Barbecue, meatballs, and wood fired pizza flavor the borough’s warm weather menus

By Marisa Procopi

New Legend In The Making
After sampling some of Anthony Valois’s barbecue at an event, Peter Botros knew he had found his next restaurant venture.

“The food was just that good, and we started talking about opening up a higher end barbecue joint almost immediately after we met,” noted Botros, who is no slouch in the kitchen himself; the owner of the Stone House at Clove Lakes, The Chef’s Loft, and Violette’s Cellar has built an impressive reputation on the Staten Island restaurant scene, crafting exotic and coveted dishes at all three of these restaurants.

Valois, pit master of the award winning mobile barbecue caterer The Smoke Exchange, was all in too. He signed on as a principal and chef of the business, which recently made its home in the former Corner House Bar and Grill. The restaurant is now dubbed Corner House BBQ (an ode to the longstanding neighborhood gem), and hired patriotic artist Scott LoBaido to plaster both interior and exterior. The heart and soul of the fare is barbecue like brisket, pulled pork, and ribs, but there’s also Southern comfort on the menu too, including biscuits, fried chicken, and corn bread. 102 Lincoln Avenue, cornerhousebbq.com

MILLIE’S GETS FIRED UP!
Following the success of its Morristown location, New Jersey based Millie’s Old World recently debuted Millie’s of Staten Island at Brick town Shopping Center. Owners and Staten Island natives Vince and Brandon Carrabba followed the same formula for their hometown restaurant, serving the same coal and wood fired artisan pizzas and meatballs that gained both consumer and critics’ attention, including regularly rising to the top of “best pizza” lists in New Jersey. The new operation includes a 21 seat custom bar and garage doors that open to 2,500 square feet of outdoor dining space. The bar will serve craft cocktails created by one of Manhattan’s top mixologists, along with four wines and 20 beers on tap (the wine list features more than 40 bottles from around the world). It’s the latest step for the Carrabba brothers, who plan to grow the brand nationally, with additional openings slated for Manhattan and Dallas. 185 Brick town Road, milliesoldworld.com

UNCORKED
Fine wine and a sampling of dishes from local chefs will be on hand at Richmond Town on June 2, as Uncorked celebrates its 10th anniversary at the historic site. The event, which is celebrated rain or shine, will feature several chef demonstrations and plenty of vintages for sipping. Participants include Max’s Es-Ca, Mark’s Bake Shoppe, Duzer’s Local Cafe & Market, Chef Mike’s Rodizio Grill, The Stone House, Violette’s Cellar, Corner House BBQ, The Hop Shoppe, The Pizza Parlor, and Panini Grill. Prepaid tickets are $35 for adults and $13 for children aged 12 to 17. The event runs from noon to 4 P.M., but tastings wind down at 3 P.M. Visit historicrichmondtown.org for more information.