The International Pizzas of Queens
Queens loves its pizza: the New York classic, the Neapolitan, the sourdough, the grandma, and everything in between. But this being the World’s Borough, we also have other styles of pizza from around the globe. Today, we feature three of them.
Pizza La Imperial. La Imperial is a long-running pop-up run by Fernando Greco, aka OG Papafern. Papafern lives in Richmond Hill, but his pizza style is pure Argentine. His family had a pizza shop in Buenos Aires before they moved to New York when he was 10. The man is dedicated to perfecting the traditional Argentinian-style pizza. The dough is cold-fermented and very thick, there has to be at least the same weight in cheese as dough, and toppings are abundant. Try our favorite, the cheesy fugazzeta, topped with Spanish onions and mozzarella and garnished with chimichurri and olives. His pizzas are more than a meal—they’re a feast. Keep an eye on his IG for pop-up dates and locations. Five Dreams Pizzeria y Antojitos. Norma and her husband, German, combined their Mexican heritage with German’s professional cooking skills, from an Italian restaurant and pizzeria in NYC, to offer a new fusion pizza born right here in Queens. This tiny family-run shop is bursting with neighborhood love and great pizza. We suggest the tri-color (chorizo, onion, jalapeño), the mole (chicken, mole, sesame seeds, spicy peanuts), or the birria pizza (cheese, shredded beef, cilantro, red onions, consommé on the side; available Fri-Sun only). Pizza is great, Mexican food’s delicious, but together at Five Dreams? Pure magic. 94-66B Corona Ave., Elmhurst Casa Theodoro. This Brazilian pizzeria was recommended as the place to visit when locals want a taste of home. I had never heard of Brazilian pizza, let alone that Brazil has the world’s third-largest number of pizzerias. A staff member suggested the frango catupiry pizza, pairing pulled chicken and catupiry, a soft cheese that’s very popular in Brazil. The dough is thicker than a New York slice, with a good amount of cheese and plenty of pulled chicken; the creamy catupiry adorns the top of the pie. I could see why this is Brazilian comfort food. Next time, I’ll try another local favorite, the Portuguesa, with ham, olives, onions, and hard-boiled eggs. Located on a tiny stretch of 31st Avenue, narrow Casa Theodoro can be hard to find—but it’s worth seeking out. 54-18 31st Avenue, Woodside Are we missing other Queens pizzerias representing other countries? Hit reply and let us know. –JF
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