Umberto’s circa 2007Visited Umberto’s Pizzaria this past Saturday on the way back from Islip, New York and an all-day Karate event.
I grew up not far from here and the normal course of events was to collect a house or two on my paper route and then cycle over to Jericho Turnpike with friends to spend an afternoon or at least part of it eating pizza, shooting the breeze, setting up the salt so it would spill on the next unsuspecting customer.
The Umberto’s of today is a far cry from the one my friends and I frequented. It has expanded at least 3 times and now has an informal dining area as well as a supper club for the rarified parts of New Hyde Park middle-classdom.
The pizza hasn’t changed a lick and is probably still the best in New York and points far in all directions.
They have stayed consistent to the original recipe and did not stray during the Ray’s Pizza globs of Cheese craze which started in the mid ‘80 and continues today. Pineapple Pizza? Well I guess they will pepper it with Pineapple if you ask but no one is silly enough to.

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