Dining Out: Italian with a zing at Zitelli’s

BY MEAGHAN MCGOLDRICK & ANNA SPIVAK

Fine dining and convenience combine at Zitelli’s Pizza—a cornerstone restaurant at 86th Street and Third Avenue—to make for an any-time-of-day, all-occasion meal to remember.

The eatery, relatively new to the strip, boasts the same class and atmosphere that patrons have come to expect from owners/cousins Dominick and Mario Abitino—who took the best parts of the fine dining favorite that was Vicolo, and kicked it up a notch while keeping it casual.

“We wanted a casual menu,” said Dominick. “We had Vicolo that was here before and we went from fine dining so we wanted to make a menu that was more affordable, not only for a holiday or a birthday or anniversary, but on a normal basis.”

To boot, Dominick said, the eatery pays tribute to a pizza from Bay Ridge’s past.

“We brought back something that Bay Ridge has been missing for a long time,” said the owner of the flaky, thin crust pies, meant to mirror those of the once-popular Lento’s, a neighborhood mainstay that shuttered close to a decade ago. “Our whole concept was to do something that Bay Ridge loved and that is not available anymore.”

To start off, we sampled three of the eatery’s favorite renditions of the Lento’s-style personal pie. The Zitelli ($13.95 for a small 10” pie and $19.95 for a large 16” pie), had a little bit of everything. Topped with mozzarella, prosciutto, arugula and shaved parmigiano, the savory slice had us going back for seconds.

Next we sampled the Vicolo (Dominick’s personal favorite), a pie topped with fresh mozzarella and ricotta, caramelized onions, parmigiano cheese, extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil. To finish, we sampled the decadent White Clam pizza which, topped with fresh clams, garlic, parsley, parmigiano cheese, mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil, had just the right amount of flavor to hook us.

Unusual for a pizzeria, Zitelli’s also brings to the menu an impressive burger. Tender yet perfectly cooked, we built our own burger ($8.95)—complete with lettuce, tomato, American cheese and some perfectly placed pickles.

Leaving no room for dessert (which at Zitelli’s includes Tiramisu, Tartufo, a Nutella Pizza and more), we finished the day off with three pasta dishes: Penne alla Vodka ($11.95), Ravioli ($11.50) and some house-made Gnocchi Sorrentino ($12.95), three classics reinvented with a delicious, Zitelli’s flair.

Dominick stressed that the corner the restaurant sits on has always been one of his favorites.

“We’re not just a pizzeria,” he said, noting the restaurant’s bevy of weekly specials, game night deals and weekend brunch options. “We have Italian food, an Italian kitchen, and we do wings. We do everything.”

Zitelli’s
8530 Third Avenue
Sunday-Thursday – 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Friday-Saturday – 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
718-833-0043