This is a controversial take, but I mean it: Italian restaurants in New York are better than Italian restaurants in Italy. The influence of Italian American heft, the freedom to stray beyond regional tradition, and the pressure of competition in a saturated market means that the chefs who stand out here (Missy Robbins, Jonathan Waxman, Rita Sodi, the Major Food guys) must consistently meet an ever-rising bar for quality.

This makes it a welcome surprise to see a newcomer — new to the city, anyway — bring their own vision to the scene. Such was the case at Farina, a Southern Italian pizzeria that recently opened on the grungy, garage-heavy border of Red Hook and Carroll Gardens.