Walking into St. Bess, the first thing to catch your eye will undoubtedly be the smooth, white wood-fired oven, made by hand and radiating heat as vegetable laden pizzas emerge from its dome. Peek into the brick-lined dining room tucked down on the lower level, accessible by polished concrete stairs, and you’ll want to stay a while. The first floor is dedicated to the open kitchen — designed with purpose by co-owners Katelyn Fricke, Logan Ross, and Ole Wiechern, to keep what matters, the pizzas and the process, in the spotlight. Longtime friends and California natives, Katie and Logan prepare their pizzas California style — using bread flour in lieu of the traditional Italian 00 flour used in Neapolitan-style pizzas, cold fermenting the dough for two days, and focusing on fresh, seasonal vegetables — in fact, you won’t find any meat on the menu. With eight pizzas ranging from classic tomato, buffalo mozzarella, and basil (known here as the Greta) to the more innovative (and may we add, excellent) eggplant purée, shallot, basil, and seasonal greens (order the Eisenhut) they also offer a few small plates for sharing, plus house-made sorbets, beer and wine. Simple and straightforward, with a contemporary yet cozy vibe, St. Bess is more than worth the venture north. (Text: Devan Grimsrud / Photos: Luke Marshall Johnson)
St. Bess, Sprengelstr.41, 13353 Berlin-Wedding; map
Tue–Thu & Sun 17–22h, Fri–Sat 17–23h