#SecondFeature #MezzaLunaPizza Since 1976 CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF QUALITY by #JoeLoPresti 600 East 187th Street at Arthur Avenue Bronx Little Italy
Owner Jo Lo Presti's Recommended Favorite: Chicken Scarpariello!
Manicotti is the Winner and Still the Champion says Peachy's palate
July is Prime Time Bikini Season!
Margherita and Sauteed Vegetable Pizza summit the heights of flavor and concurrently maintain your healthful summer for optimal summer physique!
Does your Spinach Roll smile at you like this?
It does if you are sitting at 600 East 187th Street at Arthur Avenue in da Bronx!
And we bet you thought da was not even in Peachy's vocabulary.
Pelham Park native Joe Lo Presti became the owner on January 4, 2024 and he tells us Mezza Luna Pizza is 100 percent Sicilian. Joe was born in New York, but his parents are from Sicily, and this is the third pizza place he has owned in his career; previously he owned one in Wildwood, New Jersey and another in the Bronx.
Actions speak louder than words, readers, and with all of the great pizza you know you can find in Manhattan, an outer borough pizza place has got to be really something special for us to return.
We are honored to return to the storied Mezza Luna Pizza to celebrate their 50 years of excellence!~!!!
And if you are reading us you know great things started in 1976.
Pictures are unedited on Whom You Know.
You win like Jo Lo Presti, or we do not publish.
A generous amount of quality spinach awaits you in the piping warm inviting roll, ready to vault into your marinara and greet you. And the Garlic Knots are a must to accompany any of your culinary priorities here! Embellished with garlic bien sur mes amis, these beauties are also showstopping openers.
There are four types of Salad, and this time in the summer weather we chose a Mediterranean-themed Greek Salad (you know Peachy's favorite Greek is Ammos by Dimitris which we have raved about since 2011!) Well-cut components of Red Onion, Romaine Lettuce, Cucumbers, Grape Tomatoes, Feta, Chick Peas, and Carrots assembled for a beautiful arrangement of nutrition and for Ms. Pretty Picky, they held the olives. (Usually it comes with olives.) Philosophically in terms of Salad Dressing they are aligned with Peachy, and they always serve the dressing on the side and in this case, it's oil and vinegar.
The depth of the menu is commendable: The Panini Section is among the most competitive we see and we opted for the Grilled Chicken Roasted Peppers and Mozzarella, which sings a fragrant song of summer on the radio of your palate and is the channel we recommend you eat while you listen to Gracie Award Winner Rita Cosby. The six panini flavor choices you'll discover on the menu are both creative and ambitious and across the board, you'll find that Mezza Luna Pizza is in it to win it and does not sit on the laurels of their 50 years of excellence.
In the world according to Peachy Deegan, Chicken Parm is a food group and although she had it as an entree her first visit, she can confirm it is exactly as delicious found inbetween an Italian Hero Roll at this storied corner of East 187th Street and Arthur Avenue. And, pictures speak louder than words readers. No one is asking where the cheese is!
Chicken Parm Glamour Shots
If for some reason you are a flatbread person and are in the mood for a wrap instead of pizza, Mezza Luna Pizza has thought of you, too. Five wrap choices reside in the venue that resides in the borough that we believe is the birth of rap: Chicken Caesar sounded summery to us and was just right for a heatwave. Crunchy lettuce and phenomenally marinated chicken (all chicken here is marinated in a bespoke combination of Garlic, Rosemary, Kosher Salt and Black Pepper) team up for a victory wrap.
Owner Joe Lo Presti tells us that the Chicken Scarpariello is his favorite dish!
We believe this is our first Chicken Scarpariello experience and it is tantalizingly delicious!
It's a good thing Peachy Deegan met Grok, because Grok never gets tired of her questions.
When you read the answer it will be immediately evident why Peachy also likes it because of the obvious connection between Italian Shoes and Italian cuisine! (note our four columns on shoes....)
She asked Grok about it:
Chicken Scarpariello (pronounced roughly “skahr-pah-ree-EL-lo” or casually “scar-pee-EL-oh”) is a classic Italian-American dish, especially popular in New York and New Jersey Italian restaurants.
It’s a hearty, one-pan (or skillet) braised chicken dish featuring crispy-skinned chicken, Italian sausage, peppers, onions, and garlic in a tangy, slightly sweet-and-sour white wine sauce. The signature flavor comes from pickled cherry peppers (or Peppadew peppers) and their briny vinegar, which give it a bright, zesty kick.
Name Origin
“Scarpariello” comes from the Italian (specifically Neapolitan dialect) word scarparo, meaning shoemaker or cobbler. The name roughly translates to “shoemaker’s chicken.” It reflects the dish’s humble, “cobbled together” origins — a simple, flavorful meal made with affordable ingredients. (Note: There’s a completely different Neapolitan pasta dish also called pasta allo scarpariello, but the chicken version is an Italian-American creation.)
Typical Ingredients
While recipes vary slightly, the core components are consistent across most versions:Chicken: Bone-in, skin-on thighs (sometimes drumsticks or a mix). Skin-on is important for crispy texture and flavor.
Italian sausage: Sweet or hot links, cut into chunks.
Vegetables: Onions, red bell peppers (sometimes yellow), and plenty of garlic.
Pickled peppers: Jarred hot or sweet cherry peppers + their brine (this is key for the tangy flavor).
Sauce base: Dry white wine, chicken broth/stock, and sometimes a splash of vinegar or lemon.
Optional but common additions: Potatoes (roasted or added to the pan), fresh rosemary or oregano, and parsley for garnish.
No tomatoes — this distinguishes it from dishes like chicken cacciatore.
How It’s Made
The dish is usually prepared in one skillet or Dutch oven:
Brown the chicken and sausage for flavor and crispy skin.
Sauté the onions, peppers, and garlic.
Deglaze the pan with white wine, then add broth, pickled peppers + brine, and herbs.
Return the chicken and sausage to the pan and simmer (often finished in the oven) until the chicken is tender and the sauce reduces into a glossy, flavorful coating.
The result is juicy chicken, savory sausage, tender vegetables, and a bright, addictive sauce that people often want to mop up with bread.
Variations
Recipes differ by region and cook: Some versions are more lemony and simpler (older styles).
Others include potatoes for a heartier meal.
Heat level ranges from mild (sweet peppers/sausage) to spicy (hot cherry peppers + hot sausage).
it’s comfort food at its best — bold flavors, relatively easy to make at home, and great for weeknights or Sunday dinner. If you’re making it, bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and good-quality pickled cherry peppers make a big difference.
If you are unfamiliar with the Bronx, these are the signs outside Mezza Luna Pizza that will help you get there, and Joe is happy to welcome you!
It's a delightful mix of mild cherry peppers, Idaho potatoes, Italian Pork Sausage and Chicken with a 75/25 Chicken to Sausage Ratio. 48 indoor and 24 outdoor seats are ready to accommodate you as you experience this stunning wonder of dinner deliciousness.
Both the Pasta Section and the Entrees Section are convincingly populated, and although we see many excellent pasta choices, Peachy adored the Manicotti so much the first time she had to have it again to check for consistency. If we go to a place twice and we don't reorder something, it might not be the best item or worse yet, we might have ordered it again and didn't think it was as great again so we said nothing. MANICOTTI IS LORDING OVER THIS MENU! It is just as excellent as the very best manicottis you will find in Manhattan or anywhere else and the cheesy goodness inside will hug your palate.
One-hundred percent beef meatballs in 81 percent lean and 19 percent fat ratio compose the magnificent base for the meatball parm, which is an entree to enjoy especially with perfectly al dente penne.
Ultimately, the pizza is the piece de resistance here at Mezza Luna Pizza as one might expect.
And, we hope everyone meets our sky-high expectations but it is even better when they exceed them. Large pizzas are typically 18 inches in New York City, but at Mezza Luna Pizza, they are 20 inches and more is better in this case! The dough is not stretched too thin at all: it is just right.
And the quality of the pizza is much more important: fresh mozzarella and marinara will make you revel in its victorious simplicity and depth of flavor. And it's light and just right for July! The large sauteed vegetable pizza is a garden party on a plate: spinach, broccoli, mushrooms and eggplant team up in an ideal ratio to make nutritious great again! WE LOVE THE PIZZA. ALL OF IT. And this is ten million bites by Peachy, not a single bite...also allow us to point out Peachy personally eats the pizza and contrary to what Barstool said in 2018, none of our pizza crusts have ripped. But also, Joe Lo Presti was not the owner in 2018! We never visited this venue prior to 2025. The crust is strong but not tough.
Mezza Luna Pizza has impressed us a second time and they are the first venue in the Bronx to earn an encore feature in Terrific Takeout Bronx.
(Say a prayer for our friend Joe Bastone who passed away and was also featured twice for the Bronx in a different column. We started working with him when we covered NYCFC in their inaugural season.)
Their website tells us:
Legendary Bronx Little Italy
Pizza — Big Slices. Zero Flop
Since 1976. Bronx Born.
Born on Arthur Avenue and built on consistency—Mezza Luna carries forward the classic Full Moon tradition: crisp NY slices, Italian comfort, and the kind of neighborhood service that keeps generations coming back.
We believe in the “no-flop” rule. A slice should stand strong. We believe in portions that matter. We believe that Joe and the team aren’t just staff—they’re family.
For over 40 years, we’ve been the heartbeat of Belmont, serving everyone from local students to lifelong residents with the same fiery passion for great pizza.
Mezza Luna Pizza
Mezza Luna Pizza is a family-owned New York-style pizzeria located at 600 East 187th Street in the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx, New York, on the historic Arthur Avenue in Bronx Little Italy. Originally established as Full Moon Pizza in 1976, the business has served as a longstanding community staple for nearly five decades, offering traditional pizza and Italian-American specialties while maintaining strong local ties. Operated for much of its history by the Petti family—including longtime owner Stan Petti—the pizzeria was rebranded to Mezza Luna Pizza in recent years, preserving its authentic recipes and reputation for quality slices in the Bronx’s iconic Italian enclave. The establishment is recognized as a beloved fixture in the neighborhood, celebrated for its consistency and role in Bronx Little Italy’s culinary heritage.
Founding and ownership
Mezza Luna Pizza traces its origins to Full Moon Pizza, which opened in 1976 when the location at 600 East 187th Street was converted from the Half Moon Restaurant into a pizzeria. The Petti family, immigrants from Nocera Inferiore, Italy, became involved shortly thereafter. Stan Petti purchased the business in 1978. The Petti family built the pizzeria into a longstanding family-run operation in the Bronx’s Belmont neighborhood. Stan Petti began working at the pizzeria as a young teenager—starting as early as age 12—and played a central role in its daily operations for decades. He maintained traditional New York-style pizza recipes and community focus under family management, with assistance from his parents Jerry and Marie in the kitchen. The pizzeria operated under the Full Moon name and Petti family ownership for nearly five decades before its rebranding to Mezza Luna Pizza in recent years.
Rebranding
In recent years, the pizzeria transitioned from its previous name, Full Moon Pizza, to Mezza Luna Pizza following a change in ownership. The rebranding occurred under Joe Lo Presti, who has operated the establishment since 2023. The new name “Mezza Luna,” which translates to “half moon” in Italian, maintains a thematic connection to the original “Full Moon” moniker while symbolizing continuity rather than a break from tradition. This rebranding has been presented as a refresh that preserves the core elements of the business, including its longstanding recipes and commitment to quality that date back to 1976. Announcements surrounding the change have consistently emphasized “new name, same great taste” and the enduring family spirit and flavors, underscoring that the rebranding did not alter the fundamental character or offerings that have made it a fixture in the neighborhood.
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