By Ivan Pereira
When Joe DiMaria was deciding on a location for his new brick oven pizzeria, he said he chose Little Neck because it was a neighborhood where he could bring something new to the table.
Although there are several eateries near his shop, DiMaria’s, at 248-25 Northern Blvd., the Whitestone resident said he distinguishes himself with the large selection of pizzas, salads, heroes and other Italian dishes that his kitchen offers to customers. There’s no other restaurant in the area with a comparable menu and similarly affordable prices, he said.
DiMaria’s pizza menu offers traditional pies in Neapolitan, Sicilian and brick-oven styles for prices as low as $2.30 a slice. Aside from regular toppings such as pepperoni and mushrooms, options include barbecued chicken, salad and Hawaiian, according to the owner.
But there’s more than just pizza being cooked up behind the counter, DiMaria said. “I’ve got great entrees.”
DiMaria’s has a large selection of pasta and Italian dishes for order at the restaurant or for catering. Some of the dishes include linguine primavera, rigatoni with broccoli and penne plum tomato sauce.
Customers can get a taste of those pasta dishes Wednesday evenings, when the restaurant holds its weekly pasta night from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. During that period, eaters can feast on the pasta menu at a price of $5.95, according to DiMaria.
“There has been a good response,” DiMaria said to the menu.
Since opening in January, the owner said the restaurant has seen a large group of growing customers, and he said that was due to his experience in the city’s eatery business. He has been working in different restaurants throughout the borough for the last 15 years and is grateful for the support from Little Neck residents who have welcomed him into their community.
DiMaria said the eatery would be expanding to include more services, including state Lottery machines and an outdoor cafe scheduled to open in the spring.
“I think this will be a great addition to the area. The neighborhood needed something like this,” he said.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
