GREENWICH VILLAGE — Three Italian brothers who own pizzerias in northern Italy recently opened their first stateside location on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village.
Susanna Pizzeria specializes in thin-crust pizzas, fresh pasta and unique pizzaccias, a sandwich-like offering made from thin pizza dough that is folded and stuffed with ingredients like prosciutto crudo and buffalo mozzarella, and then drizzled with olive oil ($11-15).
Owner Christian Molinarelli, a newcomer to New York, said Thursday he hoped the restaurant that quietly opened at 182 Bleecker St. in late June would add something original to the neighborhood.
"We've got a different product. Very authentic," Molinarelli, 43, said through an interpreter.
The restaurant uses recipes perfected since the Molinarelli brothers opened their first eatery Il Giglio, or The Lily, in Verona in 1995.
The pizza list includes classics like a margherita with tomato, mozzarella and basil, and specialty items like the Dorata, a white pizza with mozzarella, the Italian cheese stracchino, grilled zucchini and garlic. The pizzas made in a gas-fired oven imported from Italy range in price from $9 for a 13-inch marinara pie to $30 for a 17-inch pie stacked with toppings.
Fresh pasta dishes on the menu ($11-15) include pappardelle with porcini mushrooms and a truffle cream sauce.
Susanna — which the Molinarelli brothers named after their mother — has a large patio and takes the place of the German street food seller Currywurst Bros.
Diner Ron Geraci, a 43-year-old writer who lives nearby, said Thursday he had already visited Susanna about five times for pizzas and fresh pasta. He praised the homemade egg noodle pasta with cream sauce he ordered.
"It's the best bowl of pasta that I've had for $10 in the Village," he said.
Molinarelli said his mother, now 65, was thrilled by her sons' latest venture.
"She came from Italy last month and she was really happy," he said.
Susanna Pizzeria, located at 182 Bleecker St., is open from 11:45 a.m. to midnight daily, with specials until 4 p.m. and delivery after 6 p.m.
