Photo: bkmag.com
After the wild success of Pizza Loves Emily, husband and wife team Matt & Emily Hyland have opened their second restaurant, Emmy Squared. The two met in college and bonded over a shared love of pizza. Prior to going off on his own, Matt spent years in NYC kitchens. He is a veteran of The Smoke Joint, The Breslin, & Pizza Moto. In 2014 the couple opened their first restaurant, Pizza Loves Emily, serving some of New York’s best pizza & burgers. The restaurant has received wide acclaim from everyone who is anyone in the food world. In a city that pumps out more burgers and pizza than anywhere else, it’s an insane accomplishment to stand out in any way.
Emmy Squared can be found on Grand St in Williamsburg. The new space is easily 3x the size of their Clinton Hill restaurant. The space features a large bar and two floors of table seating. It is casual, great for groups, and comfortably loud. With a larger space also comes a larger menu with more selection.
Unlike Pizza Loves Emily, Emmy Squared features Detroit style pizza. In a city full of Sicilian & Neapolitan slice joints, this was a new concept to me. The pies are square, with an incredibly crunchy crust and thick doughy center with sauce layered on top. It’s unbe-fucking-lievable. If I were a betting man, I’d say they just sparked a new trend. The namesake “Emmy” pie comes with mozzarella, banana peppers, onions & ranch. My favorite of the night was the Roni Supreme with sauce, mozzarella, lots of pepperoni, & calabrian chiles. The pepperoni curls up and creates decadent little grease pools of heaven. There are 10 red & white pies to choose from.
The rest of the menu doesn’t disappoint. You can gorge yourself on giant cheese curds or waffle fries topped with bonito. If you need to get your sandwich fix, as I always do, there are ample choices. Check out the spicy meatball, the chicken parmesan, and the newly introduced burger. This is the kind of comfort food that’ll satisfy all of your naughty cravings. Here’s what we had:
Crispy Cheddar Curds — tomato sauce and Sammy Sauce
Wild Fries — Salsa Pico, crema, bonito
Roni Supreme — sauce, mozzarella, lots of pepperoni, calabrian chiles
Classic — sauce, mozzarella
The Emmy — mozzarella, banana peppers, onions, ranch, side of sauce
Spicy Meatball — tomato sauce, provolone, crispy onions, pretzel bun
Chicken Parm — tomato sauce, provolone, basil, pretzel bu
Rice Crispy Treats
