Paulie Gee’s Gets a Full Bar, But You’ll Have to Wait a While Longer For Its Slice Joint

After seven years in Greenpoint (today’s the anniversary), beloved pizzeria Paulie Gee’s is putting on its big-boy pants. The restaurant, which had offered just beer and wine, is launching a full bar tonight– but don’t expect anything too froufrou. Owner Paul Giannone tells us the offerings will be “pretty old-school,” and “very basic stuff, nothing fancy.”

Paulie says he’s offering simple martinis and highballs because he wants to keep things focused on his Neapolitan pies, with their cheeky names like Feel Like Bacon Love. There will, however, be a couple of house specialties, starting with a “very simple” Everclear-fueled limoncello made with one of Paulie’s old recipes. Eventually, there’ll be a “pickleback” martini that uses pickle juice from The Pickle Guys and a drink that features Mike’s Hot Honey, a brand that blossomed out of the Paulie Gee’s kitchen when founder Michael Kurtz was working there.

With the new drink menu comes an expanded bar that seats eight people and offers more standing room than the old four-seater.

Paulie is also planning a Slice Shop on the corner of Franklin and Noble Streets. He’s been posting photos of pizzaiolo Andrew Brown’s classic New York slices, but it’ll be “no earlier than June” before you can scarf em down. “The landlord has run into construction issues,” Paulie says of the former garage at 110 Franklin. The space will eventually resemble a ’60s slice joint, complete with Bakers Pride ovens, basement-style wood paneling, and old benches from a pizzeria near Paulie’s home in New Jersey. “It’d be nice if it’s June.”

Construction delays are the worst, but good on Paulie for turning lemons into limoncello.