| Totonno's Pizzeria Napolitano | |
|---|---|
 Totonno's pizzeria in 2008 | |
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1924 [1] |
| Street address | 1524 Neptune Avenue (between West 15th Street and West 16th Street) in Coney Island in Brooklyn |
| City | New York City |
| State | New York |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 11224 |
| Country | United States |
Totonno's is a 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.
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]
Totonno's has been featured on various television shows, such as Ugly Delicious, Somebody Feed Phil, and The Pizza Show. [11] [12] [13]
Pizza is a dish of Italian origin consisting of a usually round, flat base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomatoes, cheese, and often various other ingredients, which is then baked at a high temperature, traditionally in a wood-fired oven.
Gennaro Lombardi was an Italian immigrant who moved to the United States in 1897, and known for allegedly opening the first pizzeria in the United States, Lombardi's. He opened a small grocery store in New York City's Little Italy. An employee of his, Antonio Totonno Pero, also an Italian immigrant, began making pizza for the store to sell. Their pizza became so popular that Lombardi opened the first US pizzeria in 1905, naming it simply Lombardi's.
New York–style pizza is a pizza made with a characteristically large hand-tossed thin crust, often sold in wide slices to go. The crust is thick and crisp only along its edge, yet soft, thin, and pliable enough beneath its toppings to be folded in half to eat. Traditional toppings are simply tomato sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese. This was a popular meal amongst poor Italians due to the ratio of product from the limited produce.
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, commonly known as Frank Pepe's or simply Pepe's, is a popular pizza restaurant in the Wooster Square neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut, at 163 Wooster Street. Opened in 1925, it is one of the oldest and best known pizzerias in the United States.
New Haven–style pizza is a style of thin-crust, coal-fired Neapolitan pizza common in and around New Haven, Connecticut. Locally known as apizza, it originated in 1925 at the Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana and is now served in many other pizza restaurants in the area, most notably Sally's Apizza and Modern Apizza. This geographically limited pizza style has been favorably regarded by national critics.
Grimaldi's Pizzeria is an American pizzeria chain from the New York City area with several restaurants throughout the United States. Its most famous restaurant is under the Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn at 1 Front Street, next door to its original location. Zagat Survey rated Grimaldi's the No. 1 Pizzeria in New York in 2007. With a carry-out and delivery service model in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2022 it had 43 restaurants in operation overall. It does not sell slices, only whole pies, which are cooked by coal-fired brick oven. It also sells wines and appetizers, as well as calzones. Among desserts are cannoli and tiramisu, as well as New York–style cheesecake.
The history of pizza begins in antiquity, as various ancient cultures produced flatbreads with several toppings.
Lombardi's is a pizzeria located at 32 Spring Street on the corner of Mott Street in the Nolita neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, New York City. Opened in 1905, it has been recognized by the Pizza Hall of Fame as the first pizzeria in the United States.
Di Fara Pizza is a pizzeria located at 1424 Avenue J in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, New York City. Situated between East 14th and East 15th Streets, the restaurant has been owned and operated by Domenico DeMarco (1936–2022) since 1965.
Pizza arrived in the United States in the early 20th century along with waves of Italian immigrants who settled primarily in the large cities of the Northeast. It got a boost both in popularity and regional spread after soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Patsy's Pizzeria is a historic coal-oven pizzeria in New York City. Opened in 1933, it was regarded as one of New York's original pizzerias for its use of traditional New York style thin crust pizza.
Anthony Felix Gemignani is an American chef, restaurateur, and author. In 2009, Gemignani opened Tony's Pizza Napoletana in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Gemignani is a pizzaiolo and chef, having won 13 world titles in pizza making and opening numerous restaurants. He has appeared on multiple reality television series including Food Network Challenge, Bar Rescue on Spike TV, as well as on The Travel Channel and CNN.
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