July 7, 2006
Camera in the Kitchen: L&B Spumoni Gardens
There are few things New Yorkers love more than a good slice of pizza, but add an outdoor garden and a cup of the city's finest spumoni and you've got yourself a sliver of urban heaven. Trek out to L&B Spumoni Gardens located in(conveniently) in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn and you'll find all of these magic ingredients: sizzling hot sicilian slices, icy cold spumoni (mix of vanilla, chocolate, and pistachio ices), and an open garden for kicking back with friends.
Founded by Ludovico Barbati in 1939, L&B takes on crowds for its 67th year and continues to boast a business that's remained all in the family. An indoor dining room caters to rainy days or an overcrowded garden, boasting an extensive menu of Italian classics like eggplant parmigiana, chicken marsala, and veal cacciatore alongside seafood entrees, salads, giant heros, and pastas.
When Gothamist visited on a recent evening we were focused entirely on the pizza which can be ordered by the slice or in small (12-slice) or large (24-slice) sizes. Fresh from the oven, crust crackling with oil and steam emanating from the fresh marinara sauce, we never thought we could love a slice of Sicilian so much. Truly delicious. Afterwards, we ran to cool our tongues with spumoni--refreshing but not too sweet, filling but not too heavy. Gothamist highly recommends spending the next nice afternoon out in Bensonhurst, noshing on pizza and spumoni, and just soaking up the summer sun.
L&B Spumoni Gardens is located at 2725 86th Street; Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. 718-449-1230. N-train to 86th Street.
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I love it!
L&B has the best Sicilian pizza in New York..
Unfortunately (and amazingly), other blogs do not feel the same way..
http://www.abrooklynlife.com/2006/05/car_trips_lb_sp.html
No accounting for taste...
L&B Spumoni Gardens was such a HUGE dissapointment. I ordered the "famous" square pie and it was not fully cooked through. (much like the above comment posted) they took it back and gave us ANOTHER UNCOOKED pizza and stated "I'm sorry, this is the best we could do". I couldn't believe it. So not worth the trip and surprised this has happened to many people before. Go to Totonno's nearby instead.
Maybe you went to the wrong address... every time I've gone to L&B with some friends to hand out and grab a few slices its been great.
don't come to bensonhurst and order l&b's if you want 'cooked through' pizza. i hear there are these ingenious frozen pies that you can microwave until your pizza tastes just like sbarro's. actually, just don't come to bensonhurst at all. please.
im with you, hurst.
don't worry, we won't be going back to bensonhurst.
if you new transplants want to go, be my guest.
don't go there looking for a used car, I've heard their deals aren't that great.
The squares & spumoni at L&B are great.
How could anyone question their Sicilian slices (the round pizza there does indeed suck)?
I should you get a free comedy show at L&B starring all the stupid Guido customers and the Russian kids who emulate them.
Frozen pizza?!
Ooh Fa!
This is a sad day for my people....
(Shakes head in shame)
L & B is great, fun "low" food. Highly amusing people-watching, and (for those of us who live in So. Brooklyn) actually quite convenient.
To the whiners who made some long subway trek just so they could brag about having "the best" sicilian slice - you didn't get it. Learn how to relax and enjoy a *simple* pleasure.
Love this square pizza! Old boyfriend introduced me to it and i've been hooked ever since. Always stop by to or from Coney.
I was raised in the Hurst, my family still lives there, and my grandfather taught one of the owner's sons. Point being, I've been eating Spumoni Gardens pizza (I would never call it L&B) for all of my 28 years. I will always love a corner or side aquare, and a big fat cup of rainbow spumoni. However, during the past year, I've noticed a decline in the tastiness of the pizza. In fact, it's one of the reasons I keep telling my mom that it's time to move out of Bensonhurst.
L&B is a great neighborhood spot, and the spumoni is top notch. But the pizza, while not bad, really is not that great either.
If you really want an excellent slice, do yourself a favor and check out Midwood's Di Fara. Although at Di Fara, you aren't going to have much room to kick back and relax. And the only garden you'll find is the basil growing on the window sill.
Ho boy, sending them to DiFaras would inspire a whole 'nother level of whines - "I had to wait an hour, he forgot my pie, it's so hot in there, wah wah wah.."
The non-pizza sit-down dinner options at Spumoni are pretty awful and bland. Spumoni's good, though.