NYC pizzeria opens sister restaurant, Tori T's, in Malverne
Owner Victoria Tiso with a Detroit-style pie at Tori T's in Malverne. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
Louie & Ernie's Pizza has been a staple in the Bronx since 1959 and is considered not only one of NYC's oldest pizzerias, but one of its best. The legendary spot inside an old brick house has a simple menu and a killer slice of sausage pie.
That old-school feeling is also present at the new Tori T's Pizzeria in Malverne. Owner Victoria Tiso has a friendly, no-nonsense vibe as she oversees a small staff of pizza-makers, rings people up and chats with regulars. She's the daughter of John Tiso, who purchased Louie & Ernie's with his brother Cosimo in 1987. Her father's retirement in January put her at a crossroads. Rather than take over the iconic Bronx pizzeria, she came to Long Island to strike out on her own.
“I was in the shadow of my dad. Being there, obviously I loved it, it was part of the family, but I always wanted to do something on my own,” she said. “I wanted the ability to be as creative as I wanted with no limitations, and then also have the simplicity that a New York classic cheese slice was still an option.”
Tiso was particularly interested in deep dish Detroit-style pizza, which is gaining popularity in New York City and across the United States. To learn, she spent two months working under World Pizza Champion John Gristina, whose restaurant Pizza Fenice is “right now the top pizza place in Westchester County,” she said. But Tiso is no pizza snob and delves into sillier fusion pizzas that are more common here. (Her Meet Me at Midnight, for example, is a Detroit pie topped with chicken cutlets, Cool Ranch Doritos and Ranch dressing.)
Deep dish Detroit-style pizza at Tori T's in Malverne is made in rectangular trays. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
Squares of classic Detroit red ($5.50) feature a springy, focaccia-like dough capped by a fiercely brown crust from the rectangular pan. The tomato sauce sits on top of a thin layer of mozzarella and parm, finished with a sprig of fresh basil. It's great, but the main draw here may still be a classic New York pie, which is supple, paper-thin and beautifully greasy in the most nostalgic way.
Tori T's famed sausage pie ($3.75) lives up to expectations, with supremely flavorful nubs of crumbly sausage from supplier S & D in the Bronx. The tomato sauce is slightly sweet and the cheese is melty.
Another can't-miss item is the fried cheese calzone ($9), which has a texture much like an Italian zeppole doughnut and is loosely stuffed with fresh ricotta and mozzarella. Straight out of the oven, the dough is so pillowy and light, with a fresh dairy flavor from the cow's milk cheeses. It's a perfect recipe that never needs to be tinkered with.
Tori T's Pizzeria, 360 Hempstead Ave., Malverne, 516-593-9712, toritspizzeria.com. Open 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday.
Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.
