Roberta's

"Pizza suits the casual ethos of the culinary moment," writes Frank Bruni in his roundup of pizza places in today's Times. He wasn't impressed with Keste or Roberta's, two of our recent favorite finds. Well, as our grandfather(in-law) would say: difference makes a horse race.

From the outside, Roberta's resembles a bunker; from the inside, a ski lodge set in Bushwick. What does a ski lodge set in north Brooklyn look like? Exposed beams, white-washed and brick walls, a pizza party Barbie (yes, really), old board games thrown up out of reach, heavily tattooed servers, mismatched chairs, lots of candles and Christmas lights. On the night we went, the arugula-and-lemon and sopressa-and-tomato toppings were tasty and plentiful while the crust of both pies was bendable but not too crispy or soggy. Everything was just right, especially when washed down with jelly jars full of malted and fermented beverage.