Buongiorno, New York! The operators of one of Harlem’s most popular pizza restaurants are currently gearing up to open a brand new Italian restaurant in Central Harlem, near Marcus Garvey Park.
Owners Matteo and Elena Prospiti are the current operators of Harlem’s Sottocasa Pizza. Both native Italians, the two had been working in hospitality since they were teenagers and always dreamt of opening a place of their own. When Elena decided to move from Naples to Elba, she first encountered Matteo while he was managing the Hotel Antares. As the two discovered how many passions they had in common, they resolved to test their mettle by opening up their very own restaurant, and after a few years in Elba a chance encounter with a friend would end up bringing Matteo and Elena all the way to New York.
Currently operating in two locations – one in Brooklyn and the other in Harlem – Sottocasa Pizza has earned acclaim for its authentic, Neapolitan style. Named for the Italian phrase for “in the neighborhood,” the restaurant evokes an inviting, homey atmosphere thanks to painstaking work done by Elena and Matteo, who make all the restaurant furnishing themselves. Serving up some of the most authentic (and tastiest) pizza in Harlem, Matteo and Elena take great pleasure in sharing their Italian heritage with the community.
Now, it appears that Matteo and Elena are planning on establishing a brand new concept nearby called Pastitalia. Expected to serve traditional Italian cuisine with an emphasis on pasta dishes, the new restaurant will be moving into the vacant space at 264 Lennox Avenue. Only a block away from Marcus Garvey Park, the new restaurant will be a welcome addition to a neighborhood that has been steadily growing its culinary profile over the past few years
