UPPER EAST SIDE — A pizzeria that doubles as a bar and arcade on the weekends is set to open in an old Mobil Gas station near the FDR Drive next week.
Called "Service Station," the restaurant features glass bay doors that roll open to a garden and dining area, and keeps the building's industrial vibe with retro lights, vintage service station decor and even its staff, who will wear custom-designed mechanic's overalls, according to spokeswoman Danielle Zaria Praport.
"The Upper East Side lacks a lot of bars and young people have had to go downtown for fun," said Consulting Chef Giulio Adriani, who is a partner in the Forcella Restaurant Group and the Neapolitan Express chain. "People want a calm environment that is not super expensive so we decided to take a completely different direction. Now young people will not have to travel downtown."
The 500 E. 62nd St. eatery will offer 11 varieties of pies to choose from, including Margherita, Berkshire pancetta with brusssel sprouts and mozzarella, artichoke truffle cream pizza with Italian-imported burrata and shaved black truffle.
The menu also includes crispy fried pizzas, where the dough is flash-fried and toppings are added just before it goes into a 1,000-degree wood-burning oven.
The concept of fried pizza originally comes from Naples, where Adriani is from.
In 2012, Adriani's famous fried pizza, the "Montanara," was voted "Best Pizza of New York," by Time Out New York.
The distinction actually helped him get a green card because it showed that he contributed to the economy in a positive way, Adriani said.
Adriani, a Brooklyn resident, is certified as an authentic Neapolitan Pizza Master by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana and the Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani, and he has been awarded a host of medals for his pizzas, including the Gold Medal at both the 2010 World Pizza Championship in Italy and the 2008 Pizza World Cup in Italy, and the "World's Best Pizza" at the America's Plate Culinary Competition in New York in 2010, according to Zaria Praport
If your appetite isn't for pizza, Service Station will also serve up entrees like lamb chops, pastas, including gnocci with porcini mushrooms and Urbani's truffle cream, a charcoal-grilled skirt steak or an Italian burger.
Prices range from $11 to $30, Zaria Praport said.
Pizzas and entrees can be paired with a specially-designed drink by Bratislav Glisic, the restaurant's mixologist. And during brunch, Glisic will serve up "adult milkshakes" while guests enjoy games and music.
Glisic, who hails from Serbia, is the head bartender at Employees Only in the West Village and, with his co-workers, won "Best Cocktail Bar in the World/Best Drink Selection" in 2011 and "Best American High Volume Bar/Best America Bar Team" in 2015 by Tales of the Cocktail, according to Zaria Praport.
Service Station is slated to open next week, although a specific date has not been pinned down yet.
It will be open for lunch Monday through Friday, noon to 3 p.m., brunch on Saturday and Sunday, from noon to 4 p.m., and dinner Monday through Wednesday, from 5 to 11 p.m., and dinner on Thursday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to midnight. Dinner will be served on Sunday from 5 to 10 p.m.
