Williamsburg, NYC: Balera Serves Thin-Crust Pizza and Italian Wine Under a Disco Ball

Balera, at 442 Graham Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, builds its menu around thin, crisp Romagna-style pizzas made with a mattarello, the traditional Italian rolling pin. Vinyl records, retro accents and a disco ball overhead give the dining room a playful, relaxed feel.

Five friends run the place. Alongside the pizzas there is pasta and an all-Italian wine list. The thin dough eats light, which makes it easy to share a few pies and a bottle. A DJ plays on weekend nights, and weekend brunch has been on offer since October 9.

The calendar is busy. On Wednesday, October 28, Balera hosts a wine dinner with Alessandro Salvano, the force behind the Piedmont project Drink Wines Not Labels. On Friday, October 23, Tommaso Vergano of the Vergano vermouth family took over the bar for a Chinati night, making cocktails from his own products. For Halloween, the restaurant is going full Roman Empire, with gladiators, emperors and Greek gods as the costume theme. The house T-shirts are also back.

Hours are Monday to Thursday 5:30 to 10 pm, Sunday 5 to 10 pm, and Friday and Saturday from 5:30 pm. Reservations, Uber Eats delivery and gift cards are available through the restaurant's website. Contact: balerabrooklyn@gmail.com or 347-384-2188.