service spot, where you order and pay at the bar near the kitchen, plant one of those number flags at whatever table you can find, and someone will bring out your food and drink as it's ready. There are places for about 70 at utilitarian tables, a comfortable orange banquette, and an island of tall tables by the bar. The decor is non-existent, as is any sort of permanent signage outside, though the windows up front brings light and energy to the space.
The kitchen at the restaurant is slowly rolling out their menu—they're still workshopping the promised Lasagna, for example—but right now you can get several superb varieties of Leo's round, 14-inch, six-slice pizza pies. Electric ovens here mean that these can be cooked longer than at Ops, so the crust is firmer, but still easy to fold. It's definitely hand pizza, and it's delicious. On Monday night I devoured a San Giuseppe, strewn with sausage, onions, olives, and sharp provolone, and a briny, creamy Clam Pie, which was honestly the best of its kind I've ever tasted. You can also get a base Marinara or Margherita, and build from there.
And then there's Leo the cafe/slice shop, with a separate entrance over a few steps on Havemeyer, but also connected by a corridor inside. Here the pizza is thick, chewy, and square, and there are usually about a half dozen varieties, generously laden with toppings like Leek and Potato, thin-sliced Pepperoni, Meatball and Mozz, and fresh Mushroom. These are as good or maybe even a tiny bit better than the round pies down the hall (or down the sidewalk, depending on which way you're walking).
A semi-overlapping selection of non-pizza items are available at both places and, in fact, you can order off of either menu and carry things back and forth if you want. The bowl of heavily-sauced Meatballs is great, as is the sourdough sticking up like a slab from Stonehenge behind them. That bread is a regular guest at this party, arriving with the bitter and tangy Marinated Greens, and with the soft and earthy Runner Beans, which may not look like much but eats like the best dip, or maybe the best soup, of the season.
Squashed panini-like creations, like the wonderful oozy Mortadella one I had this week, are always available at the cafe, and fluffy egg sandwiches make an appearance in the morning. There are a couple of salads to munch on while you wait for your pizza, and no matter what else is going on in your life you should get the crackling Potato Croquettes, each with a single anchovy draped over the top. For dessert there's Darcy Spence's top-notch soft serve—Quince and Caramel at the moment, though expect these to change—and that old Italian restaurant workhorse, a layered cup of Tiramisu.
Leo is located at 123 Havemeyer Street, at the corner of Grand Street, and as of now the cafe part is open from late morning until about 9 p.m., and the restaurant part starts firing up pies at 5 p.m. (leo-nyc.com)
