1653 Pizza Company in Huntington and more Long Island restaurants to try this weekend
The clam pizza at 1653 Pizza Co. in Huntington. Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
Two of life’s most profound pleasures — eating a great pizza and dining outside — can be combined at a growing number of local establishments. And I’m not talking about a slice on the sidewalk; I’m talking about a beautifully realized individual pie accompanied by a glass of fine beer or wine.
1653 Pizza Company (80 Gerard St., Huntington): In May, this pizzeria set up seating for 35 on the patio overlooking the town’s municipal parking lot. One taste of Michael Vigliotti’s pizza, though, and you’ll be transported to a better place, Naples perhaps — though these pies are sturdier and crisper — or perhaps New Haven, home of the clam pizza — though Vigliotti’s makes use of a delicious, though unorthodox, clam-infused cream with lemon zest and pickled banana peppers. 1653 is the cousin of beverage-centric Rust & Gold, so you can expect well chosen wines by the glass, draft beers and bespoke cocktails. More info: 631-824-6070, 1653pizzaco.com
Donatina (18 West Ave., Patchogue): Away from the bustle of downtown, this Patchogue spot boasts a pleasant, pea-graveled patio with picnic tables where you can relax with a drink and a wood-fired Neapolitan pie such as the sausage and cherry pepper, a masterful blend of tomato, mozzarella, crumbled hot and sweet sausage and sliced cherry peppers; and the open-faced calzone, whose torpedo shape maximizes the proportion of well-browned crust. It arrives heaving with a molten filling of fresh mozzarella, ricotta, sausage and marinara sauce. Donatina is also a great place to get your first taste of Detroit-style pie, a deep-dish import from the Motor City whose edges of blended cheese create lots of crunchy, pleasantly greasy crust. More info: 631-730-7002, donatinapizza.com
King Umberto (1343 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont): Last summer, King Umberto expanded its splendid glass-enclosed dining pavilion into a vast marble-tiled, covered terrace. The construction included an auxiliary pizza kitchen where pizzaiolo John Cesarano established a workshop in which he could perfect his own personal holy grail: A pie that has the structure and refinement of a Naples-style pie, but with the crunch and crackle of New York. There’s a Margherita with both cow and buffalo mozzarella, more fanciful pies inspired by cacio e pepe or Amatriciana pastas and the white "Hot Boy Summer" pie with regular shredded mozzarella, ricotta, sweet and hot peppers, spicy sausage and Mike’s Hot Honey. Grab yourself a table and avail yourself of King Umberto’s extraordinary wine list. More info: 516-352-8391, kingumberto.com
