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Read the press release here.

'Artisanal' Pizzeria Planned for Prospect Heights

By Sonja Sharp | February 5, 2014 4:56pm
 The Park Slope pair behind Bar Toto plans to open Ogliastro, a new pizzeria on Washington Avenue.
The Park Slope pair behind Bar Toto plans to open Ogliastro, a new pizzeria on Washington Avenue.
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Facebook/Bar Toto

PROSPECT HEIGHTS — Two Park Slope restaurateurs are setting their sights on Prospect Heights, where they plan to open a pizzeria on Washington Avenue.

Peter Sclafini and co-owner Kristen Hallett envision Ogliastro, at 784 Washington Ave. near Sterling Place, as an upscale restaurant serving pizza and cocktails.

They currently operate two Italian restaurants in Park Slope, Bar Toto and Provini, and they said they hope to cater to a similarly chic and grown-up crowd at Ogliastro.

"What we’re doing is a brick oven pizzeria, an artisanal pizzeria. It’s not a bar," Hallett told Community Board 8's SLA committee this week. "We love building restaurants — we love bringing neighborhood restaurants into communities."

But some neighbors worried that the cocktail menu would draw a noisy crowd to their block.

"It sounds to me like a bar disguised as a pizzeria," said neighbor Jonathan Shaman. "The neighborhood they're moving into is different from Park Slope. It’s a younger hipper crowd here, a louder crowd." 

Several neighbors said the area is already saturated with bars.

"I want the restaurant to be there," said neighbor Max Chien. "I want it to thrive, but I also want to make sure that everyone is out of there and quiet by the time I go to bed."

The CB8 committee ultimately voted to support the liquor license, which will go to the full board for review on Feb. 13. But members warned they'd be watching the restaurant closely for noise complaints. 

"You’re going to want to see what happens once you open," said committee member Gib Veconi. "You may have to make some adjustments."