Parashades Pizza & Cocktails

Located at 241 Flatbush Avenue on the corner of Flatbush Avenue and Bergen Street, Parashades brings a welcome addition to the neighborhood with thoughtfully-prepared pizzas made from only local and high-quality ingredients, as well as world-class cocktails derived from a bar program inspired by the best prolific bar programs and cocktails in New York.

The pizzas are a result of head chef Josh Watkins' culinary imagination and years of experience in various New York pizza kitchens. As a native of central New York, Watkins has worked at numerous pizzerias and pizza shops, including Danny Meyer's Papa Rossa, Pizza Moto, and Cowboy Pizza. With the help of some of the best in the business, including award-winning pizzaiolo Gazmir Zeneli, owner of Zeneli Pizzeria e cucina Napoletana in New Haven, Connecticut, Watkins was one of the first people to influence portable pizza makers Ooni (previously known as Uuni). As a result of all of these experiences, Watkins has gained a wealth of knowledge and insights into not just the technical aspects of pizza-making, but also the passion and dedication that goes into making the best pizza.

The bar program features simple, fun, and familiar technique-driven cocktails that are both timeless and sexy. The reimagined takes on old cocktail favorites will be the backbone of the bar program, with occasional specials and a curated selection of wine and beer to round out the rest of the program.

“There are a lot of great pizza slice shops out there today, so we knew we had to do something different,” said Watkins. “We started by looking at sourcing from the highest-quality providers we could find starting with tomatoes from White Star Growers in Pennsylvania for our sauce. From there, we built a network of farms and suppliers local to the East Coast region including pasture-raised chickens from Griggstown Farm in New Jersey for our Chix (buffalo chicken) pie, and various other local suppliers that we’ve established relationships with.”