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Philomena’s Elevates the Art of Pizza
‘Dough Nerd’ Dave Acocella Slings NYC’s Best Squares at Philomena’s in Queens
BY JOE DISTEFANO
As the Culinary King of Queens, I’m
so very fortunate to live in the most
diverse and delicious destination in
all of New York City. I’m not royalty
though, I’m an ambassador, and a
hungry one at that. Today, we visit a
cuisine more in line with my Italian-
American heritage, pizza as prepared
by Sunnyside local Dave Acocella at
Philomena’s, which just celebrated it’s
first anniversary.
“I don’t mean to take anything away from
other pizzerias, but I bring a different style of
pizza,” Acocella says while deftly pulling a pizza
margherita from one of the ovens he imported
from Italy. That classic combination of tomato
sauce, mozzarella, and basil is just one of
18 personal pies on the menu.
One of the best sellers, the Jersey Shore,
inspired by Acocella’s fond memories of sausage
and pepper heroes eaten during summer beach
vacations is topped with a zesty combo of sweet
and hot sausage and peppers and onions in addition
to mozzarella. Then there’s the Cheese &
Onions—topped with tomato sauce, pepperjack
cheese, shaved white onions, and mushrooms—
which takes its name from a song by Beatles
novelty cover band The Ruttles.
Traditional or new-fangled, all of the pizza at
Philomena’s, including the personal pies Acocella
characterizes as “New York Neapolitan,”
has one thing in common. It’s cooked cooked
in an array of Moretti Forni ovens. What makes
the personal pies “New York Neapolitan” is a
difference of 300°, says Acocella, who studied
with master Neapolitan pizza maker Gino
Sorbillo and apprenticed under Brooklyn pizza
guru Paulie Gee. Instead of cooking at 900°F
as they do in Naples, Sunnyside’s pizza maestro
cooks his pies at 600°F, all the better to taste a
Sunnyside pizzaiolo Dave Acocella
is a master of his culinary craft.
dough that he makes in the wee hours of the
morning and then lets ferment for 72 hours.
“If I bake this dough at 900 degrees you won’t
taste the flavor of the crust and that’s what it’s
all about for me,” says Acocella. “It would just
taste like char, this you can taste the crust.”
As tasty as his personal pies are, Acocella’s
magnificently airy crunchy square slices are a
revelation. The self-professed “dough nerd” says
the secret is a high moisture content of 90%
versus a typical 60%; 72-hour fermentation; and
a starter he brought of Ischia, Italy. The standard
pepperoni is lovely as is escarole with a
shmear of white bean topped with pignoli nuts
and olives, and the gloriously simple carb on
carb potato with oregano and olive oil. Covered
in ultrathin slices of potato that crisp and caramelize
along the slice’s perimeter, the latter is a
recipe that comes from Acocella’s mother Violetta.
Since Philomena’s squares are so light, it's
totally possible to sample several in one sitting
without feeling overfull.
It took Sunnyside’s master pizzaolo almost a
year to add his take on a classic New York City
style slice. And what a slice it is, a balance of
zesty sauce and cheese with a shattering cornichon
that calls to mind matzoh. “Everyone kept
asking for a regular slice,” says Acocella, who
says for years his favorite old school New York
City slice was the storied Joe’s Pizza in the West
Village.
“Dave’s just didn’t have a good ring to it,”
Acocella says when asked about his love letter
to dough, sauce, and cheese, which is named
for one of his twin daughters, Philomena. The
restaurant’s motto, “Made with love,” is evident
in every bite.
Philomena’s
41-16 Queens Blvd., Sunnyside, NY 11104
(718) 255-1778
www.philomenaspizza.com
It took almost a year for Philomena’s to add a
classic New York City slice, but what a slice it is.
Stellar squares include this potato and oregano
created by Acocella’s mother, Violetta.
GayCityNews.com | January 2 - January 15, 2020 23
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