42 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • FEBRUARY 17, 2022 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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Pizza loving artist pays homage to Queens’ iconic pizzerias
BY TAMMY SCILEPPI
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Th ey say you can’t get great-tasting pizza
anywhere but in New York City.
Living here, it’s easy to take your favorite
neighborhood pizzeria for granted and
to forget that like other small businesses,
pizza parlors have been struggling to stay
open during the pandemic. But thousands
of pizza lovers across every borough —
like professional illustrator and dad Joel
Holland — have practically ensured their
survival. Aft er all, no one can resist a hot,
cheesy slice of oven-baked goodness.
Combining his two passions, Holland,
45, would turn a hobby into a “saucy”
obsession. As COVID-19 reared its ugly
head back in March 2020, the Manhattanbased
artist found himself needing a creative
outlet more than ever before. Feeling
motivated by a desire to support local
businesses, he started sketching illustrations
of Gotham’s pizzerias that caught his
eye, looking for shops that had character
and interesting architecture.
“Pizza shops were a natural,” Holland
noted. “My drawings were an advertisement
the businesses didn’t ask for but
hopefully could’ve helped out in some
way. We rely on our local businesses so
much; they are essential to our quality of
life and existence.”
At that time, many shops and restaurants
had closed their doors and Holland said
that drawing those storefronts helped him
deal with the sense of loss and sadness he
was feeling.
“I love the aesthetics of NYC pizza parlors:
the booths, the lighting, the trays of
slices waiting there, fountain Coke …perfection,”
Holland said, adding that his usual
order is “two plain slices, not too hot.”
During that two-year creative, culinary
journey, the curious pizza connoisseur
decided to venture to the outer boroughs
and made his way to some of Queens’ most
popular and iconic pizzerias, where he captured
several unique storefronts through
striking illustrations. Holland recalled sampling
a variety of the pizza shops’ tasty off erings,
with toppings as diverse as the borough
itself. Of course, part of the fun was
schmoozing with the hard-working pizza
makers, who made those places even more
special.
Th e artist’s 50 pizza parlor portraits
include a handful of Queens spots that
he loves: Mano’s Pizzeria in Ridgewood
and Levante in Long Island City. While
each had eye-catching storefronts, both also
served up tasty pizza and more, according
to Holland, who emphasized that they represented
“delicious, exquisite examples of
what New York pizza is all about.”
In addition to those shops, Holland
also sketched other Queens pie joints that
intrigued him including Brother’s Pizzeria
in Fresh Meadows, Rizzo’s Fine Pizza in
Astoria and Tommy’s Pizza in Jamaica.
Mostly drawing with ballpoint pen on
paper and occasionally some other materials,
Holland explained that his work was
always made “with lots of love.”
Th e multi-talented artist, who can also
make a mean thick-crusted pie for family
and friends right in his own kitchen,
fi rst posted his work on Instagram, to the
delight of his many followers. Eventually,
those popular illustrations led to a book
titled “NYC Storefronts,” which is set to hit
shelves in the fall of this year and features
about 280 Manhattan storefront illustrations.
Another book of London storefronts
will be out the following year.
While sketching his way around
Manhattan in early 2020 in search of popular
mom-and-pop pizza shops, the wandering
creative was also drawn to other
small businesses that piqued his interest,
like corner stores, cafes, bakeries, fl orists,
book shops, galleries and even laundromats.
Many of those storefronts are also featured
in the book.
Holland’s entire collection consists of 400-
plus drawings, including 50 NYC pizza parlor
masterpieces, and he said he may consider
creating a Brooklyn and Queens edition
in the future.
He described his hometown of Mount
Joy, Pennsylvania, as “a town so small, that
it only had two pizzerias.” Th e creative said
that pizza is both a perfect food and “also
makes for great conversation.”
Holland said that his perfect slice is “all
in the basics — the freshest ingredients,
the heart of the pizza maker. It’s also very
personal,” the artist noted, adding, “I like
circle pies, triangle slices and classic NYCstyle,
with red pepper fl akes or Mike’s Hot
Honey.”
Some of his favorite pizzerias in other
boroughs include Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop
and L’industrie Pizzeria in Brooklyn, along
with Manero’s Pizza — the fi rst and only
authentic New York slice shop in Little Italy.
“My go-to local is Frank’s Trattoria on
First Avenue and 22nd Street. Th e original
Joe & Pat’s on Staten Island is great as
well. Oh, and Luigi’s Pizza in Sunset Park,
Brooklyn, is phenomenal.”
When he’s not pursuing his current side
hustle, Holland said he really enjoys “soaking
up everything in the city” while doing
additional illustrating and hand lettering.
His work had appeared on book jackets,
in advertisements and in magazines. He
has also worked for Th e New Yorker, Th e
New York Times, Apple, McDonald’s and
numerous publishers and his art has been
exhibited in New York and London.
“I don’t anticipate stopping the storefronts
drawings, though. Th ere are so many great
places to share,” said Holland, who mentioned
that he got occasional messages from
pizza shop owners and workers, via his
Instagram. “Th e responses have been really
warm and appreciative. If I tell them what
I’m up to, they usually try to give me a slice
on the house but I prefer to just support
them with my work. It’s the least I can do.”
Rizzo’s Fine Pizza on Steinway Street is familyowned
and operated in Astoria since 1959. It is
known for its thin-crust Sicilian pizza.
Illustrations by Joel Holland
Mano’s Pizzeria on Forest Avenue in Ridgewood
specializes in high-quality pizza and homemade
sauces that have been in the family for decades.
Levante on Jackson Avenue is a pizza-centric
Italian restaurant and bar, located in the heart
of Long Island City.
Tommy’s Pizza on Liberty Avenue in
Jamaica is family-owned and operated
since 1967.
Photo courtesy of Joel Holland
Manhattan-based illustrator and pizza lover, Joel Holland, makes cheesy pies in his kitchen. The
artist’s 50 pizza parlor portraits include several pizzerias in Queens that he loves.
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