Slice, the pizza blogger over at Serious Eats, has been doing a heck of a job keeping track of Totonno’s Pizzeria Napolitano since a fire destroyed the legendary pie-tosser in March. After initial updates saying the pizzeria would be open in June, then July, then August, the site is now reporting that it will reopen in late-September or early-October.
Why the delay? After the fire, [Owner Lawrence] Ciminieri said, his family had two choices: rebuild from scratch or salvage what was there. The initial reports from the architect Ciminieri consulted with indicated that the building was sound enough to salvage, but once crews started renovation, city inspectors found more damage than expected. It turns out that the building needs to be shored up to support the weight of the oven and the coal used to fire it.
“It would have been easier to just knock the place down and start over,” Ciminieri said, “but we’re already in the middle of this [renovation] and just have to finish now.”
This time, he said, it’ll definitely be no later than October.
I can’t wait to have a slice of Totonno’s. Despite being so close to home, I’ve never made the trip there and had planned one right before it burned down. Come on, Totonno’s, we’re all rooting for you!
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The pizza there was very good, but part of it was the old-style charm of the building. It would be very nice if they could bring back as much of that into the new one.
Might I recommend that after they open Sheepshead Bites hosts a “gathering” for eating some Totonno’s?
We could all pitch in and get a few pies and go sit in the park around W32nd. The only reason I suggest that is because if memory serves, Totonno’s only has booths and some of us can’t fit into those *sheepish grin*.
I can’t wait for the re-opening.
Try the white pizza as well as the red pizza. They make the white pizza with freshly sliced garlic. Yum!!!
Also, Ned, they don’t serve by the slice. You must purchase a whole pie, although a person with a good appetite can down one pie by themselves, as they are not heavy and doughy like most pizzerias.
Someone at the Second Ave location said that the Brooklyn location will be open by the 2nd week in November.