Andrew Bellucci’s Pizzeria

I first reviewed Andrew Bellucci’s back in November 2024. I don’t usually re-review places this quickly, but I had some unfinished business: *the clam pie*. This Bellucci special has to be ordered in advance because the clams are sourced fresh specifically for each order.

Andrew Bellucci himself was one of the great characters of the modern New York pizza renaissance. He helped resurrect @lombardipizzeria in 1994 (the historic Little Italy pizzeria some call America’s first), later worked at places including @rubirosa_nyc , and eventually opened his own pizzeria(s) in Astoria. Sadly, Bellucci’s adventurous story ended in 2023; he was much too young. Fortunately, his namesake pizzeria lives on.

The clam pie was part of his legacy. Bellucci first put one on the menu during his Lombardi’s days - taking inspiration from the New Haven tradition - and later revived and refined it in Astoria. They take the “fresh clam” part seriously. Our Astoria-based dining companion (a fellow appreciator of excellence who has had food writing published in the NYT) immediately recognized the source: it’s where he buys his clams too. That seemed like a strong endorsement of Bellucci’s sourcing. The clams come from Ocean Fish Market a few blocks away and are shucked in-house.

The pie itself is terrific. The crust was nicely blistered and browned underneath, with an airy, open crumb but enough structure to hold the plentiful toppings. And those toppings were clearly the star: a very generous amount of fresh clam meat, garlic, herbs, Pecorino and olive oil, with lemon wedges around the perimeter. Squeeze the lemon over everything and it becomes intensely briny, garlicky and quite rich. It was a virtuosic example of topping design - generous without feeling gimmicky.

Highly recommended.

This was a “holy grail” pizza for me; one that had long been at the top of my to try list. Andrew Bellucci was a *legendary* figure in the pizza world. Bellucci’s career paralleled the pizza revival of recent decades. When he sadly passed last June, his full NYT obit was quite the epic, which I highly recommend reading (Prior to that he also featured in an unintentionally hilarious @theatlantic piece, along with Cincinnati’s St Francis Apizza. He was a character…). Bellucci led the revival of Lombardi's in the 1990s - and is credited with “bringing respect to pizza”. He also had roles at Two Boots Pizza and the excellent Rubirosa, before opening his own pizzerias.

I was recently able to try a few @andrewbelluccispizzeria pies at a friend’s place in Astoria. Featured here is a signature of Bellucci: the “Vodka-Roni” (Cupped Pepperoni, Vodka Sauce, and Fresh Mozzarella), the “Triboro” (Fresh Mozz, House Marinara, Vodka Sauce, & “Genovese-Style”Pesto).

Eric Asimov wrote of Bellucci’s pizza at Lombardi’s in 1995. “The glory is the crust: light, thin, crisp yet elastic, blackened and blistered and full of flavor”. I am happy to report that august commentary holds true. The crust is airy and light, with a crisp outer layer but a soft, chewy interior. The leopard spots (those charred black spots across the bottom) signal an expertly managed bake at a high temperature and add a hint of bitterness and smokiness. In contrast to some of the Midtown slice shops I’ve been visiting lately, this was just an expertly crafted pizza, where all the pieces worked.

Overall, @andrewbelluccispizzeria produces some near perfect pizza. Well done 👏