Beebe's: Check in or don’t, but be sure to check out the kicked-up hotel fare
You're forgiven if “hotel food” conjures up images of bland, overcooked chicken marsala, maybe with a side of rice pilaf and steamed broccoli. Chances are, you’ve never been to Beebe’s.
This nouveau Italian pizzeria opened in April 2018 in Long Island City’s Boro Hotel—in a corner of the ’hood that’s low on dining options—and it’s since proven a welcome departure from drab, paint-by-numbers hotel grub.
“Our goal with Beebe’s was to build a hotel restaurant that would also appeal to locals,” says Beebe’s General Manager Nick Spanos. “It’s a balance, but I think we found it.”
The anchor at Beebe’s, that touch that brings the whole place together, is indisputably the cheery red wood and gas-fired Forni oven, churning out upscale pies to order. Their pizza program is no joke—it’s designed by local luminary Lou Tomczak, a veteran of Paulie Gee’s and founding chef at Emmy Squared, the beloved Brooklyn pizzeria. Tomczak has a calculated crust approach—markedly thin, yet soft from an extra-long dough fermentation period, with a final aesthetic that hearkens back to the coal-fired ovens of yore.
The pizzas are not available by the slice; rather, every pie is a manageable 12-inch situation, peppered with thoughtful, inventive topping consortiums. Think Hot Italian, loaded with pepperoni, Italian sausage, hot honey, pickled chile and mozz; or the Stracciatella, a hot-and-cold pie topped with housemade buffalo mozzarella, arugula, oil and black pepper.
“We get [hotel guests] in here, eating six nights out of a seven-night stay,” says Spanos. “The pizza brings ’em back.”
But don’t sleep on Beebe’s other offerings. In addition to a slate of respectable breakfast options, Beebe’s serves up some excellent pasta dishes, as well as starters like shishito peppers and elevated Buffalo thighs.
Oh, and a burger.
It’s not what you’d expect to shine on such an Italian-centric menu, but Beebe’s burger—double beef patty, American cheese, onion, lettuce, pickles and “special” sauce—is a revelation. Can you manage to eat some pizza and one of these spectacular gut-bombs? Let’s just say, if the writer of this article could do it then you can too. (Believe in yourself!)
Beebe’s interior design beckons guests in, eschewing typical beige-and-bland hotel arrangements for a bright, glassy, modernist aesthetic. There is a sophistication to the setup that doesn’t quite account for how cozy it is. Think of a place that goes equally well with a business lunch or a cozy date—it’s a feat.
A thorough accounting of Beebe’s wouldn’t be complete without a nod to its vibrant drinks program. On top of a small, well-curated selection of wines, Beebe’s has some unexpectedly daring cocktails such as the Honeymoon—a spirited blend of rye, sweet vermouth, angostura bitters and roots rakomelo, a lively Aegean liqueur. You might want to make your way down the whole list.
Do you live in Long Island City? Lucky you, because you can get a taste of this trendy hotel restaurant—then go home to sleep in your own bed.
Beebe’s | @beebesnyc
Boro Hotel | @borohotel
Lou Tomczak | @loubron
Paulie Gee’s | @pauliegees_sliceshop
Emmy Squared | @emmysquaredpizza
