The spicy meatballs with blistered green peppers and sauteed onions served at Enzo’s Restaurant on Arthur Avenue have kept customers returning for generations, but now they have something more to come back for.
Enzo’s Restaurateur Maria Di Rende has kept her late husband’s dishes and family recipes on the menu– no matter what– but now, she launched a new business of her own.
Today, Maria opened “Enzo’s of Arthur Ave On the Go,” a Roman-style pizzeria in the historic Arthur Avenue Retail Market. The oblong pies are fired up by Giuseppe, Enzo’s beloved pizzaiolo in-residence, who makes it just like Maria enjoyed in Italy.
“The concept of this place was inspired because of COVID,” said Maria, who like many restaurateurs had plenty of hurdles to jump these past eight months. “Takeout seemed the way to go, so what better way to package Enzo’s food-to-go? Pizza is another plus.”
In addition to pizza, Maria will sell other red-sauce hits to be prepared at home, including eggplant parmigiana.
Last Friday, Maria and three other new eateries, including Avenue Gyro, Albanian restaurant Dea and Last Call Bar & Grill, were celebrated at a key-cutting ceremony on Arthur Avenue. Always hospitable, Maria invited all in attendance to sample the pizzas before they went home.