Sunday, April 8, 2001 Slice of Life for S.I. Guys Rudy's favorite pizzeria cops another pie prize by Bill Farrell
Hizzoner's favorite pizzeria is racking up championships as rapidly as his beloved Yankees. A Goodfella's Pizza creation took first prize in the annual Pizza Festival IX held last month in Las Vegas. It was the third time since 1994 the Staten Island-based pizzeria has been awarded top prize in a national competition. "You have to get a little more creative in these competitions," E. Jay Myers, Goodfella's president, said yesterday. "There are always going to be those Old World guys who want a pizza topped with sausage, pepperoni or anchovies. But there are all kinds of creative things being done with pizza these days." Myers and his brothers-in-law, Scot and Marc Cosentino, opened the first Goodfella's Brick Oven Pizza on Hylan Blvd. in Dongan Hills. They wasted no time experimenting with different ingredients for their pies. Their Pizza a la Vodka was not only voted the No. 1 pizza in America in both 1994 and 1995, it has become a favorite of Mayor Giuliani. "He came into the store on Hylan Boulevard on Columbus Day during his first campaign for mayor," said Myers. "He loves the pie. He comes back all the time." Giuliani even put up 10 of the a la Vodka pies in a wager with the mayor of Cleveland during the American League playoffs in 1998.
Along with a mixture of fresh mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, there are thinly sliced russet potatoes and grilled lemon-garlic chicken. It's all topped with a cheddar cheese sauce made with heavy cream, shallots and scallions. "The pie reminds me of the holidays, when my mother would make the roasted potatoes and chicken. It smells great, and it's a pie that makes people happy," explained Russo, 48. "I've been making pizza since the 15-cents-a-slice days. I made my first pie when I was 13 years old and would work in my mother's pizzeria on Avenue B between 12th and 13th Sts. in the East Village. "It was an extra cheese pie," Russo recalled. "I knew right then it was a calling." The Goodfella's partners followed a different road to pizza supremacy. Meyers was dating the woman he would marry, Leslie, and spent a lot of time with her brothers. "It seemed we were always eating those great Brooklyn pizzas, Patsy's down by the bridge or Totonno's," he said. "We'd always talk about opening a pizzeria." They were in their late 20s when they decided to give it a go. After months of research, on everything from the name to the brick ovens, they opened Goodfella's Brick Oven Pizza. Using a custom-made brick oven and using only fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and other ingredients made their business idea take off. Then came the prizes — and now, along with the Hylan Blvd. restaurant, there are Goodfella's pizzerias in Great Kills, Castleton Corners and a takeout-only place in Woodrow, as well as on Third Ave. in Bay Ridge. All but the Hylan Boulevard stores are now part of an expanding franchise business. "All the restaurants will be serving the championship pie," Meyers said with pride. |
Now Goodfella's head pizza chef, Salvatore Russo, has created the Sally Pie, which took top honors in the event sponsored by Pizza Today magazine and the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.
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