Brick oven pizza, craft beers and plenty more!

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Brixx & Barley
152 W. Park Ave., Long Beach
(516) 544-4511, www.brixxandbarley.com

Over 60 craft beers and more than 30 brick oven and traditional pizzas only begins to describe what Brixx & Barley is all about. Considered to be a hybrid, this restaurant could be considered as three under one roof.

To the left is a pizzeria, offering take-out and delivery from a typical pizzeria menu, with gelatos and sorbets, plus unique personal pies cooked in an 800 degree brick oven. Center-stage is the spacious dining room, perfect for families, groups or twosomes. To the right is a sociable bar with TVs abound, complete with high pub tables if you’d like to eat there. Ambience is rustic, casual and upbeat.

Brixx & Barley opened in February. Proprietors are Anthony Millwater and Rick Camaratta, who also own R.C. Dugan’s Sports Grill in East Meadow, and Daniel Macaluso, former manager of Da Vinci’s in Island Park. Macaluso - “the pizza man” - takes great pride in using only pure ingredients in his dough, fresh mozzarella, and Luigi Vitelli tomatoes in his sauce. His brick oven pizzas, which can be as exotic as Kafta Lamb, Pizza in Purgatory, or Pesto Chicken Pallaird, tell it all. Chef Brian, who mans a kitchen of 16, sends out delicious orders with finesse and creativity.

Each table is set with a pizza rack, which doubles as a holder for the cutting board topped with breads and spreads. Rice balls (actually three crisp pyramids) were filled with rice, cheese, a blend of Bolognese meat, and peas. Grandma’s meatballs (two large ones) were served with seasoned ricotta cheese and traditional “Sunday sauce.” Bandito salad had arugula, cubes of cheese, avocado slices, grapes tomatoes and red onions in Balsamic vinaigrette.

Entrees included roasted potatoes and fresh broccoli; portions were beyond generous. Wild herb crusted salmon was moist and flavorful, drizzled with lemon tarragon burre Blanc. Marinated skirt steak was tender and juicy, lavish in flavor, topped with fried onions.

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