David Fouquier broke our hearts when he closed his French-Persian restaurant Fooq’s in 2021. Then he pivoted and turned the tiny space into Eleventh Street Pizza, which made us all fill with anticipation to see what he could do with dough, sauce and cheese.
It turns out it’s something quite good. Like, maybe your new-favorite-pizza-in-Miami good.
First off, those who remember the cozy date-night digs of Fooq’s might be a bit shocked to find how sparse it is now. It’s an order-at-the-counter setup now with just a handful of tables pushed together in front of bright orange banquettes and another row of seating under the overhang outside. Exposed purple rafters, cabinets holding containers of tomatoes and olive oil, though, do give the place an understated charm. We’ve seen it crowded from lunchtime to late night, thanks to a steady day crowd passing through this forever-up-and-coming section of downtown and then an even steadier stream that arrives when the bars close. It’s likely you’ll end up asking somebody if you can devour a slice at their table.
On the menu are two types of pies: New York thin crust and a thick, airy Sicilian style. Order a whole pie and they’ll make one up for you, but most people who come are likely ordering slices on display just behind the glass. Even though most orders are of the pre-made variety, this is no discount operation: Eleventh Street’s pies all begin with a sourdough starter nurtured for seven years, organic flours and Napoli-style tomatoes from California.
The New York slice is the thin crust pizza Foulquier grew up on back in the city, and it has that sweet sauce and tangy parm/mozzarella mix you want in a true NYC pie. Here it comes well crisped on the bottom—no flop in the many, many times we tried it—and an edge that remains bubbly from a good rise. As is, it’ll come with charred edges and just a few leaves of basil—all you really need on this near-perfect New York slice.
The finest things here though are those thick Sicilian slices. They’re big towers of airy dough full of holes and wonderfully crusty along the edges. Among the pies on display, expect Sicilian slices covered with crisped, cupped pepperoni. There’s also a slice covered in wild maitake mushrooms, caramelized onions and an added texture from toasted sourdough breadcrumbs. The one that really floored us was the vegan Provençal number—no cheese or red sauce but a thick and sweet-tangy bed of charred zucchini, confit garlic, roasted red onions, basil, oregano and pepperoncini.
But it’s maybe an appetizer that’s your favorite thing here. The Japanese milk bread garlic rolls come covered in cheese and garlic paste on top of a dough that’s sweet and savory. They’re unbelievably rich, decadent, and you’ll wonder why you ate four—and put in a second order for dessert.
Yes, we have to deal with the fact that Fooq’s died. But then came Eleventh Street Pizza, and we have found ourselves with a new go-to pizza spot.
