Margherita
Pizza
163-04
Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica
718-657-5780
Cuisine:
Italian
Hours:
9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Monday to Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday
There’s
a tiny pizzeria on Jamaica Avenue that’s dwarfed by nearby businesses
but still stands alone as a community giant.
Margherita
Pizza has been serving slices to the denizens of Downtown Jamaica since
1966.
When the weather’s good the front door and street counter are
always open, and the pizzeria becomes an extension of the Avenue.
The
only pizzeria for blocks on the crowded strip, Margherita does business
brisker than a token booth during rush hour.
People are constantly streaming in and out, even though the front
aisle is only two people wide.
There’s a 16-seat dining room in the back covered with pictures
and maps of “Sicilia” that’s constantly full during lunchtime.
The
menu at Margherita features pretty standard pizzeria fare.
In fact, the menu is more basic than most: there’s pizza and beef
patties, and not much else.
It’s
not a problem.
The pizza is classic, with no surprises—heavy on tomatoes, with
cheese oozing out like liquid.
Get a can of soda and you’re done.
The
real story at Margherita, though, is how much it feels like a part of
Jamaica Avenue.
There’s no phone number, no address and no hours listed.
It’s like a friend’s house, or a street cart with furniture.
A
cool breeze blew into the narrow restaurant all the way to the back wall
during a recent visit, and the music of South Jamaica native 50
Cent—which has been playing in every SUV on Jamaica Avenue since
February—reached inside, too.
The
steady buzz in the dining room was broken up only by two Asian street
vendors who came inside, both selling bootlegged CDs and DVDs.
50 Cent was one of the offerings, as were releases by Bernie Mac,
DMX, Whitney Houston, Aaliyah and various R&B artists.
It was a barometer of the neighborhood’s tastes.
And
the neighborhood’s culinary tastes?
The slices were going faster than they could be made.
—
Shams Tarek
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