■DINING A New Leaf BY BRADLEY hAWKS Basil Brick Oven has always been a family affair, but the helm of this über popular pizzeria has recently been taken over by Costabile Martuscelli, his uncle Raffaele Censullo, and Carlo Illiano. The pizzeria grew to fame when it transformed from a fourteen-seat pizza shop to take over the frozen yogurt space next door, as well as the apartments at the back of the building. The Giannola Brothers first built the space to cater to the needs of the tenants of the surrounding properties, and great pizza, service, and ambiance took it to a whole new level. Now that Martuscelli has taken the reigns after the former chef recently moved out West, some exciting new changes have taken place. While the menu no longer boasts over fifty varieties of pies, he believes in quality over quantity. “I would get of school each day and head to my father’s store to make pizzas,” he explains. “When I graduated high school, I was still working every weekend. Some people make pizza, and it’s all about the money. That’s not what it’s about for me at all.” “Thank God I have my uncle Ralph here and Carlo. I do the adjustments, and that’s all I have to do,” laughs Martuscelli. Raffaele runs the pizza oven, and Carlo conducts the kitchen. Raffaele has been tossing pies in the air since 1974, and learned from the same the guy who taught Dom DeMarco at DiFara—which is commonly heralded as one of the best pies in the whole city. After trying a margherita pie and a few of the new signature dishes, it is safe to say the space is in exceptional new hands. The pies are decidedly more Neapolitan, and the pastas are each made from scratch. If you have yet to try Basil Brick Oven, now is definitely the time. 28-17 Astoria Boulevard Astoria, NY 11102 718-204-1205 www.basilbrickoven.com Photos by Bradley Hawks
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