STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Despite torrential downpours Saturday afternoon, 35 hand-picked parlors presented at Dave Portnoy’s “One Bite Pizza Festival” at Maimonides Park in Coney Island. With Denino’s among them, the Port Richmond restaurant’s crew served about 3,500 slices to the crowd.
“We served pizza yesterday in the monsoons. They had 5,000 people there in the rain,” said Denino’s co-owner Mike Burke. He helped roast and slice pies under a tent. Festival organizers provided shelter and ovens for the pizzaiolos.
The Denino’s brand holds a formidable rating of “9.0″ out of “10″ for its Greenwich Village location. And that high standing from Portnoy’s Barstool Sports is likely why Denino’s was among the featured eateries, said Burke.
He savored the experience and recalled, “Little Mo [Mozzarella] came by — too nice — he was roaming around as well as Nick Turturro, the actor, and he was hanging out with Prince Street Pizza. And then Portnoy came in.”
Mike Burke of Denino’s poses with food critic and comedian Lil Mo Mozzarella a the “Just One Bite Pizza Festival.” (Courtesy of Mike Burke)
Portnoy, also known as “El Presidente,” took pictures and chatted with the staff.
Burke said the star pie critic didn’t rate any of the pizzas on Saturday. He added that the love from the audience — and Portnoy himself — was real.
“I tell you what — he did a nice job. You know, if it was a nice day out it would have been more insane! The people stood in the rain, a lot of them without umbrellas. It was a little brutal for them, but they showed up,” Burke said.
Just one bite? Mike Burke with Dave Portnoy at El Presidente’s “Just One Bite Pizza Fest.” (Courtesy of Mike Burke)
Burke considered it an enormous gesture of support for small businesses.
“Since people can’t get to all the different, highly rated [Barstool] spots they get to come to one event to try all the different restaurants. They actually pay you to come,” said Burke…
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