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Grimaldi's Move POSTPONED Due To Death In The Family
By
Garth Johnston
Published Nov 28, 2011
Modified Nov 28, 2011
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By
Garth Johnston
Published Nov 28, 2011
Modified Nov 28, 2011
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Today is no longer the last day for Grimaldi's pizza as we know it. Unfortunately the drama surrounding the Brooklyn pizza institution's surprise move next door struck a tragic note this weekend. After an unexpected death in the family, the coal-oven pizzeria's last day has been pushed back temporarily—they still need to be out by the end of the month (as in this Wednesday) so pizzaiolo Patsy Grimaldi can start work on his new pizzeria in the space that made him famous. Meanwhile, the other pizzeria on the block isn't worried in the least about the coming pizza wars.
We stopped by Grimaldi's this morning to talk about the move but none of the restaurant's higher-ups were anywhere to be found. According to one of the men at the counter, "the 39-year-old son of the owner dropped dead at the gym on Saturday and everyone is at the funeral." Although it has been confirmed elsewhere, out of respect for the family the pizzeria's press people would only confirm that there was a death-related family emergency that took precedence over the move.
Still, we were assured that the new pizzeria next door is all built out and ready to go—possibly illegal coal-oven and all. You wouldn't know it from the building's exterior, however. And we did note that Grimaldi's was still taking wine deliveries in the original space as we were leaving.
As for the threat of competition from the return of Patsy Grimaldi underneath the Brooklyn Bridge? Nobody seems too worried. Last week Grimaldi's (the restaurant) owner Frank Ciolli told the Post, "I have no animosity towards Patsy and his family. He gave me a wonderful opportunity selling me the place in 1998, and I wish him the best." And we got a similar response from Louis Termini, who opened Ignazio's around the corner three-years ago—with a fancy gas-oven imported from Verona, Italy.
"I mind my own business," Termini told us when we asked what he thought of the additional pizza coming to the block. But, having picked up slack from Grimaldi's himself, he understands the business logic of opening a pizzeria near the institution. For years, he told us, he "could not figure out why another pizzeria didn't open next to Grimaldi's." He had been running pizzerias in Connecticut and finally a few years back came to try his neighbors pizza. "When I saw that there was no other pizzeria here I couldn't believe it—a few weeks later the landlord was putting a sign in the window and my godson from Besonhurst called me and said, 'Guess what, they're putting a sign in the window under the Bridge next to Grimaldi like you told me to look for.' I came down the next day and met with the landlord, said my prayers while I was talking to him and God gave me the store."
Finally, for those of you how are confused by the difference between Grimaldi's, Patsy's, Patsy Grimaldi and Patsy Grimaldi's new pizzeria, Juliana's, Slice has a good timeline for you.
Tagged
brooklyn
dumbo
frank ciolli
fulton ferry
grimaldi's
ignazio's
louis termini
patsy grimaldi
Garth Johnston
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