Americans love their pizza. We spend $37 billion a year on it, according to a 2014 USDA report, continuing an affair that’s been going on since the early 1900s, when Italian immigrants brought this simple dish to New York.
Pizza didn’t need a lot of hype to become an American staple. The most successful pizzerias, like my dad’s, relied on a good product and good service to get people to come back. And they did. Over and over again. For years and years.
My dad’s pizzeria fed, clothed, housed and educated five kids. It gave us jobs and our own spending money. It’s been passed down to a son and then a grandson.
I learned if you can make a decent crust and a tasty sauce, the rest is pretty easy. Use quality cheese and toppings, and people buy what you’re selling. After that, it’s a matter of respecting and appreciating your customers.
Seaside has its share of pizzerias, and now there’s one more. DeMarco’s Pizzeria opened April 15. Recent visits reveal things are going well. On the first trip, about half of the four-top tables were occupied in a place that seats about 32. Not bad for a Tuesday just before closing. (By the way, 8pm seems a bit early – especially in mid-summer, when the sun is still shining.)
We ordered a 12-inch Soprano supreme ($15) – bell peppers, onion, pepperoni, mushrooms, sausage and mozzarella – named for the mob family celebrated in the decor of DeMarco’s dining room. It arrived with a thin, crispy, well-browned, New York-style, foldable crust. Pepperoni, mushroom and mild Italian sausage settled in the moist and gooey mozzarella, adding delightful savoriness. Rings of white onion and coarsely chopped red, green and yellow bell peppers on top provided a crunchy sweetness to each bite.
Anchoring all the flavors was just about the right amount of tangy tomato sauce. That and a pint of English Ales Big Sur Golden blonde ale ($4) are what the doctor ordered after a long work day. The other three brews on tap: English Ales Fat Lip Ale, Lagunitas IPA and Coors Light (all $4). Bottles include Peroni, Sierra Nevada, Blue Moon, 1066, Shock Top, Miller and Coors Light ($4.50). There area also a few local wines like Silvestri.
The next day, I take a couple of servings of their highly touted eggplant Parmesan ($10) home for lunch. An extra $2 adds minestrone soup or salad. Eggplant Parm is one of my all-time Italian favorites, and one I’ve tried at home a handful of times. Owner, pizza-maker and native upstate New Yorker Steve DeMarco makes about 40 servings every Tuesday for the night’s special; I’m lucky they have exactly two servings left the next day. And it’s so good, I can now get my fix without having to make it myself. Friday and Saturday is Steve’s meat lasagna special ($14). He says it’s a must.
Pizzas range from plain cheese ($10 for a 12-inch; $19 for an 18-inch) to the meaty godfather ($15, $25). DeMarco makes a new batch of meatballs daily. Choices of stuffed calzone are sausage ($11), pepperoni ($11) or meatball ($12).
My editor says the pepperoni-onion calzone he tried enjoyed a crispy-but-soft texture and sauce-meat-dough balance that had him thinking: 1) Why doesn’t he eat more calzones? and 2) Does the fact he doesn’t eat many make it unfair to call DeMarco’s the best he’s had?
The menu offers three dinner entrees: chicken Parmesan ($13), spaghetti and meatballs ($14) and baked ziti ($12). Three subs too: the meatball, chicken Parmesan and the sausage with sauteed peppers and onions ($8.50 for 6-inch, $13 for 12-inch). Seven appetizers include grandma’s garlic knots ($5), deep fried raviolis ($6) and Mimi’s meatball sliders (three for $8). Still room for more? The dessert menu features Zeppoli’s fried dough, New York cheesecake, cannoli and tiramisu (each $4).
With chains like Round Table, Pizza Hut, Domino’s and Me-N-Ed’s to compete with – all within a mile or so – DeMarco’s would benefit from a differentiating ingredient. And it has one.
DeMarco gives diners an exuberant New York-style “Welcome folks, howawya” from behind the counter when they arrive. His sister works the kitchen and his girlfriend the dining room, bringing an unmistakeable friendly-family charm to the place.
Great job on the location’s rehab too. Cozy and soothing Italian nostalgia now infuse a space that sat empty or underutilized for years. The decor includes red-checkered tablecloths, a few wine-barrel tables, the red, white and green Italian flag color scheme, framed pictures of Sinatra and other Italian legends, and even a big-screen TV for sports fans.
The positive vibes can distract from the fact running a pizzeria is demanding work. Hot ovens. Long hours on your feet. Food quality and cost control. Tireless service. Unblinking consistency. To be successful as a neighborhood, family-style restaurant, all those things need to be taking place, and more. The “more” here is the genuine hospitality. That should, and does, make the difference.
DeMarco’s Pizzeria 720 Broadway Ave., Seaside. • Noon-3pm, 5-8pm Tue-Fri, 4-9pm Sat. •899-1762, www.demarcospizzeria.menu