Zuzu pizzeria opens in Farmingdale

Farmingdale might want to consider hanging a new sign at the corner of Conklin and Main streets: Pizza Place. With Zuzu opening this week, there are now five pizza-centric eateries within a block of the intersection. Zuzu joins Vespa, Vico, Casa Stellina and Gino’s. (A short ride away: Dom’s at Sapori del Vallo.)

"When we started this project two and a half years ago, there was only Vespa," Zuzu partner Chris Werle said. The build-out took that long because it encompasses more than a pizzeria. The eatery occupies the first floor of a brand-new two-story building; above it is Crossbarn, a catering space with two rooms with a combined capacity of close to 200.

The complex solidifies the Farmingdale position of Werle and his partners, who also own Croxley’s — the massive ale house one store away — as well as Croxley’s locations in Franklin Square and Rockville Centre, plus Waterzooi and Novita in Garden City.

Werle doesn't seem particularly worried about competition. With its retro-glam-bistro design, Zuzu doesn’t feel like any other place in town. The soaring space comprises a U-shaped bar, a roomy dining room plus two rooms that can handle overflow or private parties. The vibe is rock and roll, with '70s classics on the playlist and portraits of rockers on the walls. "Zuzu," doesn't signify anything, he said. "We liked the sound of it and it could be the name of a '70s band."

Even the oven gets into the musical act, bedecked with the same mirror tiles found on the disco balls that descend from the ceiling. That oven is a state-of-the-art Fiero Forno gas-fired with room for a log or two for flavor and a rotating floor to ensure even cooking. Over the last few months, partner Ed Davis, executive chef for the whole group, nearly disappeared into the pizzaiolo hole, experimenting with hydration, fermentation times, flour varieties and cooking temperatures. The result is an individual pie whose crust is more developed and complex than American, but crispier and less "soupy" than a true pizza Napoletana. The Margherita is made with fresh fior di latte; the Americano, with shredded low-moisture mozzarella. Other pies are topped with sausage-broccoli rabe, Buffalo Buffalo (buffalo chicken and buffalo mozzarella plus blue cheese), pesto, alla vodka and more. Pies range from $17 to $21.

Once the team decided to open a pizzeria, Davis found he couldn’t just stick to pizza. "How can you not have arancini? Wouldn’t it be cool to have a Sunday sauce with meatballs, sausages, pork and veal? A Chianti-marinated skirt steak? "

Zuzu starters ($12 to $19) include fried mozzarella, Italian nachos (housemade potato chips topped with melted Gorgonzola, burrata Caprese, clams oreganata. Pastas ($20 to $24) include paccheri alla vodka or with "Sunday sauce," cavatelli with sausage, spaghetti carbonara and penne chicken Milanese (with mozzarella and tomatoes). Mains ($22 to $38) include eggplant and chicken Parm, salmon with mushroom risotto and Chianti-marinated skirt steak with truffle-Parmesan shoestring fried.

You can get cannoli, tiramisu or cheesecake for dessert, but the star meal-ender is soft-serve ice cream that can be topped with sprinkles, nuts, candy, hot fudge or caramel.

This being the crew from Croxley’s, drinks include a deep bench of beer (18 on tap, 18 in bottle and cans) and cocktails and a shorter, but well-chosen wine list. For now, Zuzu is dinner only; lunch starts Aug. 26.

Zuzu, 202 Main St., Farmingdale, 516-454-7999, zuzupizza.com Open Sunday to Wednesday 5 to 9 p.m., Thursday to Sunday 5 to 10 p.m.