More than a slice: interview with Best Pizza

Best Pizza was created around the idea of reviving the neighbourhood pizzeria. What do you think makes a pizzeria feel like a genuine part of its neighbourhood rather than simply another restaurant?

I think a pizzeria feels like part of the neighbourhood, especially when someone who lives in the neighbourhood owns it, or someone who comes from the neighbourhood owns it. I also think places that feel a little more mom-and-pop and a little less corporate tend to feel more like part of the neighbourhood, in my opinion, and less like they're simply part of the economy.

You grew up in Bensonhurst and learned to cook from your Sicilian grandmother. Which parts of that early food culture still shape the way you approach pizza today?

I think my culture, and growing up in Brooklyn around a lot of family, is essentially my whole identity. It shaped the career I went into, and parts of that upbringing are things I try to recreate every day for my son because I had a great childhood.

Best Pizza opened in a former bakery with a century-old wood-burning oven. How much did that particular space and oven influence the restaurant's identity?

The oven and the space are everything. They're a huge component of who we are. We try to honour our past as much as we can. I'm still in touch with the family that used to own and operatethe bakery, so every once in a while, when they stop in or when I see them at the feast, we get these cool pictures and stories. The wood-fired oven is a huge part of what makes us who we are because it's so unique. The fact that the space was a bakery and has long been part of the neighbourhood means we're continuing a legacy.

4. Pizza is one of the world's most familiar foods, but it is also deeply tied to place, migration and memory. What does a slice of pizza represent to you beyond the food itself?

I think it's food for the people. It's a conduit to culture and a conduit to neighbourhood. In a lot of ways, it's a vessel for bringing people together. I think pizza has a lot of power behind it when it's harnessed correctly.

5. You've brought Best Pizza to cities including London, Hong Kong, Toronto and Los Angeles. What changes when New York pizza travels, and what should never change?

A lot changes when you travel and try to make pizza somewhere else. It's not always easy to source all the ingredients you use at home - water being one of the biggest differences. But as a baker with experience, you learn to make adjustments, and that's exactly what we do. I've also realised the pizza doesn't have to be exactly the same as Best Pizza's pizza back home when I travel. It just has to be good New York-style pizza. We do our best to deliver that and give people a really good Best Pizza experience.

6. London has developed a very confident pizza culture of its own in recent years. What interests you most about the city's food scene, and do you notice any meaningful differences between London and New York diners?

I've watched the pizza scene evolve in London over roughly the past 15 years, and it's really dynamic and interesting to watch. It's cool because you have people here doing pizza at a very high level. As for the difference between diners, when I step back and think about my time here, I think London diners like a little more stuff on their pizza - more toppings. Dips are also a pretty big thing here. Those are probably the two biggest differences I've noticed. In New York, most people go for the simple slice. In London, the specialty slice, or a slice with more things on top, seems more popular right now. That may evolve or change.

7. Finally, what do you hope Londoners understand about Best Pizza after experiencing this takeover at The Standard?

More than anything, I hope Londoners leave having had a good dining experience. I hope they come to The Standard to eat a good pizza, see what we're about, and leave with a little glimpse of Best Pizza and hopefully a little touch of Brooklyn. The Standard has done a really good job of recreating the things that are important to me and to us. At all hours of the day they're playing the hip-hop I grew up listening to, and the servers and restaurant staff really know the menu. It's been a pleasure working with The Standard once again