Totonno's

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Totonno's Pizzeria Napolitano
Totonno's Pizzeria logo.png
Totonno's Pizzeria.jpg
Totonno's pizzeria in 2008
Totonno's
Restaurant information
Established1924;101 years ago (1924) [1]
Street address1524 Neptune Ave
CityBrooklyn
StateNew York
Postal/ZIP Code11224
CountryUnited States
Website totonnosconeyisland.com

Totonno's is an American pizzeria located at 1524 Neptune Avenue (between West 15th Street and West 16th Street) in Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. [2] It was established in 1924 by Antonio "Totonno" Pero.

Contents

History

Totonno was an employee at the Lombardi's pizzeria on Spring Street in New York's Little Italy that was established in 1905 when he began selling tomato pies cooked in a coal oven and wrapped in paper and tied with a string. In 1924, Totonno left Lombardi's to open his own pizzeria on Coney Island called Totonno's. It is owned by Louise Ciminieri and known for its lines out the door, longevity, and delicious food. [1] [3] Pero can be seen in a photograph with Lombardi, [3] whose employ he left in 1924, "shortly after the subway started running out to the hinterlands of Coney Island, and opened his own place there". [3]

Totonno's pizza has been made the same way since 1924 and, "along with its Brooklyn pizza brethren Di Fara Pizza, Grimaldi's and Franny's ... is considered among the best in the country by people who have dedicated their lives to the subject". [4] James Oseland, editor-in-chief of Saveur magazine, attributes a "quintessential New York City flavor profile" to Totonno's. [5]

Totonno's is one of a handful of pizzerias that use a coal fired brick oven, which imparts its unique flavor to pies baked in it. New coal ovens do not pass current environmental laws in New York, but the old ovens are grandfathered as long as the business remains open. [6]

The original location was damaged by fire in 2009, [3] [7] but reopened. [5] In October 2012, Totonno's was among several landmark New York restaurants devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Although they had planned to open by the end of the year, [5] [8] they re-opened in mid-January 2013. [9] In 2021 they closed temporarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. [10] In May 2024, the owners started publicly looking for a potential buyer to take over the restaurant. Explaining their decision, Ciminieri said, "We’re coming up in age and we don’t have the manpower to continue." [11]

Totonno's has been featured on various television shows, such as Ugly Delicious , Somebody Feed Phil , and The Pizza Show . [12] [13] [14]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "104 Years of Pizza in New York". New York . July 13, 2009. Archived from the original on July 18, 2009. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Totonno's Pizzeria Napolitano". Zagat . Archived from the original on May 6, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Wilson, Michael (March 15, 2009). "Fire Shuts Totonno's, Legendary Coney Island Pizzeria". The New York Times . ISSN   1553-8095 . Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  4. ↑ Severson, Kim (November 8, 2006). "'Brooklyn Style Pizza' Meets the Real Deal". The New York Times . ISSN   1553-8095. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 Gordinier, Jeff (November 27, 2012). "Fighting to Save the Flavor of New York". The New York Times . ISSN   1553-8095. Archived from the original on December 1, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  6. ↑ Kuban, Adam (November 8, 2007). "New York City–Area Coal-Oven Pizzerias". Slice. Serious Eats. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  7. ↑ Chung, Jen (March 15, 2009). "Coney Island Pizzeria Totonno's Plans to Rebuild After Fire". Gothamist . Archived from the original on June 2, 2010. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  8. ↑ Wells, Pete (November 28, 2012). "Sandy's Less-Heralded Victims: The Places That Bring New Yorkers Together". The New York Times . Archived from the original on December 3, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  9. ↑ Crowley, Chris (December 18, 2012). "Restoring Our Church of Pizza: The Rebuilding and Repairing of Totonno's After Hurricane Sandy". Slice. Serious Eats. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  10. ↑ Fortney, Luke (April 7, 2021). "Legendary Coney Island Pizzeria Totonno's Isn't Closing After All". Eater New York . Archived from the original on April 7, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  11. ↑ Wells, Pete (May 30, 2024). "After 100 Years of Pizza, the Future of Totonno's Is in Question". The New York Times . ISSN   1553-8095. Archived from the original on May 30, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
  12. ↑ Morabito, Greg (February 23, 2018). "'Ugly Delicious' Questions the Importance of Authenticity in 'Pizza'". Eater . Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Somebody Feed Phil - New York". Phil Rosenthal World . Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  14. ↑ "The Untold Story of How My Grandfather Brought Pizza to America". Vice . February 19, 2017. Archived from the original on May 15, 2025. Retrieved August 29, 2025.

40°34′44.1″N73°59′1.51″W / 40.578917°N 73.9837528°W / 40.578917; -73.9837528

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