High-End Italian Chef To Open Casual Pizzeria

CHELSEA, NY — A new pizzeria is coming to the Meatpacking District Monday. SIMÓ Pizza is set to open its doors at 90-92 Gansevoort Street on June 4th, and while this will be the pizzeria's first location, the pizzas themselves already have a fan base. Chef Simone Falco has a thriving West Village fine dining restaurant, Rossopomodoro, and serves up his fresh Italian fare at New York’s famous Eataly as well.

SIMÓ will be a more casual and affordable eating experience for those looking for a quick bite. Each personal pizza is under $10, made efficiently to bring New Yorkers on a journey in “90 seconds to Napoli,” as the slogan claims.

With a high end restaurant under Chef Falco’s belt, he says creating a faster eatery without sacrificing food quality was a natural next step for him.

“I’ve come to understand that sometimes New Yorkers, and Italians, just want a different experience," said Falco. "One that is done quickly with high quality ingredients and offered at an approachable price point.”

That said, Falco also explained that he is in no way willing to sacrifice the authenticity of his Italian ingredients — nor the physical size of the pie — in order to speed up the cooking process. Rossopomodoro regulars can rest assured that SIMÓ will not disappoint.

The vegetarian and vegan friendly menu will offer six pizzas, three salads, Italian sodas, just one Prosecco, one white wine, one red wine, and one beer option. Chef Falco knows what options are best, and only offers those to his customers, plain and simple.

Combining fast food processes with table service experience, SIMÓ will be set up so that customers pay at the counter, grab a numbered pepper mill that designates their order number, find a table, and staff will handle the rest.

The location is situated on the corner of the ground floor of the ultra-modern Horatio residential apartment building.

SIMÓ's environment will stay consistent the building’s sleek interior, with a lot of marble, wood, and green accents. Communal tables will keep the energy of the restaurant comfortable, while clean lines and a simple color palette will reflect the no-nonsense menu and pure ingredients.

Image Credit: Francesco Sapienza