Branchinelli’s in Miller Place is a great place for pizza
Kidsday reporters, from left, Johnathan Cantwell, Sydney Dunn and Scarlett Denton made a pizza with Nick Giarrizzo at Branchinelli's in Miller Place. Credit: Eileen DeCarmine
One of our favorite local restaurants in Miller Place is Branchinelli’s. It has pizza and a whole lot more. We interviewed Nick Giarrizzo, who works there. We asked many questions and got great answers.
Nick also showed us how to make a pizza. We were so excited about this and we followed Nick closely as we headed behind the counter. He applied flour to the table so the dough wouldn’t stick. Then he patted the dough into a circle and threw it up in the air. He caught it while moving it around in a circle in his hands, although he made a hole in it by accident. He said, “That’s what you don’t want to do!” We giggled a bit at Nick’s sense of humor. He then placed the round circle of dough onto the table with the flour spread around and fixed the hole.
Nick used a spoon to place sauce on the pizza, and then he showed us a selection of toppings such as olives, cheese, mushrooms, and other things. He asked us what type of pizza we like, and we all replied, “Cheese!” I mean, who doesn’t like cheese pizza? After he layered the sauce and toppings on the pizza, he placed it on a wooden pizza paddle and slid the pizza into the oven. Then we sat at a booth and talked to him about this great place. He said it is named after the owner and that many celebrities go there, including actor Ralph Macchio.
He told us that two of the most popular pizzas (besides the regular cheese pizza) are the buffalo chicken pizza and Sicilian. He told us that one of the chefs was messing around and he put chicken on the pizza. He thought it was too plain so he put hot sauce on the pizza. Ever since, buffalo chicken pizza has been a big favorite.
We enjoyed our visit there, and you should try it, too. You won’t be disappointed. Branchinelli’s is at 93 Miller Place Rd., Miller Place. Call 631-474-1200.
