Brooklyn Bros. cheese pizza   Murphy   Lake Norman Magazine associate editor Alison Henry prepares pizza with store manager Ian Murphy.

“So, you want to start by working the dough away from the edge of the pan like this.”

I sink my fingers into a cool slab of dough as Brooklyn Bros. manager Ian Murphy begins showing me how to sling dough. “Wipe the excess oil away from the edge and drop the dough in the flour.” Plop. “Now place it on the counter and start stretching it out in a circular motion. Good! You’ve got it! Now pick it up and start tossing it – like this.”

I’ve worked in a kitchen before, decorating desserts and finding myself covered in dressing after a long night of assembling salads. But I quickly learned that pizza making, although simple, is an art – one that the folks at Brooklyn Bros. have down.

The fourth establishment in the region headed by Long Island natives Vincent and Keith Caminiti, Brooklyn Bros. opened in early September, following the flagship location, Brooklyn South in Cornelius, as well as Brooklyn Boys in Mooresville and Brooklyn Pizza Parlor in south Charlotte. And it’s poised to see just as much success as its sister restaurants.

All the locations, including this newest in Denver, have more than just menu items in common: They also share a dedication to the community, the food and the all-important sense of family. “(The owners) aren’t just in it for themselves. It’s about a love of their product and of the community,” says Murphy, who has been working with the family for seven years.

Unlike non-local pizza shop franchises, he says, you’re likely to find one of the owners, a manager or member of the owners’ family at any of the locations. The owners and staff are also involved in the community, helping to raise money for local projects and helping out those in need. And the majority of the menu items – which include the stromboli of the day, calzones, pizza (by-the-slice, stuffed, gourmet and made-to-order), salads, baked pastas and entrees like fettucine alfredo and linguine with clam sauce – are homemade from top-secret recipes from Vincent’s wife, Lucy, whose family is from Sicily.

But on this day, it’s all about the pizza, which is currently stretched and laid out before me, ready for toppings. I add a ladle of homemade marinara, a handful of mozzarella, a dash of spices and a few strategically placed pepperoni slices for amusement, and before I know it, I’ve made my first pizza!

My pie may not have won any awards for looks, but once I folded that first slice in half – as all true Northerners do – and took a bite, I immediately knew why the Brooklyn family has such a loyal following: fresh marinara, creamy mozzarella and a flavorful crust that is more than just a vehicle for toppings. “You have to have a dough that has flavor,” says Murphy, who has yet to tire of the food here – even after eating it every day for nearly a decade.

And I can see why. I just couldn’t get enough of the warm, cheesy goodness, making all those meals I skipped in anticipation of this face-stuffing event well worth it. And the sense that I was surrounded by family made it that much easier to, well, just keep eating.

A perfect, powdered sugar-dusted cannoli called my name from the dessert case, and the sweet concoction of ricotta and chocolate chips proved to be a perfect ending to a perfect meal: simple and satisfying, tasty and traditional. I left with a full stomach and maybe even a few new friends. And really, isn’t that what dining out is all about?

Want to go?

Brooklyn Bros. Neighborhood Pizzeria

• Where: 7925 Natalie Commons Drive, Denver, NC 28037.
• Scene: Friendly and inviting. Green and yellow walls accented with comforting home accents. Tables and booths lit with artistic halogens. Enough TVs to watch a game but not too many to intrude on good conversation.
• Menu: Appetizers: $1.50-$25 (for largest order of Buffalo wings); Salads: $2.25-$7.95; Stromboli/Calzones: $5.50 and up; Stuffed Pizzas: $23-$25; Pizza By-the-Slice: $1.75-$3.50; Sicilian, Deep-Dish or Original N.Y.-style Pizza: $11.95 and up; Gourmet Pizzas: $16-$17.50; Subs (Heroes): $6.95; Pastas: $7.95-$9.75; Entrees: $8.50-$10.25;
  Kids’ Menu: $3.95-$5.25.
• Seating: Around 150, including private dining room available for team parties or other events.
• Payment: Visa, MasterCard, AmEx, Cash.
• Contact: 704-483-1451.