'That local feel': New Cape Coral pizza joint opens with Long Island roots

Even during its soft opening, Long Island Brothers New York Pizzeria of Cape Coral was already a hit.

“We ran out of dough almost every day one week,” owner Daniel Stasolla said. “It’s a good problem to have. And that was just from word of mouth. I haven’t done any advertising.”

That quiet opening took place for 10 days before Stasolla closed briefly for a family vacation. The grand reopening took place Tuesday, Jan. 9.

“Everything will be up and running,” he said.  “Every day since opening, we’ve been doing well. We weren’t sure what the response would be like. It’s been overwhelming.”

'It was time to expand'

That embrace from the community was just what  Stasolla — who has also owned LI Brothers Pizzeria in North Port for the last seven years — was looking for when he opened the pizzeria in the Skyline Court plaza on Skyline Boulevard. He took over the unit previously occupied by Detroit Pizza Joint.

“It was time to expand,” said Stasolla. “This one is close to my home. I want to meet the neighbors, greet them by name. I want that local feel. I’ve been at this a long time.”

At age 13, he began folding boxes at a Long Island pizza joint. It quickly turned into much more.

“For the next seven years, I learned from a guy who didn’t speak a word of English,” Stasolla said. “He was the best on Long Island. He instilled a work ethic in me, never let me sit around. He would scream in Italian. He was like a father to me. And I learned never to settle. Good enough is never good enough.”

Even when he joined a union at 17, became an electrician and quickly moved up, pizza was close by.

“I worked at a pizza place at night,” he said. “Pizza has always been a side gig. Now it’s my full-time enterprise. I love what I do. I take pride in what I make. I take it personally.”

Long Island pizza and more

And what he makes is “Long Island-style pizza in a New York pizzeria.”

“It’s crisp,” he said. “My pizza does not flop.”

His hand-tossed pizzas are made from dough that “needs a solid day, needs 24 hours” to be ready.

There are loaded, specialty and Franklin Square pizzas. Some of the pizza names reflect his love of Long Island, including the North Morris Ave. (he grew up in Farmington), Strong Island, Whitestone Bridge and Nassau (County) knot pie (with freshly made garlic knots baked into the crust).

Slices (two and a drink for $12 or one and a drink for $7) and specials (like six free wings with the purchase of a specialty pizza on Wednesdays) run all day. Slices are BOGO after 7 p.m.

“We sell them until we run out,” Stasolla said.

There are also heroes (including Philly cheese steak and eggplant, chicken and meatball parmesan), stromboli, calzone, salads and quick eats (boneless, Bada Bing and cauliflower wings, and fried pickles, mozzarella and mushrooms).

'Complete rebuild' to former Detroit Pizza spot

Other than the Cape location’s Italian ice, it’s the same menu as his North Port restaurant.

Order at the counter and grab a seat in the clean, crisp dining room accented in grays, red and black.

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An open kitchen puts all of Stasolla’s pizza-making skills on display.

Table service is available after 4 p.m.

“It was so full one day, you couldn’t find a seat,” Stasolla said. “That made me realize we need a server.”

Being a former electrician, Stasolla did most of the work on the restaurant himself.

“It was a complete rebuild,” he said. “There was nothing here. I built the other store and I built this one. Didn’t even take two months.”

Being close to his house helped.

“It’s nice to finally be close to home,” Stasolla said.

Long Island Brothers New York Pizzeria of Cape Coral, 3812 Skyline Blvd., Cape Coral; open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 8 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday; delivery available through Slice; (239) 837-8221; longislandbrotherspizza.com or follow on Facebook and Instagram

Robyn George is a food and dining writer for The Fort Myers News-Press. Send news to rhgeorge@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Long Island Brothers New York Pizzeria opens in Cape Coral