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at this williamsburg eatery, old country flavor fidelity and customer participation (including nicknaming meals) is standard fare

by Hannah Petertil

With all of the elaborate, complicated, and overly hyped restaurants, it can be sweet relief to stumble across a city gem that has stuck to its roots in the best—and least pretentious—way. Patrizia’s is one of those classic Italian finds. Antonio Alaio, son of Giacomo (who founded Patizia’s in the Bronx 25 years ago), runs the Williamsburg location with gusto and an intense love of the wood fired oven (and his barbeque, on days off); Alaio proudly pointed out that 75% of the menu emerges from that oven.

The Williamsburg location is in a redesigned factory where the brick walls, floor-to-ceiling windows, wall of wine, and glowing embers of the wood-fire tell a story of happy simplicity. In fact, the TV, hanging like an acrobat from the ceiling, is the only outward indication that might take a customer out of an early-last-century sense. It’s also a place where customers gather for camaraderie hard to track down in other parts of the borough.

On this early fall evening, the red sauce was flowing and the group-sing proceeding apace. “The fun part,” Alaio said with a grin, “is on the weekends when everybody is eating and having a good time—then we can we put on a song customers know, like ‘Sweet Caroline.’ Everyone starts singing along.”

Born and raised in the Bronx and exposed to its ineffable Italian neighborhood summers, Alaio’s influences are culinary and lyrical in equal measure. When in doubt, he gravitates towards the comforting flavors of his childhood: extra virgin olive oil, oregano, and garlic. That home cooking heritage is never more in evidence than when, on select weekends, Patrizia’s features its “Sunday Sauce” special. Another is the hot, home-baked bread served aside a deep bowl of olive oil, murky with spices and delightfully garlicky: a combination that would satisfy any home-sick Napolitano’s cravings.

As we tucked into an appetizer of Pepperoni all’Pozzuolo—Holland peppers stuffed with buffalo mozzarella and prosciutto—the dance of aglio and the biting salt of the meat was at once flavorful and textural.

“I want people to
have the same
experience they’d get
in the old country.”

Hand & Stone SPREAD

The sum is that Alaio and family have managed to create a dining adventure worth seeking out, one that he attributes to Italy. “I want people to have the same experience they would get in the old country, but without traveling.” Patrizia’s does this, in part, by creating a family style menu to mimic farm restaurants where, “…everything is homegrown and there is no menu. You don’t get to pick anything out—they just bring what they cook and you eat.” Alaio, despite his general ease and penchant for culinary poetry, did not always see himself at the restaurant. It wasn’t until a workfilled summer there—when he was home from sophomore year in college—that he saw a future at the helm of a brick oven. As he prepped and watched, Alaio began to craft his future, and ultimately chose to run the Williamsburg hotspot because of its ambiance and homey feel.

All five Patrizia’s locations feature the same core menu, but specials change according to location.
This is where Alaio gets to play with his love affair with Italian flavors, and he recalled moments such as the first time he ate fresh truffle pasta in Tuscany or the unbeatable seafood of the Amalfi coast. While he loves cooking because of its “endless learning experience,” Aliao does not tire of the classics and looks forward to serving what patrons have lovingly dubbed “moneybags and purses” (also know as Fioretti alla Boscaiola, or four-cheese pasta with prosciutto cream sauce). He laughed when explaining that he has no idea where these and a number of other nicknames came from, but they bring a smile to his face. These affectionate re-namings of coveted Patrizia’s dishes are a simple side effect of pleasing customers, which is, after all, what makes Antonio Alaio tick.

Patrizia’s of Brooklyn
35 Broadway / 718.218.9272 / patriziasofbrooklyn.com

Try this for fall Hannah & Antonio’s Pasta Fazoul

When our culinary writer got hold of Antonio’s recipe, she was compelled to make her own home version, and offered a bit of improvisation in the process. Here, then, is their hybrid of a classic, hearty, comforting winter soup, perfect for family gatherings.
1 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
2 TBS canola oil
½ small sweet onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 celery rib, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
1 ½ TBS tomato paste
1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes
1 quart chicken broth
1 sprig rosemary
1 (15oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed
¾ tsp red pepper flakes
¼-1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for serving
Chopped flat leaf parsley, for serving Salt
1-2 cups cooked al dente pasta

Directions Heat olive oil and canola oil in a deep pot over medium heat; add onion, carrot, and celery and sauté until onions become translucent (about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Turn heat to down to low and add garlic, prosciutto, and tomato paste, stirring until tomato paste becomes well incorporated. Add diced tomatoes and season with a healthy pinch of salt.

Turn heat up to medium high add chicken broth, beans, and rosemary sprig. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add Parmesan, red pepper flakes, and your drained pasta to the soup. Serve with a generous topping of parsley and Parmesan.