(Photo: Liz Clayman)
A legendary Italian pizzaiolo has opened an East Village offshoot of his flagship parlor.
Gino Sorbillo’s eponymous pizzeria in Naples is so popular there’s often a two-hour wait. Munchies called it the town’s “best and most famous pizza hub,” and has credited its owner with “changing the perception of the pizzaiolo from a second-rate cook into a deeply-respected position.” Add to which, he undertook to drive Mafia-linked food suppliers out of the city. His pizzeria is known for its oversized, soft-crust and extremely light Neapolitan pies using high-quality ingredients, said a spokesperson for the Bowery location.
The East Village pizzeria comes on the tails of the opening of Zia Esterina, Sorbillo’s Little Italy shop which serves up pizza fritta, a deep-fried pizza dish resembling a calzone.
The menu at Sorbillo features appetizers, pasta, entrees and dessert, as well as pizza. Pizza options include the campania antica margherita ($15), which is made with organic flour, San Marzano tomatoes, Umbrian extra virgin olive oil, fresh mozzarella and basil; and the piemonte alba ($35), which includes black truffle, fresh mozzarella, quail eggs, extra virgin olive oil.
Sorbillo is open noon to 11 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday and noon to midnight on Friday and Saturday. It’s located at 334 Bowery, between Great Jones and Bond streets.