805 Pizza (Bites and Bobbles Blog Post)
Note: This is a blog post by my good friend who very kindly wrote about me and my friend's pizza popup. It was published June 30th, 2025 on her substack, which you can subscribe to here.
For more on our popup, check out our Instagram here.
Over the course of nine self-guided pizza tours in NYC, Lionel and Oscar have visited around 40 pizza places. This all began when Lionel reminisced about his childhood days in Brooklyn, going to Luigis and L&B Spumoni Gardens, and has since turned into a bit of an obsession for the two. Lionel said that at a certain point, they "spent too much time thinking about pizza to not make it," and eventually, they "subconsciously came into agreement: alright, it's time to make some pizza," and that's precisely what they've done.
On July 4th, 2025, 805 Pizza will officially open. Operating out of Lionel's backyard, the pop-up will be open every Friday. The pair will produce around 15 pies per day, featuring a plain slice, a white slice, and a tomato slice. The plain slice, according to Lionel, is "everything you expect" from a slice of pizza, and the tomato slice, "for the vegans," is a classic as well. The white slice, it seems, is where their pizza expertise truly shines. Inspired by the Fini white slice, simple looking but "very thoughtful," their white slice begins with a spread of an emulsified lemon garlic and olive oil mixture, then a thin layer of ricotta, two kinds of mozzarella, finished with pecorino, lemon zest, and lemon slices on the side. In this way, they combine "the bitter, the salty, the sour, and the sweet" for what I can report to be the perfect white slice.
To create their pizza, Lionel and Oscar pulled on their vast knowledge of NYC pizza. Lionel spent most of his time experimenting with the dough, perfecting hydration levels and gluten structures, and Oscar took command of more stylistic choices such as stretching, cheese, and sauce. According to Lionel, their primary inspirations for their pizza were Philomena's, L'industrie, and Scarr's. For Scarr's, in particular, they strove to capture the cheese's crisp browning and embody the same emphasis on the dough's delicacy. To achieve this delicacy, they avoid kneading the dough to completion, keeping it in a shaggy shape. Then, over several hours, they stretch and fold it until it is fully incorporated. The dough is then aged in the fridge for three days until it is ready to be pizza-fied.
Despite their evident expertise and detailed preparation, Lionel stated that they are "still figuring shit out, and that's kinda the fun of it." So, if you're looking for your next favorite slice and feeling up for a Friday evening trip, DM 805 Pizza for more information.
Thanks again for the feature! - Lionel