Carini Pizzeria Boasts The Best Pies In Town

When you open up a new restaurant in this town, you need a way to stand out and make waves. owner Joe Iannone, who opened his new establishment at 624 North Broadway in January of this year, has found a way to do just that- by making a claim that his product stands tall over all comers.

"I think that if you come and try our regular pie, it'll the best pie you'll ever have," Iannone boasted. "We use corn meal on the bottom, which gives it a very crispy crust...our pie is a thin-crust regular. Most people don't make that- that's a city pie. Most places have thicker, chewier crusts."

Such tough talk doesn't amount to much if you can't back it up, but when it comes to pizza, Iannone has years of experience under his belt.

"I've had many Pizzerias before," he said. "The last one I owned was Primavera Pizza on Meacham Avenue in Elmont. I owned that one for 13 years, and I was voted second best pizza in Nassau County in 1990 by Newsday."

After selling that business, Iannone soon felt the entrepreneurial bug yet again, despite facing the harsh reality of a tough economic climate.

"Sometimes I work for people, but then I get the itch to go back into my own business again," he said. "I like it better, and I thought it would be a challenge...I wanted to see if I could do it again, even though the economy isn't that great these days."

"I chose this location because it reminded me of my old store in Elmont," Iannone continued. "A lot of my old customers are actually spread out here in Massapequa. It's a good area...it's a big, middle-class area, and Broadway is a busy street."

Considering that the previous business housed in Carini's location was also a Pizzeria, little had to be altered for Iannone to open up shop. Well, except for one minor detail- the cleanliness of the former tenant.

"We had to do a lot of cleaning...the place was a pigsty," he said. "It took me one week straight with three guys to clean all the grease out of here and do the right thing. Now it's perfect."

For those looking to get some bang for of their buck, Iannone runs multiple weekly specials, including Grandma pies on Mondays for $9.95; Sicilian Pies on Tuesdays for $10.95; and his much ballyhooed regular pies on Wednesdays for $9.95. He also offers Pasta Nights for $5.99.

Since opening, Carini Pizzeria has enjoyed steady business, but Iannone is hoping that his pizza will soon catch on with Massapequans in a big way.

"I think we have a quality product a great price," he said. "It's worth a try...it you try it, I think you're going to like it."