Local Pizzeria ‘Della Rocco’s Of Brooklyn’ Cooks Up June Opening

By on April 25, 2012 4:12 pm in Brooklyn Heights, Food, Real Estate

BHB EXCLUSIVE: The commercial spaces at 214 and 216 Hicks Street, which were demolished in February to carve out a single larger parcel, will soon make good use of being “unsliced.” In June, 100% local Della Rocco’s of Brooklyn will begin cooking up brick-oven pizzas, along with a beer & wine bar specializing in borough brews.

The new eatery is owned & operated by Brooklyn-bred brothers Greg and Glenn Markman and Joseph Secondino (who has known the bros for 30+ years). “We’re three guys who grew up eating pizza in Brooklyn,” Greg tells BHB. The trio also knows how to run a thriving eatery in Brooklyn Heights—as partners of Heights Cafe at 84 Montague Street, next door to the new pizzeria. The guys stress, however, that Della Rocco’s will have a separate kitchen from Heights Cafe, operating as an indie biz.

The partners are aiming for a June opening, with delivery and take-out available, along with in-room dining specializing in personal pizzas, according to Greg Markman. It will be open seven days a week, likely from noon to midnight.

In our sneak peak of the space Wednesday, a wood-burning brick pizza oven—being flown in from Italy—will line the back of the restaurant, while a generously proportioned bar is located to the right. A large picture window will be cut into the 214 (right) portion of the eatery, with a clear view of the historic Bossert Hotel across the street. The space also boasts 15-foot ceilings, making it feel spacious and welcoming.

The Hicks Street spaces formerly housed Overtures stationery and gift boutique at 216, which closed after 30 years in December 2011; and Dara Ettinger jewelry at 214, which opened in May 2011 and lasted eight months. High-end clothier J. McLaughlin is to the left, at 218 Hicks.

(Photos: Chuck Taylor)

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  • ColumbiaHeightster

    VERY excited to welcome Della Rocco’s to the neighborhood.

  • Promenade Princess

    This news has just about made my day! Fascati Pizza on Henry is hardly what I’d call a Brooklyn Heights destination, and since I’m not a millionaire, Monty’s isn’t even in the running. And while Caffe Buon Gusto on Montague is decent, Della Rocco’s has the look and sound of a real neighborhood restaurant.

    WELCOME! Much success to the Brooklyn boys! I couldn’t ask for more in that location.

  • Cassie Von Montague

    Always excited when a new, local eatery opens on Montague. It must be hard to cater to the local dinner crowd. I hope it’s good. I once had the pizza at Heights Cafe, and it was not good.

  • WillowSt.Neighbor

    Yeah!

  • WillowSt.Neighbor

    I think I meant to say Yay instead of Yeah!
    It’s good news.

  • EHinBH

    Monty’s needs to go out of business — horrible food. Can’t wait for these two places to open! Great news for the hood!!

  • EHinBH

    Oh wait — I didnt realize they also own Heights Cafe. Nevermind — not so excited anymore. That place gives mediocre a new meaning. I’m sure it will be crowded like Heights Cafe is, but…

  • resident

    @EH, I share the sentiment, re: Heights Cafe dimming expectations for this place. But by default it’ll have to be better than Monty Q’s. Come August when Fascatti’s is closed, I’ll give them a shot.

  • Knight

    This should be good all around. Maybe now that they have a little competition, the Fascati brothers won’t be as lazy and cheap as they have recently become. I’ve never before heard of a pizzeria that runs out of sicilian at 7:00 on a Saturday and that’s it … no more for the night!

  • Monty

    You want destination, go to Grimaldis. Fascati is top-notch pizza by the slice. I’m not too excited by this new place since Heights Cafe is primarily known for being clean and having lots of outdoor seating with food that is adequate.

  • Chris

    Brick Oven pizza rocks! Great for the nabe. Hope they deliver

  • Cindy Metz

    Just what we needed. Perfect quaint spot for a wine bar. Wish them luck. Can’t wait

  • Villager

    oh, I was excited, too, until the Heights Cafe connection. I have never eaten there, never will. There is always a certain feculent odor around the back door to the kitchen. Makes me wary of the pizza place.

  • Cindy Metz

    I grew up eating at the Heights Cafe for the past 10 years. Never had a problem with the food or the service. Its the perfect family spot. If your looking for a five star restaurant why don’t you just cross over the bridge instead of knocking a solid neighborhood place that caters to everyone. just don’t get it

  • Cassie Von Montague

    ouch, the tide has turned once the Heights Cafe connection comes out. Heights Cafe owns the building, right? That’s probably the only reason a restaurant is moving in rather than another nail salon. Notice how they “stress” that they will have a separate kitchen. Maybe they know HC’s reputation with the locals. Maybe it will be like Lucali’s. Does everybody here like Lucali’s?

  • Chris

    love Lucali’s!!! But looking forward to brick Oven Pizza around the block.

  • hicks st guy

    hopefully Fascati’s will close permanently in August. @Monti, you can’t be serious.

  • Publius

    This could work. Please don’t suck.

  • Jorale-man

    I find Heights Cafe to be a solid neighborhood option. Far better than some of the places closer towards downtown. Looks like it will serve a need too, which is an important factor towards its success. Good luck to them!

  • stuart

    very nice.
    they will do excellent business there if they have a good product.

  • Mompom

    I hope that they will also have gluten free pizza.

  • Jasper

    Heights Cafe is awful. I’ve given it numerous opportunities and it has failed every time. I’m not looking for 5 star cuisine. 1 star would suffice.

    I also noticed the stressing that they won’t share kitchens. Anyone would knows the neighborhood knows the locals view of Heights.

    Time will tell.

  • AEB

    I have an idea. Let’s remove every restaurant from BH and start from scratch–sound good?

    Else we’ll be having this conversation again and again and again and again and……

    …which might actually be better than endlessness revisiting dog excreta, so to speak.

    (Sorry–it’s been a trying morning here….)

  • ColumbiaHeightster

    AEB, I agree. Amazing how this thread quickly went from communal excitement about the new place, to then bashing Heights Cafe. So annoying, and so unwelcoming. If I owned a local business, BHB would be the last place I’d go.

  • EHinBH

    If they took some effort to be a good restaurant, there would be no problem with them. You dont see people bashing Colonie or JTH or NP or HE or Chip Shop, or any other number of places that have solid food around here. The fact is that most places on Monty are AWFUL and only stay in business because they have a guaranteed crowded lunch audience all week long…

  • Rick

    I agree with EHinBH, the negativity in this thread comes from the association with Heights Cafe.

    I’m hoping they are good. But my first reaction was “this could be great”, then I saw the Heights Cafe connection and my enthusiasm immediately dropped. Heights Cafe is a tourist restaurant that has the appearance of being a good place, but most people I know avoid it as being bad value considering the price charged for meh food.

  • She’s Crafty

    @HSG why the vitriol about Fascati’s? It’s just a take out pizza joint. Not an overpriced, overrrated sit down place like so many others discussed here.

  • MadeInBrooklyn

    So much vitriol on this blog; it boggles the mind… and “gluten free pizza,” really?!? Man, I dislike the people who live in this neighborhood more and more with each passing day.

  • hicks st guy

    @Crafty, since the old man retired, the new relatives are completely rude, and there’s absolutely no reason to put up with rudeness. their pizza is standard commercial pizza, a decent slice at the very best. and I’m told that it has declined. with Ignazio’s and Grimaldi’s, there’s no reason to eat Fascati’s crap pie.

  • WillowSt.Neighbor

    She’s Crafty,
    The pizza at Fascati is awful. When I moved here seven years ago it was pretty good. We had relatives from Buffalo visit and of course they wanted pizza. We ordered two pies for four people and there wasn’t a slice left. They loved it. Of course, pizza in the ‘burbs of Buffalo is usually Domino’s.
    Someone at Fascati got the brilliant idea of dousing the pizza with oregano. It is now beyond awful and we no longer order take-out pizza from them.
    Their loss.

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