Andrew Bellucci’s Pizzeria

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 👏