Sept. 12, 2017 By Tara Law
A Neapolitan-style pizzeria has opened in Sunnyside that is owned and operated by the proprietors of SoleLuna.
The pizzeria is called Sotto le Stelle, “under the stars” in Italian. It serves wood fired pizza and panini at 44-07 Queens Boulevard, where Venturo Osteria once operated.
There are several New York-style pizza options in Sunnyside, but there are none where the pizza is baked like it is in Italy, said co-owner Valerio Marchi.
Pizza maker Manuel De Gregorio, who is from Naples, bakes the pizza at 900 degrees in an oven imported from Italy. The dough rises for 48 hours, creating a light thin crust.
The ingredients are brought in from Italy to add to the authenticity. Marchi’s experience running SoleLuna, located a few blocks away at 40-01 Queens Blvd., has helped him to find the city’s best Italian food importers.
“Once you already have a restaurant,” said Marchi, “You know who has what.”
Another important component of the pizzeria is the relaxed family atmosphere. The workers are either related to one another or are friends, Marchi said, and customers pick up on the vibe.
The restaurant’s founders are fellow Italians Marchi met while working in New York City restaurant scene. They opened SoleLuna in 2015, a popular venue known for its fresh pasta, pastries and espresso.
Sotto le Stelle offers classical margherita pizza and pizzas topped with sausages, prosciutto and other Italian ingredients. It also serves antipasto dishes, calzones and panini (see menu).
The restaurant has a full bar menu. The space has 30 indoor seats and eight bar seats. Its food is available for takeout but currently not delivery.
Although he has lived in different city neighborhoods, Marchi insists that he would never want to open a restaurant anywhere but in Sunnyside.
“All of my customers— fantastic,” said Marchi said. “I feel like a neighbor. I almost feel like I’m in Italy, everybody knows everybody.”
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80 Comments
Pizza was one of best I ever had. Was told, Oven from Italy & cooks at 900 degrees. Service very good & lively atmoshere. Prices may be a tad high but worth it. Small place & fills up fast, expect to wait in peak days/ hours
I believe sunnysider. Just look at her. Amazing. How could you argue with that ❤️?????
Yessss! I can’t wait to try this. I love Sol e Luna – the gnocchi is amazing, and they have the best coffee in the neighborhood for sure. The owners are super nice too. I hope their new place does really well!
Question 4 All: what’s the best PIZZA pie in Sunnyside?
Thanks!
I like Domino pizza.
My favorite is cheese square.
Best pizza, fresh and tasty.
I hope it’s organic natural gourmet and rustic for the smoked salmon socialists of Sunnyside.
The hole in the wall called Sunnyside Pizza on south side of QB at 40th Street has the best in the area. And always fresh because it sells so fast.
That’s the north side stupid
It was Nonna Gee’s, til you sunnyside dinosaurs and wa*ker landlords killed it!! Sunnyside pizza is great.
Super happy that this place opened in the nabe. Especially after we lost our last brick oven spot!! But that name is bugging me, it’s terrible, not catchy at all, bad marketing there guys.
What’s the BEST pizza in Sunnyside???
I think it’s Poppy Johns.
Love the crust stuffing the most
There are many origins of this word. Don’t infer anything except this one or you really are a snowflakesider douchebag. This is the meaning intended for these threads:
Those words fell out of use while snowflake settled into the lexicon with its hushed and lovely literal meaning. In recent times, though, the word has been causing a ruckus. It’s developed a new and decidedly less pleasant use as a disparaging term for a person who is seen as overly sensitive and fragile. In the lead-up to the 2016 U.S. elections it was lobbed especially fiercely by those on the right side of the political spectrum at those on the left. And the snowball fight has continued since.
There were glimmers of this use in the decade and a half that preceded that election, but the meaning at first was a bit softer, referring mostly to millennials who were allegedly too convinced of their own status as special and unique people to be able (or bothered) to handle the normal trials and travails of regular adult life.
That use very likely has its genesis in Chuck Palahniuk’s 1996 cult-favorite book Fight Club, in which a member of the anti-consumerist Project Mayhem tells the other members:
“You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake. You are the same decaying organic matter as everyone, and we are all part of the same compost pile.”
In the 1999 movie adaptation the lines go like this:
“Listen up, maggots. You are not special. You are not the beautiful or unique snowflake. You are the same decaying organic matter as everything else. We are the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world. We are all part of the same compost heap.”
You are a PhD in snowflaking
Johnny, Do you know of the origin of the term Snowflakemobile? I do… Do you know the origin of the term Snowflakesider? I do…. Oran Juice Jones does…. El Loco does….
Really wish you people who use the term “Snowflakes” knew its origin…and no, it’s not a movie.
Yes, yes, it came from the 1860’s and was about Abolotionists but was ” re-awakened” by Fight Club. You win.
What do these Snowflakes living in Sunnyside even know about good pizza? They come from places like New Hampshire, Ohio, Vermont, etc. Then they come to NY supported my their mommys and daddy’s to make believe they are NYers. All they know about a place being good or not is if there is free wifi or not. So if you see a bunch of snowflakemobiles (Prius, Subarus, Volvos) with “I’m with her” bumper stickers, or a bunch of 3 speed bikes with baskets parked outside, then my advice is to stay away.
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You tell em bro! I’m a big tough guy, so I know REAL pizza. I beat people up, so I have an incredible palette.
Real NYer. Go back to your mommy and daddy in Vermont and enjoy some Ben and Jerrys Snowflake flavored ice cream with your Pizza Hut stuffed crust. Hey El Loco, would you please pick this sucka up in your 78 Caddy Fleetwood and drive his communist ads to the state line. Man we really need to build a wall to keep the Snowflaksiders out.
HOW MUCH YOU BENCH BRO?!?!?!
Roxy outbenched pressed Barbara last week at the gym.
Are you ok?
I mean I don’t really care – but what I’m saying is “I don’t think you’re okay.”
What makes you think you know anything about pizza? Are you FROM ITALY? NO! SHUT UP PLEASE!
I went with Mr. magloo. he like margherita pie.
marabellas pizza has sucked.for years..not real italian pizza..sunnyside is the best right now
Hey — where is the best pizzas in Sunnyside?
Thanks in Advance 🙂
My favorites is sliced Cheese!
Yummery Pizza
This is not me. Someone is copying my ID again! I was using it long before this copy cat started turning up.
LaBella pizza on Greenpoint & 47th st. love their dinner items too
In sunnyside the best pizza is made Lennys – theyre from some forign country. Trust me, Lannys the best or my name aint El Loco!
Lennys sucks, so do you
Best pizza in sunnyside is in brooklyn
Haha
We went on Sunday and it’s as good as we’d hoped. The prices are fair for the quality of the ingredients. I am beyond thrilled that this place exists! Sunnyside Pizza and Uncle Jimmy’s are great for regular pizza, but Sotte le Stelle is on another level. Service wasn’t great on Sunday, but that’s because a) they’re new and b) it was packed, with a line out the door. I will be there at least weekly.
Been waiting all summer so good to see quality food return to Sunnyside, these guys really fantastic @their craft.
Yeah! we could use a couple of good Numbers joints know what I mean.
Vito- rents are too high to open a social club. Government took over number racket years ago. Ponies too, but failed miserably . G is the new o.c.
OTB closed because Hazel Dukes robbed it blind. Thanks Dinkins!
Thank God more Italian businesses. We need more. All the Italians that were here got fed up with the area and left. Hopefully they come back and improve the neighborhood even more.
Went last night and it was great! We really needed a good pizza place in Sunnyside. And it was packed, so that’s a good sign. Good luck!
Dave, every new place gets crowded at 1st bc it’s a novelty… when that wears off it’s downhill.
“High end Pizza”? Sorry but this is not Manhattan. This is Sunnyside, Queens, where we are used to a slice for $2.50. I give this place a year, TOPS. Will not last
15 year doesn’t speak for everyone.last I looked Manhattan had both high end pizza and $2.50 slices. Sunnyside has had good pizza in the past Sunnyside Pizza on Greenpoint between 46th & 45th Streets in the 60’s & 70’s, Sals Pizza on Greenpoint off 44th Street in 60’s -80’s, Jerry’s Pizza on 46th Street off QB in the 80’s, Papa Mikes on Skillmsn off 47th Street -60’s & 70’s. Mediterrano in the 2000’s. Currently Sunnyside Pizza, Uncle Jimmy’s and Donatos aren’t bad. Even though it was technically Woodside I”ll throw Rosario’s into the mix on Skillman off 50th Street.
You are the true Pizza connoisseur
wow. knowledge bomb!
I like you and your pizza knowledge
oh Good! the prices will keep the RIFF RAFF away. only us Sunnyside Gardens residents can afford to eat here.
I guess overpaying for a fancy named Cracker Jacks box makes you special.
Pizza racist
If I can’t buy just a slice, I’m not interested.
I’m sure they can do without Roxy’s business.
Labella on gp ave is good.
Going to miss Venturo, they had some good burgers, better than the ones in RIKERS ISLAND, ya know!!
How much is a pizza pie? MY favorite is cheesey 🙂
sole lunas the best! Good luck to you guys!
Good luck, neighborhood seriously needs a proper pizza place. Sunnyside Pizza with sesame got boring, Marabella is skimping on ingredients, how thin can it get? Yet still not fully cooked! Lenny’s is meh. Any other place to get good pizza around here? Non of that gourmet stuff, that they call “pizza” but it’s basically flatbread with sauce drizzled and two bayleaves or basil and call it “gourmet” food. More like hipster foolishness. Give me “italian” new york pizza baked by amigos from juarez, and I am golden.
Marabella? The pizza sucks. Last time I got pizza there was the last time. The box the pizza came in was better. Both taste like cardboard but the box was flavorful .must have been the ink.
You got taste
There is no good Sunnyside pizza that I know of. I liked the pizza place on the corner of Greenpoint and 44th — it had been a Singa, and then it was taken over by an Italian family and they served long-type pizzas. It was pretty good–great, by Sunnyside standards. But they lost the lease after a short time. Now it’s a bodega. I would kill for a decent slice place in the hood. I hope Sotto le Stelle is good. I like SoleLuna, but it’s good not great.
That should tell you something, nonna Gina was great but didn’t last because the people of sunnyside didn’t get the concept. This neighborhood couldn’t support him because they want the crappy $2.25 slice from penny’s which is disgusting. This place will do a little better because they have the restaurant on 40st and the people on the north side will pay. Southside is a different world.
Lennys, not pennys
Its all a different world. Nearly all our places are mostly empty. They charge brooklyn commercial rents here, but we are a lower density neighborhood and dont have the numbers to support it. Plenty of empty storefronts on both sides, from skillman to 48 ave. Youd have to wait 3 hours to get into a similar greenpoint/wburg restaurant. For probably nearly the same rent, this restaurant is going to always have half their tables open. Too many single family homes here, and almost nobody comes here from elsewhere to go out.
Nonna gina failed because they had a shitty landlord and they undercooked their pizza. South side is actually more “brooklynized” than the north because it has more rentals. A restaurant row closed to auto traffic on 46 between queens and greenpoint would make a killing and pull in foot traffic from the lirr tracks to the LIE. Instead, we have a puppy mill and a constantly idling semi truck.
looks like they spent a fortune on the storefront ph wait it’s the same shitty one from the last two places that failed there. You guys couldn’t even paint the bottom seriously? Top notch restauranteurs.
And the biggest line of BS is they’re bringing in ingredients from Italy. Yeah ok.
I’m not sure what the hype is on the first place is maybe the lack of restaurants in the area that make people think it’s so great.
Yeah nice sign too. They could have done that better
It’s a horizon line…they painted it. I hope the anger you tote around all day doesn’t weight you down too much.
I don’t think they’re actually importing the ingredients themselves. All of the food companies have products imported however. It’s the same thing! Good luck to them! The Restaurant business has become very very hard and they are doing very well. Thank god for them.
We had a pizza and App last night. The place was packed but service was swift and the staff was super cool and friendly. Wine selection was nice, We stayed for dessert. Amazing atmosphere. Go!
Looking forward to trying it out this week! Best of luck, owners!
Looks good!
Best of luck! Awesome!
No phone until tomorrow, they hope so you have to go there in person for now.
I don’t see any slices. My ma can’t eat a whole pie. I
they have no slices or normal pizza. they have mini pies good for one but you’ll pay 14-17 dollars for it. not worth it
Hmmm….those aren’t the prices on the menu.
If you want slices or whatever it is you consider “normal pizza” to be, go to any one of the many NYC style pizza joints in the neighborhood. This restaurant serves authentic Italian style pizza, which is entirely different from what you’re comparing it to. Also, a pie can typically feed two though you may want some sides/appetizers with that.
do they deliver? cause i’m looking to order dinner now. is there a phone number?
Article above: “Its food is available for takeout but currently not delivery.”
Hopefully this will change soon – exciting.
Can’t you read. No delivery yet. Stop drinking
Maybe use the internet to search or look up on Yelp.com and search the name.