‘Sauced Pizza’ has replaced Norbert’s on Flushing Ave

Olivia Perry

@livperry

In a land famous for its legendary slices, Brooklyn residents living near Broadway and Flushing Avenue are all too aware of the pizza draught that’s plagued their Brooklyn neighborhood for over a year. While Bushwick and Williamsburg are stacked with award-winning pizza places that are just out of reach, it’s infamously hard to find fresh, by-the-slice pizza in the neather zone of Bushwick and East Williamsburg.

When Jason Breska came across the former Norbert’s Pizza lot at 791 Flushing Avenue, he had a vision and saw an opportunity. “I loved the space in the back. I knew it needed a lot of work and I was up for the job. It was the first time I’d been to the area in my life and I saw potential,” he says. Breska comes from a seasoned background in the restaurant industry and was managing The Kettle Black in Bay Ridge before embarking on endeavors of his own. After a year of lease negotiations and extensive renovations, Sauced Pizzeria opened its doors for business in March.

The place doesn’t look like much more than a storefront with a couple of tables from the outside, but the blue-tiled interior extends beyond the counter, offering additional seating and access to a backyard that Breska hopes to have up and running by July 4th. Sizeable outdoor space is no joke in Brooklyn, and with nearly 2,000 square feet of yard, Breska plans to maximize its use with a 150 person capacity patio in addition to a garden for growing basil and tomatoes (and yes, a liquor license is in the works too).

Since opening up shop, Jason and his partner Rebecca have focused on getting the word out by connecting with the community and neighbouring businesses. This included a soft opening where they gave out 50 free pies to locals walking on the street. “It’s been nice just getting to know the neighbourhood and the people. It’s such a bustling area with the train and the bus and the hospital. It’s very diverse and we can see all the changes that are happening right now, so it’s kind of exciting to be a part of it,” says Rebecca.

For Jason and Rebecca Breska, the idea behind Sauced is that it will soon become a destination that is more than just a place to grab a pizza (and one that’s noticeably more authentic than the Little Caesar’s around the corner). Aside from the backyard space, the two say their quality ingredients and placement of freshness above all is what sets them apart from neighboring options. “We make everything here fresh. We make everything from scratch. You’re not going to see things sitting around in the display. Everything we make is made to order,” she says.

“Being very familiar with the area now, I’ll put the quality of my food and the cleanliness of my place up against anyone in this area. That’s how happy I am with this stuff. I’m not putting anything out there that I wouldn’t eat myself,” says Jason.

The menu alone goes well beyond that of your average pizza place, offering gluten free dough, a variety of vegan options (though not by the slice for now), along with wings, calzones, pasta and more. When it comes to their namesake pies, the square is where it’s at. “Our square slice will make us famous.” says Jason. The dough starts out simmering in a slow cooker throughout the day and is topped with a garlic oil base, fresh mozzarella and a layer of house-made marinara sauce.

While you can’t rely on Sauced for your 3am pizza fix just yet, the Breska’s plan to extend the hours once things are fine tuned and the demand is there. Currently their hours are 11:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Find Sauced on Grubhub or take advantage of their free delivery on orders over $12.

Cover Photo Courtesy of Sauced Pizza