Finally, Good Pizza In Park Slope!

Last night my companion and I decided to take a walk down 5th Ave. in Brooklyn. We were hungry for something Italian, but we didn't want to pull out all the stops at Al Di La. I made a mental list of the casual dining options in the area and realized that I would probably have to settle for a sandwich. However, as we began to walk in the direction of Press 195, I noticed a large and bustling restaurant on the right side of the street. Drawing closer, I saw a counter overflowing with large pizza pies and a sign that said "La Villa".

Apparently, the new Park Slope location of this Howard Beach pizzeria is the only one with a wood-burning oven, and some of the results are comparable to Nick's in Forest Hills: the crisp and textured crust provides the foundation for a toothsome combination of thinly sliced fresh mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes, herbs and olive oil. Both thin (Napoletana) and thick-crusted (Siciliana) varieties of pizza are available. I could not believe our good luck as I bit into a garlicky focaccia di nonna, or "grandma's pizza", which I preferred to the blander margherita. My companion and I also split a large plate of fried zucchini and an order of penne with sauteed spinach. On my next visit, which should be within the week, I shall either try one of the grilled panini or the sottosopra, an "upside-down" pizza with layers of homemade mozzarella baked under the sauce. If you beat me to it, please feel free to E-mail me a report!

La Villa: 261 5th Ave., Brooklyn, (718) 499-9888.