STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — One bite was all it took for Charlie Greinsky of Dongan Hills to think of a Staten Island pizza institution that disappeared years ago.
“Could this replace Nunzio’s?” he wondered after trying a slice at La Vera Pizza in Grasmere.
The Margherita pie features a chiffonade of basil, a gentle garlicky edge and rich plum tomatoes.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Owner Connor Dovolani said he has heard the comparison before. And Greinsky wasn’t alone. Several readers contacted the Advance/SILive.com to rave about the growing pizzeria and its old-school Staten Island appeal.
Naturally, an investigation was in order.
What we found was a Margherita pie with subtle roasted garlic notes, a rich plum tomato sauce and a stunningly crisp crust that delivered its own tang and texture, thanks to a fermentation process exceeding 24 hours and, as we later discovered, a touch of cornmeal.
Toppings can be over the top: Here is Chicken Marsala on one side, and on the other a triple threat of vodka, pesto and plum tomato sauces topped with sliced fried mozzarella sticks.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)Marking the first anniversary
As La Vera approaches its first anniversary, the pizzeria, whose name reflects a commitment to “truth” in wholesome ingredients, is planning a birthday treat. Dovolani said the family has ordered special anniversary pizza boxes and will offer pies for $11.11 on Oct. 21, staying true to the affordable philosophy behind the business while giving back to customers with a simple message: thank you.
La Vera’s commemorative anniversary boxes capture the excitement of reaching the one-year mark.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
And the Dovolanis haven’t forgotten those early days, when customers were scarce and every order mattered. Connor remembers opening day vividly. Not a single lunch order came in.
Then the restaurant welcomed its first customer, a moment he still points to as the true beginning of the family’s pizza journey.
“It was a pickup order for a cheesesteak hero,” he said.
As a treat, sometimes La Vera hands out a zeppole or two dusted in sugar.
(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
At the time, making the phones ring was the family’s biggest challenge. Connor, his brother and sister worked the counter while their father made deliveries.
Nearly a year later, the scene is markedly different with the phone continuously ringing for orders. Customers often arrive before the doors open, and the business now employs five delivery drivers and a full counter staff.
Dovolani said one of La Vera’s signature touches is the garlic oil layered into the Margherita pie. The rich plum tomato sauce is another deliberate choice.
“It’s not your usual pizza sauce,” he said, noting that many sauces lean sweet. “Ours has its own seasoning and flavor.”
Chicken pam finds its home inside a giant garlic knot.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)Growing up with pizza on Staten Island
A South Beach native who moved to Great Kills at age 5, Dovolani attended P.S. 32 and later studied business information systems at the College of Staten Island.
While he enjoyed the coursework at C.S.I., pizza had always been his true passion. By their early teens, Connor and his brother were working in pizzerias across Staten Island as dishwashers and kitchen helpers. After their shifts, they tinkered at home, testing pizzas, refining sauce formulas and chasing the perfect pie.
With its lofty crumb, crisp bottom and golden edges, La Vera’s Sicilian pie showcases the details that define the Grasmere pizzeria.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
“We’d get excited about the product and keep working at it,” he said.
At 16, he bought a plastic practice dough disc and taught himself the art of tossing dough.
Today, he can pass a dough skin from hand to hand, behind his back and high into the air before deftly catching it again—parlor tricks perfected through years of practice.
Mac ‘n’ cheese is spooned onto a cheesy pie crust for a decadent finish.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
That attention to detail remains central to La Vera. Round pies are cut into six slices instead of the more traditional eight. Grandma pies are crafted for crisp corners, while Sicilian pies are baked only when the dough reaches the proper rise and texture. Over time, the pizzeria has also broadened its offerings to include gluten-free and cauliflower-crust pies.
“We can’t take shortcuts,” Dovolani said. “The dough has to be right.”
And, of course, water matters.
An unassuming storefront’s pizza has become an unexpected treat.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
“That’s part of the magic, too,” he said. “New York City water is the only way to a perfect pie.”
The hours can be demanding, but Dovolani says the work is worth it.
“We do long hours, but we do it for ourselves,” he said.
La Vera is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
When Greinsky recently described the restaurant as the “Cheers” of pizzerias, Dovolani laughed and offered his own assessment.
“Happy pizza,” he said. “That’s what it is.”
Charlie Greinsky says La Vera Pizza reminds him of Nunzio’s, one of Staten Island’s most fondly remembered pizzerias.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Dining and Cooking