By Friday, a for rent sign had arrived on the storefront here between 13th Street and 14th Street. (Thank you to food writer Nick Solares for the photo.)
There's no mention of a closure on the pizzeria's lightly used Instagram account.
Vinny Vincenz had stared down the competition during the Great $1 Pizza War of First Avenue in 2013-14, which saw multiple sidewalk sandwich boards … the introduction of $1 drafts… and dancing pizza menu women.
The place served a good slice and offered other pizzeria staples. This marks the second old-school pizzeria casualty over here... as Muzzarella on Avenue A between 13th Street and 14th Street shut down last year.
Wow - got to hand it to them as they stayed OPEN during the pandemic - pizza was Ok, nothing to write home about. Sad to loose another pizzaria
ReplyDeletenever passed it w/o thinking of the vinnie vincent invasion
ReplyDeleteEverytime I pass I would break into a chorus:
DeleteLick it up!
Lick it up!
oh oh oh!
RIP Vinnys. They fought the good fight against lame dollar slice joints.
p.s. lick it up!
I don't like their pizza but their meatball parm heroes are just as good as Muzza's. Now that both are closed, Eleven B is the only place I could think for my fix of old school Italian sandwiches within a 3 block radius.
ReplyDeleteEast Village pizza on 9th and first. Outstanding old school sandwiches and their pizza is good too!!
DeleteWhen it comes to sandwiches, it doesnt get more old school Italian than Russo's
DeleteWhen they first opened it was a nice place for an inexpensive dinner. They the quality lessened during the pizza wars. They survived, but the quality didn’t. They became okay. Sorry to see them go.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Russo's is an old school Italian eats. One key component lacking in Russo's is what gives sandwiches their jolt from the pizzeria. The high baking heat from the oven is the signature element that gives the Italian sandwiches their taste. Russo's uses the microwave to heat up their food.
ReplyDeleteRusso's doesnt sell chicken parms or meatball parms so an oven is not needed. They provide a jolt in the sandwiches by making Mozzarella by the hour, it oozes milk like a new mother unto fresh crusty Semolina bread. Drape that with thinly sliced Mortadella and some roasted red peppers... you will never go back to middling hot sandwiches at your local pizzeria.
DeleteWanna bet?? I love Russos, but sometimes you just want a PROPER chix parm!!!
DeleteTheir vodka pizza was hands down the best slice in the city. What a loss. Now I need to find a replacement
ReplyDeleteThis news breaks my heart. Seriously, Vinny Vincenz' delicious pizza saved me during lockdown I LOVED to order their large pepperoni pizza, which you could get delivered, with tip, for just under $20 -- what a bargain! The sadness.
ReplyDelete