Behind a wooden door, under an abandoned warehouse and next door to a construction site is a brand new Italian eatery serving one of a kind pizza, arugula salads and over 21 paninis. Located on 27th St. and 10th Avenue Ovest Pizzoteca is a new Italian eatery in the heart of Manhattan's Chelsea. A sister restaurant to Luzzos Pizza in the East Village, its ambience is serene, with imported wines, bar, and eat-in restaurant is not typical for the local pizza shops that surround it.
Since opening on Valentines Day Weekend, Ovest has already started to gain a loyal fan base. TV personality and entrepreneur Martha Stewart made an appearance at the restaurant’s grand opening and has even mentioned the eatery on her syndicated talk show Martha. Stewart who is also a fan of Luzzos decided to check out Ovest which is located a few blocks from Starrett-Lehigh Building which she occupies a floor inside.
Ovest makes the third restaurant for Michele Iuliano who owns two Luzzos chains in the city. Ovest, like Luzzos serves Italian style pizza and anti-paste but offers over 20 types of paninis and a slew of lunch specials. They’re promoting $6 8-inch pizza, along sandwiches and salads as lunch specials. There’s also free “pizza hors d'œuvres during happy hour. Ovest’s most distinctive meal is their Pizza a Cono which is a cone-shaped pizza, which is also on their lunch menu for $6.
"The Napoletana pizza is delicious" says Ilaria Bedin, 21, a foreign exchange student from Venice, Italy. Bedin, who also interns across the street at Ilhabela Holdings is already a fan of the new business. Having sampled most the lunch menu (with the help of her co-workers), she is quite fond of the new place across the street. "I’m from Venice so I know real pizza. This is closest to the real thing I’ve tasted since I moved to New York. Reminds me of home.”
Ovest’s location, lies right in the middle of the industrial 27th St and unlike other restaurants and businesses, there’s no banners. The only advertisement Ovest has is a chalkboard easel that lies in front of the restaurant during daytime hours. Even the staff is a bit clueless on why Iuliano picked such as secluded area with no visual advertisements. “The location it self isn’t a bad spot, it’s a lot of business here since a lot of working people surround the area.” said Charlie Bisgonio, a bar tender at the restaurant. “I do think we need an ad or something, so people know where to find us.”
Emma Scartino, a cashier at Ovest referred to the surrounding neighborhood scene as the inspiration for the location. "It's the mecca of nightlife. Some of the best nightclubs in the city are right next door." Clubs like Pink Elephant and Marquee are within minutes of the restaurant and attract people from all professions including athletes, celebrities and local office workers. "I think because we are so secluded makes people more curious about this place. “
Restaurants in New York City have gotten the lighter edge of the stick when it comes to the dwindling economic crisis. While many Americans face lay-offs and foreclosure; many restaurants are opening up shop. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the restaurant business expanded 4% since the start of the recession in December 2007 and is expected to rise about 8% within the next ten years.
An increase of local restaurants can boost the country’s economic standing. According to statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau. The median income for a household increases as well as that individual credit standing. 21% of New Yorkers are employed in the culinary profession and if restaurants rise to 8% percent in the next ten years the culinary profession in New York will increase to about 23% employing over 3 million with jobs and about 50,000 becoming local restaurant owners.
With only a month down under its melt, business doing good for Ovest Pizzoteca if you ask Bigosnio. "We get consistent business. We have the usual crowd of working people early evening and the party people in the midnight hours. If things stay the same, then we should have nothing to worry about."
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