Taglio Pizza in Mineola returns to its Roman roots

Somewhere along the way, Rob Cervoni lost his vision. When he opened Taglio Pizza in 2018, his goal was to introduce Long Islanders to Roman-style pizza, baked in a long, rectangular pan and sold by the square. Inspired by the cult Roman pizzeria, Bonci, Cervoni used a high-hydration (i.e. wet) pizza dough that enjoyed a long, slow rise. The result was a crust whose texture was both structured and airy; delicious on its own but heightened with such toppings as mortadella and pistachio, or roast potato and rosemary.

But his vision got diluted. From the beginning, Taglio had a floor plan and a location (around the corner from both a train station and a hospital) that suggested “slice shop” not “artisan pizza.” As a new business owner, Cervoni did not want to turn away the customers who wanted a basic pepperoni slice. 

“We tried to give everyone what they wanted,” he recalled, “but then what was our identity?”

Adding to his woes: Construction on the Mineola LIRR station started soon after he opened, then the pandemic effectively eliminated both commuters and locals taking the train to concerts or sports events.

Late last year, Cervoni admitted that he’d let himself down. “I wanted to be at the forefront of artisanal pizza on Long Island,” he said, “I wanted to be the change. So I had to change."

Through his work with Caputo, the leading brand of Italian pizza flour, he’d forged a friendship with Mimmo Tolomeo, an Elmont native (and scion of both Elmont's Sapienza Bake Shop and A & S Bagels in Franklin Square), who had become an accomplished pizzaiolo and acted as a brand ambassador for the Naples-based company.  After working in Manhattan, he missed his "home island” and decided to join Cervoni in relaunching and expanding Taglio.

Cervoni doubled down on his Roman pies, adding such toppings as Amatriciana sauce and truffled mushrooms. For his part, Tolomeo concentrated on what he calls his “Neo New York” pie. A lot of places, he explained, are working to “New Yorkify” the classic 12-inch individual Naples-style pie which many American customers find too soft and floppy. Their efforts go into making a pie that is crisper and tighter.

At Taglio, Tolomeo is moving in the opposite direction, using traditional Italian techniques (pre-fermented dough, imported tomatoes) to build a better 18-inch, 8-slice pie. The edge of his crust is pronounced, with marvelous, airy texture. The pie itself is topped with four types of cheese: Shredded low-moisture mozzarella, blobs of fresh mozzarella, Pecorino Romano and an American-made grana.

According to Cervoni, everything is looking up: The train station is busier now as Mineolans use the LIRR to get to concerts and ballgames; huge new apartment buildings are providing a new stream of customers. And he’s learning to stick to his guns.

“The greatest thing is when someone comes in here for a quick lunch and they try the pizza and say, ‘Whoa. This is the best pizza I have ever had.’ I want to introduce people to these styles. But I can also say, ‘if you don’t like it, there are plenty of other pizzerias around.”

Taglio is at 85 Mineola Blvd., Mineola; 516-741-0379, tagliopizzany.com