"As you eat slice after slice of the margherita pizza at Rocco’s Of Roc Beach, powerless to stop yourself, the questions will flood your mind. How do they make the crust so crispy, but not the slightest bit brittle? What golden ratio of sugar to garlic keeps the sauce sweet and punchy at the same time? It’s “made with love,” your server might tell you. That’s the only answer you’re getting. You come to this casual Italian restaurant in Rockaway Park not for a secret family recipe, but for an incredible $18 pie, and some surprisingly unsweet frozen limoncello to wash it down. Other than an entire Michael's store worth of fake florals outside, Rocco's is a straightforward place. It's all handmade al dente penne alla vodka, mafia movie quotes on the wall, and TVs playing promotional videos for the restaurant itself. But that pizza is something special: not quite New York style, not quite Neapolitan either, but a coal-oven-cooked, chewy, crispy hybrid in between. While you enjoy yours, friendly staff might memorize the name of everyone at the table. And regulars sitting across the dining room will almost certainly tease you if you take too many pictures of your frozen limoncello. But in your defense, that dried citrus garnish is awfully photogenic. photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte Food Rundown Margherita Pizza This pizza has generously deployed fresh mozzarella, a crispy crust that retains ample chew, and a sauce that must no doubt be sponsored by the shadowy, all-powerful American Garlic Farmers lobby. Get at least one pie. Sicilian Pizza Rocco’s serves a larger, oblong Sicilian pizza for delivery and takeout, but we like the personal-sized pie you can only get in the dining room. It's divided into four corner slices, so everyone gets crispy edges. The thick crust is spongy on the inside, crunchy on the bottom. With a relatively thin layer of sauce, it’s not totally unlike an herby tomato focaccia, and a good one at that. photo credit: Kate Previte Penne Alla Vodka Your server at Rocco’s may inform you upfront that they serve their house-made pasta al dente (though they’ll cook it longer if you ask). In practice, the finished product sometimes tiptoes over the line between al dente and undercooked. But when the gods of macaroni texture are smiling upon you, the penne alla vodka is a treat: highly cheesy but not so oppressively heavy that you’d feel overwhelmed eating it on a summer’s day. photo credit: Kate Previte Frozen Limoncello While there’s no shortage of frozen drinks available around these parts, most of them are sugary and boozy enough to appease even the frattiest hummingbird. Rocco's frozen limoncello has a smooth, silky consistency that's less Slurpee and more Philadelphia water ice. It genuinely tastes of lemon peel, with a slight bitterness in the background. And the dehydrated citrus wheel is an unexpectedly elegant touch for what’s otherwise a pretty casual restaurant." - Molly Fitzpatrick
