Pizza is a very personal food. Anyone I ask will have a favorite style pizza. Thick crust, thin crust, mozzarella cheese, mixed cheese, sweet versus sour tomato sauce. And don’t forget the extras!
My pizza memories began when Dad would give me $2 and my sister and I would walk down to the corner pizzeria at 38th avenue and Francis Lewis Boulevard in Bayside. We would each get a slice of pizza and have enough money left for Italian ices. And pizza has been a staple in my diet ever since.
Cicchitti’s Pizza tastes very much like those early memories: thin, crisp crust with a sour/spicy tomato sauce and mozzarella trails left hanging after a bite. It even drips a bit of oil when I fold it in half (the real way to eat a slice). And although the Bayside pizzeria had a linoleum floor, the wood floor at Cicchitti’s looks way better. They bake delicious calzones and strombolis, too. The salad bar is simple and fresh with crisp lettuce, black olives and pepperocini among the choices.
The kids and I really enjoy the atmosphere in its big wide open room and red/white striped table clothes. And when a server comes out with a meal they try to guess who’s order it is. I suggest numbers on the table. She touches her fingertips together and bounces her wrist in the old Italian gesture saying: Honor system, you know. Just like back in NY.