Il Sorriso, a Fine Food Italian Restaurant in Irvington, Expands the Presence of Pizza on Its Menu

Pizza’s popularity has not gone unnoticed at Il Sorriso in Irvington. As a result, owner William Winstanley will add several new pies to his pizza list; in addition, he plans to fire up the eatery’s wood-burning oven at lunchtime (now not done until dinnertime).

He said, “Gourmet pizza has been catching on as a dinner alternative to pasta and other items on the menu. This (the introduction of new pizzas) should make having pizza for dinner even more attractive.”

Winstanley pointed out that Il Sorriso will still serve Osso Buco D’Agnell alla Barolo, Fettuccine Calabresi and other dishes even more difficult to pronounce (unless you understand Italian). “But patrons now have an in-depth option to order a fine-food version of pizza if they so prefer.”

The pies are baked at temperatures reaching 800 degrees; all come with thin charred crust. Ingredients used include San Marzano tomatoes imported from Italy and Coputo 00 flour. It takes only three minutes to four minutes to bake an individual pizza.

A full selection of individual size (measuring about 10 or 11 inches) pizzas officially goes on the menu in April but a more limited choice of pizzas will be available on the prix-fixed lunch ($20.95) and dinner ($29.95) menus to be served during Hudson Valley Restaurant Week, March 18-30, 2012.

The new pizzas will include:

• Gorgonzola pie. Accompanied by caramelized onion and sage. No tomato sauce 
• Vegetable pie. Has eggplant, red pepper, onions, and sun-dried tomato plus cheese
• Pepperoni and sausage pie. Comes with fresh mozzarella, provolone, garlic, oregano, pepperoni and sausage

The eight individual pizzas currently offered are (all Il Sorriso pies come with tomato sauce unless otherwise noted):

1. Margherita pie. Mozzarella and fresh basil. $12
2. Fig pie. Fig jam, prosciutto, red onions and goat cheese. $15
3. Bianco pie. Mozzarella, cherry tomato, fresh basil and garlic. No tomato sauce. $14
4. Prosciutto di parma pie. Mozzarella and prosciutto di parma topped with arugula. $15
5. Broccoli rabe and sausage pie. Fresh mozzarella, fennel sausage and fresh garlic. No tomato sauce. $16
6. Funghi Misti pie. Porcini, shitake, portobello and fresh mozzarella. $14
7. Pancetta and egg pie. Pancetta, fresh mozzarella, parmigiano regigiano and black truffles. A Sunnyside egg is added in the final step of preparation. No tomato sauce. $17
8. Sausage and mushroom pie. Sweet sausage, mushrooms and fresh mozzarella. $15

What’s popular?

The most popular pizzas, Winstanley said, are margherita, fig and bianco. The fig pie uses fig jam to provide sweetness; prosciutto to contribute saltiness; onions to provide extra flavor; and goat cheese for richness, added at the last minute and warmed but not cooked.

The most popular appetizers are:

• Prince Edward Islands mussels. In spicy tomato sauce with grilled Tuscan bread
• Mozzarella. Wrapped in prosciutto di parma and grilled on a bed of roasted red pepper
• Polpettine e Formaggio. Small meat balls, raisons and pine nuts on roasted bread with provolone

The best selling desserts are chocolate mousse cake and tiramisu (house-made). Desserts also include apple strudel and a light ricotta cheese cake made from Grand Marnier liqueur, the juice of two oranges and orange zest (shavings of orange peel).

The restaurant has an open deck for warm weather dining and a wine cellar room that can accommodate up to 16 people.

Il Sorriso means "the smile."

Il Sorriso is located at 5 North Buckhout Street, Irvington, New York. It is open for lunch and dinner every day except Monday.  914-591-2525. www.ilsorriso.com.