Even on a Sunday night at 10pm, in the freezing cold, and being out in the middle of nowhere (Bushwick), Roberta’s had a 45 minute wait for a table. The hostess was really nice about it (we had a baby in tow) and so we did what we normally wouldn’t do, sucked it up, and waited for pizza. Even though it’s Brooklyn, and you can get pizza at a million places, people come from all around, yes including Manhattan, to eat at Roberta’s. The pizza oven is directly to the left side when you walk in. Bar is all the way to the back, serving up pitchers, gallons, and cocktails. Then there’s a couple other greenhouse looking spaces outside, near to where they grow their ingredients. There are communal picnic tables inside, clamoring with excited, bespectacled young folk, filling up the main dining space. This is where the bathrooms are, along the wall where everyone’s eating. They’re kind of in a weird spot and, although spacious, its weird peeing 2 feet away from the table I’m eating at, so 3 flushes. The decor at Roberta’s screams trailer park grandma. Wood paneling, framed pictures of lions, and forgotten Christmas lights. The menu is more sophisticated though, offering squab pasta dishes and sweetbreads alongside their pizzas, with names like Duck Hunt (duck prosciutto, sweet potato, leek) and Millennium Falco (pork sausage, parmesan, red onion). After ordering like 3 different pizzas, 2 salads, and some skirt steak, (we had to be sure everything checked out), we decided we would wait those 45 minutes all over again for another slice. 

If you want classier pics of things other than bathrooms and to check out their tumblr, click here.

People talk alot of smack about celebrity chefs. Bobby Flay sucks. Guy Fieri is a tool. Rachel Ray has man hands. But you rarely hear people talk smack about Mario Batali. Even the biggest smack-talking celebrity chef, Anthony Bourdain, likes this dude.I never really cared either way until I went to Otto, which yes, I realize is his cheapy restaurant, and saw what a good time could be had eating pizza and drinking wine and not trying to be a hot shot. The wine list is more than Ill ever need and the pizza is like ten bucks. Based on the ridiculous cheese plate alone, I would say Mario Batali beats any TV chefs’ ass.  I cant vouch for his other restaurants, but if anyone wants to lend me a few bucks, Ill check it out and report back.

When you walk into Otto you will see the hosts and, behind them, the ladies room. It is tight in there at just 2 stalls. And its pretty messy due to the amount of ladies going in and out. The 2 flush rating it barely earns is not nearly enough to make me dislike the colorful bathroom or keep me from really liking to eat here. But one thing I do have to say is Batali needs to quit wearing those ugly orange Crocs.

couple more non bathroom pics after the jump…

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I actually heard a lady tell the hostess “We have a flight to catch in 3 hours but we had to stop here before heading to the airport”. I don’t know what kind of stupid tradition this knucklehead and her family have, or maybe she was told she HAD TO eat there by some “friend”, but I secretly hope she missed her flight. I’m not a pizza connoisseur or even a fan, really, but I could tell this wasn’t “risk missing your flight” pizza. The flavor was good but the texture was too drippy. Whatevs. I’m no authority. I had a good time with good company. To get to the bathroom, head to the backroom seating area and make a left. Its next to the take out operation, which means high traffic. Also its a single stall, unisex and small. So small you can’t actually sit/hover over the toilet unless you use it sideways. Its pretty well kept though, except for the dude (staff) before me that didn’t flush. I rate it 2 flushes.