Oma Grassa is a terrific new pizza spot in Fort Greene 

By Scott Lynch

Oma Grassa (Scott Lynch)

Like most of us, longtime Bed-Stuy resident Adam Baumgart had his life upended when Covid tore through town in March 2020. An experienced baker and chef with stints at such neighborhood staples as Diner, Bluebird Coffee Shop, Frannie’s, Houseman and Prune, Baumgart was trying to figure out what to do next when a new focus for his career came from an unlikely source: then-Governor Andrew Cuomo.

“During the early pandemic I started a pizza pop-up in my friend’s bar, Botanica on Houston Street,” Baumgart tells Brooklyn Magazine. “Because of Cuomo’s mandate he needed food in the bar, and I had told him years ago that I wanted to open a pizza place, so we bought a nice oven, put it in the basement, and got this whole thing started.”

The Botanica gig may have been temporary, but Baumgart’s passion for pizza-making remained strong. So when he noticed one night last summer that the former Greene Grape Annex spot was still empty, on that prime corner across from the Comandante Biggie mural, the recently reopened Habana Outpost, and the always-vital Greenlight Bookstore, Baumgart took the plunge, and Oma Grassa was born.

The buildout took longer than expected — the Omicron wave and supply-chain delays didn’t help the process — but Baumgart had a blast designing the place with his girlfriend (the mermaid Tiffany lamp sconces are a cute touch), and last month Oma Grassa finally started serving.

Scott Lynch

Baumgart’s pizzas are six-slice, 14-inch beauties, with a thin, naturally leavened sourdough crust, and toppings laid on with a generous hand. Currently there are eight varieties on the menu, with adds-on like fennel sausage, pickled chili, and mushrooms increasing your options further.

Baumgart’s red pies are a must. The tomato sauce on the anchovy pizza is bright, lively, and a lovely counterpoint to the briny fish and capers, garlic and olives.

Anchovy tomato pie, $20 (Scott Lynch)

The pepperoni pie was equally good. Baumgart doesn’t skimp on the mozzarella, and throws on an ample supply of funky cups as well, all curled and puddled with oil. Other options include a sausage and peppers, a zucchini, a three cheese, and a leafy “greens.”

Pepperoni pie, $23 (Scott Lynch)

Baumgart plans on always featuring at least one non-pizza entrée, and when we were there that meant a surprisingly light (there’s no breading involved) eggplant parmigiana, made with a recipe from the sous-chef’s mom. Baumgart supplies his kitchen with whatever he can from the two big weekly greenmarkets nearby, and the tomatoes in this dish are spectacular right now.

Frances’ eggplant parmigiana, $23 (Scott Lynch)

Rounding out the to-the-point dinner menu are three vegetable-based starters, including a delightful antipasti plate — pickled things, olives, hunks of salty cheese, eggs — served with slabs of Baumgart’s seeded sourdough, which arrives soft and warm.

Antipasti plate, $9 (Sott Lynch)

There’s one dessert and, after all that bread, salt, cheese and acid, it’s perfect: a sweet, whipped and creamy, slightly boozy zabaglione blanketing a pile of blueberries (which are excellent this year) and slices of white nectarine (stone fruit, too, has been exceptional). A handful of beers and a bunch of wines take care of your alcoholic beverage requirements.

Zabaglione with blueberries and nectarine, $11 (Scott Lynch)

“It’s been great so far,” Baumgart says about his first solo restaurant. “I’m really happy to be part of the community here, and the neighborhood. I just want the food to be comforting and satisfying; fresh, in-season, something that feels nurturing when you come here.”

Oma Grassa is located at 753 Fulton Street, at the corner of South Portland Avenue, and is currently open on Wednesday through Sunday from 5 to 10 p.m.