BYO, ASAP

Stock up on wine before trying Brooklyn’s best new pizza

When restaurants open without a finalized liquor license, we leap at the chance to play sommelier and dodge wine list markups. While you can, check out new Williamsburg pizzeria Motorino—after you visit nearby Blue Angel Wines to pick up some pizza-friendly bottles.

Blue Angel specializes in organic and small-production wines, with plenty of $20-and-under values. To pair with Motorino's traditional Margherita pies, try the 2007 Marc Ollivier La Pepie Cabernet Franc ($16), a rarefied, cherry-flavored Loire red. For meatier pizzas, go with the 2006 Terre del Barolo Barbera d'Alba ($14), an aromatic, medium-bodied red with a vibrant acidity.

Motorino's dining room is dominated by a Volkswagen-size oven where chef Mathieu Palombino, an alumnus of Bouley and BLT Fish, cooks wood-fired Neopolitan-style pizzas ($9 to $16) using house-made mozzarella and top-shelf charcuterie. His pizzas emerge with chewy, perfectly charred crusts that rank with the best in town. And his seasonal pies, including one made with Brussels sprouts and speck, will keep Motorino packed with pizza aficionados—even when they can't bring their own wine.

Blue Angel Wines, 638 Grand St. (between Leonard and Manhattan aves.), Brooklyn; 718-388-2210 or blueangelwines.com

Motorino, 319 Graham Ave. (at Devoe St.), Brooklyn; 718-599-8899 or motorinopizza.com

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