LIVINGLuigi Gallo Is Bringing Italy to NYC With His Restaurant NA Slice — Inside the Amazing and Delicious Hotspot
July 3 2024, Published 8:57 a.m. ET
In the heart of Greenwich Village is NA Slice, an Italian restaurant that will transport you to Italy immediately.
"NA Slice aims to bring an authentic Italian culinary experience to New York City, focusing on traditional pizza recipes and high-quality ingredients. As an exporter of Italian food abroad, I've had the opportunity to understand how much our quality products are appreciated and in demand. Together with my friends, Dario and Simone Cerase, two young entrepreneurs with experience in the hospitality industry (they own a beautiful hotel, Insula, on the island of Procida), we decided to open a place dedicated to these exceptional raw materials, to make them known and appreciated even outside of Italy," Luigi Gallo, the owner of NA Slice, exclusively tells OK! about the concept.
The restaurant is located in New York City.
"In our restaurant, we offer classic dishes such as Neapolitan and Roman pizza and fresh pasta, but the real highlight is the toppings. We use San Marzano tomatoes, 100 percent Campanian olive oil from Italian olives, Pantelleria capers, (sicilia) and many other high-quality products. These ingredients, which represent the best of our culinary tradition, are often difficult to find outside of Italy and make a difference in every dish. The goal is not only to offer an authentic culinary experience but also to educate our customers on the quality and variety of Italian products," he shares. "I firmly believe that to truly appreciate these unique flavors, you need to come to Italy and try the products directly on-site. However, through our restaurant, we try to bring this experience as close as possible to our customers abroad. This initiative has not only allowed me to expand my knowledge of food but has also strengthened my love for Italian culinary culture. Every day I am committed to promoting not only the flavors but also the values and traditions that make our cuisine so special and loved worldwide."
The ingredients are imported from Italy.
Though New York City is known for its pizza, NA Slice stands out from the rest, as they are committed to "authenticity" by using "ingredients imported from Italy, traditional cooking methods and focusing on the quality and knowledge of niche products from southern Italy, especially," he notes, adding that the "products are grown in the shadow of Vesuvius, an extraordinary fertile land that yields unique products from the San Marzano tomato, commonly called Italy's red gold, to Piennolo tomatoes."
The menu features pizza, pasta and more!
The menu is full of amazing slices — from Margherita to Spicy Salami and more — but you can't go wrong with anything Gallo comes up with.
"Our best dishes include the Margherita D.O.C., with black truffle from the Umbria region, Pugliese burrata, and, of course, fresh pasta like cappellacci filled with lemon zest-scented and burrata, dressed with butter, sage and fresh mint," Gallo says.
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Luigi Gallo 'was and still am an export manager.'
Before opening up NA Slice, Gallo "was and still am an export manager."
"Together with my wife, I have a company called Fiorditaliafood that deals with this. Our experience as experts in quality Italian food, especially in demanding markets like Japan and Korea, has given me a unique opportunity to deepen my culinary knowledge. These countries have great attention to quality and presentation, which has driven me to maintain the highest standards in the products I offer. Working closely with local chefs, restaurateurs and consumers, I have been able to appreciate how Italian cuisine is perceived and reinterpreted in different cultural contexts. This exchange has enriched me, allowing me to discover new approaches and techniques that can further enhance Italian excellence. At the same time, this international experience has strengthened my love for Italian culinary culture. Every time I promote an Italian product abroad, I feel great pride in representing a tradition rich in history and passion. This drives me to enthusiastically spread not only the flavors but also the values and philosophy behind our cuisine: the importance of fresh ingredients, attention to detail, and respect for tradition. In short, my work has allowed me to become not only an ambassador of Italian food but also to deeply appreciate the incredible diversity and richness of our gastronomic culture," he explains.
Ultimately, it led him to open NA Slice, which is a play on words — "NA" stands for Naples and also "mimics the Neapolitan dialect's way of saying 'a' ('una'). It's a common way of saying 'na fetta di pizza' (one slice of pizza) in Neapolitan dialect," he says, adding that he hopes to "expand further" within NYC and potentially in other locations. "Having NA Slice in NYC has been exciting. The first year has been full of challenges and learning opportunities. We ensure our food stands out by maintaining high standards for ingredients, respecting authentic recipes, and constantly innovating while honoring tradition. Building NA Slice has been a rewarding journey. We are excited about the future and potential growth opportunities."
NA Slice hopes to expand in the future.
"We are grateful for the support and enthusiasm of our customers. If I have been able to balance the work of an export manager with this new adventure, I owe it especially to my wife, Grace, who accompanied me in this adventure, living with me in NYC, joining me whenever she could. Being able to count on her and her experience has been an added value and great support in such a demanding year," he concludes.
For more on NA Slice, click here.
