The people who brought Mia’s River Avenue Deli to Patchogue five years ago have headed north of Main Street.
This week, Maria (Mia) Pecoraro and her two kids, Cristina and Ronnie, opened Aunt Mia’s Pizzeria on Waverly Avenue and West 1st Street, just north of the traffic circle.
“Myself and my children both have a lot of experience in pizzerias and restaurants,” said Maria Pecoraro. “Basically, my whole life I’ve been in food. I did a couple of other things, but always went back to food. And then I decided one day to go into business for myself.”
Mia’s River Avenue Deli opened in June of 2012.
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Aunt Mia’s opened Tuesday, Sept. 26, in the former Luchese’s Pizzeria, which was closed earlier this year.
“The whole place was gutted, the landlord re-did it, and then we added all our own touches,” said Pecoraro, who grew up in Bay Shore and now lives in Ronkonkoma.
Along with her experience at privately owned restaurants, Pecoraro also cooked in more corporate settings, such as at Rainforest Café, Johnny Carino’s Italian Restaurants and Computer Associates.
“I feel like all my different experiences and knowledge came together, and it helps,” she said. “You never know at the time that you’ll need [that knowledge] 10 years later. And a lot of people don’t have the opportunity to work in corporate.”
“And it helps,” she laughed, “especially with paperwork.”
The new pizzeria offers all the Italian staples that Long Island pizza lovers, well, love.
“But I’m going to try to mix it up,” she said. “We’ll be doing the traditional, the risottos, the polenta, seafood salad with the scungilli. We’re already making homemade cannoli and fresh mozzarella. And all the dressings are homemade, which I like to stick to at the deli, too.”
Photo: The new Aunt Mia’s Pizzeria at 8 West 1st Street in Patchogue. (Credit: Alyssa Vera)
