Lucali

Mark Iacono opened Lucali in 2006 as a one-room pizzeria lit entirely by candles and a wood-fired oven. He still makes every pizza himself, rolling out dough on a marble slab while you watch. There is one pizza on the menu (margherita, add toppings if you wish) and one calzone. That's it. That's the menu. The result is unanimously considered one of the 2-3 best pizzas in America.

The experience is the other half: BYOB (bring your own wine from the liquor store down the block), candlelit tables, an intimate 30-seat room, and a 2-3 hour wait if you don't know how the system works. But the pizza justifies every minute.

**Local tip:** No reservations. The system is: show up at 5pm when they open, put your name on the list, give them your phone number, and they'll text you 20-30 minutes before your table is ready. Go wander Carroll Gardens in the meantime. Friday/Saturday waits are 2-3 hours; weekday nights are 1 hour. Cash only.

**Best for:** A Brooklyn date night to remember, pizza obsessives, a slow beautiful dinner with someone you love.