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We were greeted at Bufad like old friends. “Are you Abby? Did you just call and order takeout?” asked the waiter. By the time I explained my yes–or–no answer (it’s weird when strangers guess your name), we were comfortable and ready to eat. Bufad, the brand new Neapolitan pizzeria from the team behind Café Lift (pg. 26) and next door's Prohibition Taproom (you should pick up a growler on your way since Bufad is BYO), puts you at ease and feeds you well. Wooden tables, sharp graphics and neon lamps reminiscent of a diner whet the appetite. Though we visited during the soft opening, every seat, including the window bar, was full. Pizza’s what we came for but we were pleasantly surprised at the creative appetizers. The Crostone ($10), a set of three, included a chicken liver and guanciale crostini that combined a meaty richness with crunchy bread. Pork and liver need to hang out more often. A burrata, brussels sprouts, pancetta and pine nut appetizer ($9) was one of our favorite bites of the evening: salty, earthy and wintery. The impeccably caramelized brussels sprouts managed to be simple and decadent, the kind of food you want after a long week.
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Bufad’s aim is pizza and they do it oh–so–well. Small Roman–style pizzas, with a thicker crust, change daily on the SPQR section of the chalkboard. For full size pies, get the potato and egg with prosciutto ($14). Swirl the egg yolk with a fork and dive in—don’t worry that potatoes and eggs and prosciutto aren’t usually on a pizza. Notice instead the crust, thin enough to taste the toppings and think enough to be held without drooping in the middle. Taste the slightly charred top from the oven that approaches 900 degrees. Take a breath, and take another bite. This time, we tried the escarole pie, my favorite of the night, with salumi, ricotta, breadcrumbs and tomato sauce ($13). The ricotta wasn’t salty but added great texture. We all scrambled to get the piece with the most salumi, little slices reminiscent of the best pepperoni you’ve ever had, next to bites of dark escarole. Bufad’s success is in its use of rich ingredients in a way that still has you reaching for more. With three people and two pies cut into fourths, we had no leftovers. In the three days Bufad had been open at the time of our visit, its dessert had buzz. Excellent vanilla gelato served affogatto with a shot of espresso was a cool and creamy end to a savory meal. A chocolate panna cotta was fine, but nothing compared to the rest. When we asked the waiter about the name Bufad, he explained it was from the Italian bufada, meaning a sort of happy, bloated fullness. We knew exactly what he meant.
