Fornino

I was just about to slap a nice big slice of ripe tomato onto my sandwich when I heard about the recall. Oh well. Into the trash it went. But I still craved tomatoes!

At that moment, a friend called me to ask if I wanted to meet for dinner in Williamsburg. A light went on in my head... Fornino! A divine margherita pie, consumed in the backyard garden of this artisanal pizzeria, would be (cooked, and therefore safe) tomatoey perfection. I jumped on the subway and met my friend.

We began with a cheese-laden, creamy Caesar with two slabs of herbed focaccia, and then decided on a pie. The special included pesto oil and arugula. For those of you who haven't been to Fornino (this excludes everyone who lives in Williamsburg), the menu includes three "generations" of pizza, which become increasingly elaborate. Examples: a first generation might be a classic margherita pie; a second generation might be a margherita with the addition of some fennel sausage, and a creative third generation could be anything from a gorgonzola pie with rosemary and caramelized onions or a rock shrimp pesto zucchini pie!

For our part, my friend and I felt like luxuriating in melting pillows buffalo mozzarella, so we shared a large margherita D.O.C. A toothsome, slightly charred crust, a dusting of Parmesan, some basil sprigs and yes, that superlative tomato sauce made the pizza a pie to remember.

I had no room for the Capogiro sorbetto and gelato - next time. And if the tomato recall continues, that next time might be sooner rather than later!

Fornino: 187 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn. (718) 384-6004.