This vintage counter-serve spot, dishing out thin-crust pies and hearty Italian fare since '76, feels like a family affair in Elmhurst.
"Susan Bagali is sitting at the counter of John's Pizzeria, in Elmhurst, Queens, when the phone rings. On the line, a customer places an order for a plain cheese pie. 'That’ll be 20 dollars, cash only,' Bagali says. She gingerly rises from the stool and makes her way behind the counter to roll out the dough, as she’s done thousands of times before. Bagali, who discloses her age as '39 and lots of change,' has been working in this shop with her 85-year-old mother, Rose, for decades." - Mahira Rivers