Yorktown Resident Opens Pizzeria in Tarrytown

A Yorktown resident has opened a pizzeria restaurant in Tarrytown. Nick Krasniqi, who previously owned a restaurant in Dobbs Ferry called Mimosa (recently placed by Harper's), also owns a restaurant in Briarcliff Manor- Dom & Vinnie's. 

Mr. Nick's Brick Oven Pizza opened on North Broadway in Tarrytown in the location previously occupied by Cassano's Pizza-Trattoria. The changeover took place quickly and the new menu is not quite finalized. Once firmed up, it will be supplemented by daily blackboard specials.

The sign in front still reads Cassano's but owner Krasniqi has ordered a replacement and hopes it will arrive and be installed in a few days.

"Our new menu is nearing completion," Krasniqi said, "and it will offer many dishes previously served by Cassano's but at lower prices and made from different recipes."

The dishes being held over will be supplemented by both new items and a number of offerings now on the menu at his other restaurant, Dom & Vinnie's. Among a long list of pizzas that Krasniqi's will bake are buffalo chicken parmigiana, chicken scarpirello, barbecue chicken, vegetable, salad, lasagna and Hawaiian.

The new items, Krasniqi said, will include a 10-inch, personal pizza called Mimosa, made with mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, fresh basil and tomato sauce, priced at $7.50. He expects it to be a best seller.

A meat pizza being retained from the predecessor restaurant's menu will be prepared using the same basic meat ingredients - sausage, pepperoni and bacon. Krasniqi said he thought about substituting meatball as one of the ingredients but decided this might confuse or disappoint customers anticipating the same ingredient combination the previous owner provided. 

Menu choices picked up from the Dom & Vinnie's menu include:

• Appetizers: such as clams Arreganato (a starter) and arugula and tri-color salads
• Hero sandwiches: including veal parmigiana, veal and pepper, tuna salad, salami and provolone and pizza rolls (chicken, spinach, calzone, sausage, pepperoni)
• Wraps and specialty sandwiches: an example is portobello mushroom with spicy sausage
• Main courses: including chicken scarpirello, chicken cacciatore, chicken parmigiana, veal masala, and eggplant Fiorentina and pastas (spaghetti, rigatoni, ziti, linguini, etc.)
• Desserts: cheesecake, cannelloni, tiramisu and more

Krasniqi is waiting for a license to serve wine and beer.

A catering menu for trays feeding 10 or 20 people is also being developed and will include some dishes not appearing on the restaurant menu (but occasionally available as daily specials) such as veal Genovese (which comes with peas, potatoes, onions and prosciutto). Three-foot-long wedges can be provided if ordered two days in advance.

Mr. Nick's Brick Oven Pizza, 21 N. Broadway, Tarrytown, NY. Open from 11 a.m. to 1o p.m. on Monay through Thursday. open from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Friday-Saturday and open from noon to 9 pm. on Sunday. 914-366-0666 or 914-366-0676.