We always love visiting the local artisans and producers that we work with, but we were especially excited when our friends at Roberta’s invited us to watch them fire up some pizzas in Brooklyn. Because…pizza. Read about our trip after the jump.

The rise of Roberta’s has been meteoric to say the least. Opened in Bushwick in early 2008 in a ramshackle building in a neglected neighborhood, the “local” pizza joint is now recognized as an international brand and regularly features in lists of America’s best pizza.

As the success of the restaurant (and demand for its pizza) grew, eventually the idea was born to venture into the frozen market.

“For eighteen months we made the frozens at the restaurant after we closed,” says Roberta’s pizza czar Anthony Falco. “We worked from midnight till morning, but still couldn’t keep up with demand.”

So in December 2014 the decision was made to move the frozen operation into a bigger space: the former Pfizer building in Williamsburg, which is where we had been invited to watch the team make a few pies. But not just any pies! Today, Roberta’s pizzaiolos were showing us how they make our exclusive new collaboration…The Colonel Corn. Topped with house-made fresh mozzarella, the best corn in the region from our friends at Hudson Valley Harvest, and Japanese spices, the Colonel Corn is only available at FreshDirect.

What’s so special about this corn? It all comes from a small group of farmers based in the Hudson Valley that are dedicated to growing the best local produce in the region. It’s harvested at peak season and is flash-frozen immediately in small batches, ensuring all the great taste and nutrients are locked in, meaning our friends at Roberta’s can make the Colonel Corn year-round.

As Anthony prepped the Colonel Corn he gave away a couple of secrets that make Roberta’s pizza the best in Brooklyn and beyond. First, the wood-burning oven is fueled by upstate oak freshly chopped into small logs, which allows a more precise temperature control. Second, the dough is made from a mixture of American flour and Italian Caputo flour, which produces a delightfully chewy and crispy crust.

Here at the Pfizer building, the team hand-make anywhere between 300-400 pizzas per day—an impressive yield considering there’s only two pizza ovens. After baking, the pies are frozen in a specially imported Italian freezer before being shipped.

Today, however, a couple of Colonel Corns would be spared the freezer treatment, because the FreshDirect contingent weren’t leaving without a tasting.

The verdict? Bellissimo!

Buy the Colonel Corn here.