Mozzafiato Pizzeria In Centereach: Photo by Brian Kachejian
Over the past year, I’ve noticed some hot pizza trends that have been fueled by the power of social media. In the old day, pizzerias were often based on neighborhood shops that everyone grew accustomed to, or simply spread through word of mouth. Now, with the advent of social media apps like TikTok, especially, all it takes is one person to start a trend at a certain pizzeria, and everyone gets involved. All of a sudden, everybody is circling around that one particular pizzeria. I grew up with two different types of pizza: regular and Sicilian. Of course, over time, specialty slices became all the rage. Recently, Roman-style pizza has become quite popular. For those who may not understand what Roman style is, in basic terms, it’s essentially a rectangular slice of pizza, a little thicker than a grandma and a little thinner than a Sicilian. The crust is also lighter with a more airy feel. There are so many variations with so many different toppings, at what point do we start to get to a place where we ask, “Are we really talking about pizza anymore?” Nonetheless, I am always open to discovering new cuisine, especially if it’s good.
When it comes to pizza reviews, there’s nothing more important to me than the regular slice. That’s what I grew up with, that’s what I know, that’s what I like to eat more than anything else. I am always on the lookout for a great slice of pizza. With all the new pizzerias that have opened recently, specializing in Roman-style and/or specialty slices, it seems that the regular slice of pizza has not been getting as much love as it deserves. There are two reasons behind that. One is probably financial; pizzerias are not going to make as much money on a regular slice as they will on a specialty slice. And hey, that’s okay, it’s not easy running a restaurant, it’s tough, you’ve got to make money, and you kind of do what it takes to make that money so you can stay open. Still, I think any pizzeria owner should take pride in their regular slice. And that brings me to Mozzifiato.
I’ve been to a few very popular pizzerias recently that seem to be all the rage on social media, and in which their regular slices extremely disappointed me. However, that was not the case at Mozzifiato. This pizzeria was recommended to me by some old friends of mine, guys I grew up with in the ’60s and ’70s, who know pizza, and when they recommend a place, when they tell me pizza is good, I’m going to check it out. Turned out they were 100 percent right. The regular slice of pizza at Mozzifiato is one of the best that I’ve ever had, and that says a lot. I’m not looking for anything special on a regular slice; quite simply, I want a nice tasting sauce, fresh cheese, a crust that’s just the right thickness, not burnt, cooked enough to satisfy, and of course a little oil and some spices that make it all come together.
A great slice of regular pizza is not just tomato sauce, cheese, dough, and oil. It’s all of that perfectly mixed together with just the right amount of each, cooked for just the right amount of time, and utilizing just the perfect ingredients that makes it special, either it’s good, bad, or really special. When I taste a slice like the one I tasted at Mozzifiato, my body reacts in a certain way that is almost difficult to describe. It’s just pure happiness running through my blood, the endorphins a runner feels at the end of a long run, that’s what I feel after a couple bites of a great slice of pizza. There aren’t many pizzerias that can do that for me anymore. Mozzifiato was one of them. Their regular slice is a home run. These guys understand.
Mozzifiato also sells Roman style; in fact, that’s what most people go there for. If you’re going to go to Mozzifiato, I recommend going Monday through Friday because that’s when they have their wide selections of pizza out. I have been there multiple times, and I have noticed that if you on a Sunday afternoon, there’s not as much choice as there is on a Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. Sadly, they are closed on Mondays. I don’t understand that. I mean, I guess they do have Monday as a day off, but come on, pizzerias should be open every day. But that really has nothing to do with the review or what is important here, and that’s their pizza. I have tried, through multiple visits, many of their Roman style slices, and they are sensational.
I always like to try a burrata slice because I find it to be one of the most interesting new slices out there. Each slice feels like it was made by someone who actually cares about pizza. This place is a home run. I’ve yet to rank pizzerias on Long Island because I really don’t like to do that, since there are just so many great ones, and it almost feels wrong to pick one over another, especially when there are a handful that I love so much. However, if I had to pick a top three, as I mentioned in the video below, Mozzifiato would be one of them.
Mozzafiato Pizzeria is located at 1950 Middle Country Road in Centereach, New York, officially opened its doors in late 2020. The business is owned by Joe Strada. The head chef and manager, John Ioannou, trained and worked in Italy before helping launch Mozzafiato The pizzeria can be reached at (631) 467-1111. They are closed on Mondays, open Tuesday through Saturday from 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM, and Sunday from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
Read More: A Review Of Dario’s Pizza In West Hempstead New York
