FIRST LOOK: Il Leone, a Maine pizza favorite, opens in Park Slope Nov 13
Coastal flavors and lobster-topped pizza arrive on 7th Avenue
I recently attended Il Leone’s friends & family dinner with my daughter and right away, it felt like a welcoming neighborhood spot: the sound of the bar buzzing, plates of pizza, laughter of their friends & family warming up the restaurant.
Ben Wexler-Waite is the Chef-Owner behind Il Leone (@illeonepeaks). He first opened Il Leone on Peaks Island off the coast of Portland, Maine, in the summer of 2021 after a working in politics several years. Many food lovers have made the 15 min ferry ride to enjoy Il Leone’s delicious pizzas in past summers - including their popular lobster-topped “Isola” pizza which was born in Maine and inspired by southern Italian lobster pasta.
Now we are lucky to be able to enjoy their pizzas right here in our neighborhood. It’s been a 3-year project in the works and choosing the neighborhood was a natural decision - Ben and his girlfriend Lizzie now live just 2 blocks away from the restaurant and they have been living in Park Slope for many years. They met as kids at summer camp in Maine and reconnected on Hinge a year and a half ago.
The name Il Leone actually comes from the fact that the original location was on land leased from the Peaks Island Lions Club on Peaks Island in Maine - and “Il Leone” is Italian for “The Lion.”
The space at 158 7th Avenue was formerly Norman & Jules, then Bar Vinazo. Ben has transformed it into a lively, inviting restaurant: 32 seats, white brick walls displaying hand-painted plates and tables decorated with lemon-patterned tiles.
Here is a preview of what to expect at this fabulous new restaurant opening soon in Park Slope:
The Isola (lobster) pizza - Maine lobster, hand-milled San Marzano tomato sauce, organic basil, garlic, chili, Italian rosé, extra virgin olive oil, fresh parsley
My daughter had the Margherita, topped with hand-milled San Marzano tomato sauce, which she almost finished herself!
I had the Margherita del Leone, made with homemade local cherry tomato sauce and Casolare mozzarella di bufala - a new pizza on the menu and very likely to become a favorite in our neighborhood too
The white pizza rotates seasonally; I thoroughly enjoyed the Funghi pizza, topped with organic and locally foraged mushrooms. Ben says we can also look forward to asparagus, garlic scape, and zucchini as the seasons pass. (Lizzie mentioned that the zucchini pizza is what made her fall in love!)
Appetizers like whole artichokes fried in olive oil, meatballs made with grass-fed beef
Dessert: we enjoyed the lemon sorbet right from the Amalfi Coast. They’ll be sourcing gelato from various businesses through the year
The pizzas are 100% naturally evened dough made in-house. Following a 48-72 hour fermentation process, their dough is topped and then baked at 930 degrees Fahrenheit. In Maine, the pizzas were wood-fired; in New York the regulations means that the Il Leone team uses an electric oven (an Italforni Caruso), but their craft and process is the same.
The toppings on the pizza showcase the high quality ingredients that Ben carefully incorporates at Il Leone’s. Ingredients are sourced from local organic farms (the cherry tomatoes used at Il Leone are grown in a Maine greenhouse) or Italy.
The bar offers a focused selection of drinks to complement the superb pizzas, like their Negroni with Vermouth di Torino and the wines centered on Campania, the region where pizza originated. The limoncello is made in-house.
The backyard will be a beautiful spot to enjoy a drink while waiting for your table or lingering after your pizza. In the spring, the team plans to open it for dining.
They’ll be taking a limited number of walk-ins tomorrow for anyone who wants a sneak peek!
Il Leone officially opens November 13 at 158 7th Avenue.
You can visit Il Leone at:
158 7th Avenue, Brooklyn (Between Garfield & 1st Street)
Hours: Thursday - Sunday 5-9:15pm
Lunch is coming soon for Saturday & Sunday
Reservations: Details to come at their website https://www.illeone.me
~~ Continued below - preview of the full menu and more photos of dishes and the space ~~
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