Enjoy a Slice of New York at the Beach!
See Our New Menu for 2010
Our New York Style Pizza is the "Real Thing", because we know that the best ingredients combined with authentic old world Italian recipes make our Pizza and Pasta Creations the most pleasurable dining experience you can have during your visit to our beautiful Carolina Coastal Community. Here in Surf City, North Carolina the locals love us and you will too!
About Us -
In New York, Pat worked for an Italian Restaurant for 10 years – A Family business owned and operated by First Generation Italians, that’s where she learned to make the “Gravy”.
When customers order a slice of pizza at Long Island Pizzeria, they are also ordering up a slice of genuine Americana. That’s because owners Jack and Part O’Connor are the real deal – they came from Long Island, N.Y.
When asked what brought them to the Topsail area, Jack began a long story about how he hurt his back falling off a roof. “I’m why we are here.” Pat winked and whispered.
She fell in love with the island 20 years ago when the O’Connors were looking at colleges for their daughter. They bought a summer house on Topsail in 1989. “People were swimming in March,” Pat explained. “It was crazy.”
Both Pat and Jack were raised in Rockaway Beach, a small beach town not unlike Surf City. But they spent 26 years living on Long Island. Jack spent those years as a New York City Policeman working downtown in some of the roughest neighborhoods. “Basically , we kept Broadway clean from prostitution, drugs, whatever came by,” Jack explained. He spent his last six years on the force in Manhattan Robbery, that he called the most dangerous beat for a uniformed policeman in New York. Then Jack picked up with his story on how he hurt his back and needed to retire.
Pat reminded him that she wanted to move to Topsail first. “We moved here to stay in ’94 and I banged nails (New Yorker for construction work) a few years”, he said before disappearing into the kitchen. “One day,” Pat picked up, “he comes home and says, I got a good deal for us. Well I thought he meant a new condo or something.” Pat could not believe her husband was talking about buying Long Island Pizzeria.
Taking advice from one of their sons, John (a graduate of Johnson and Wales Culinary School), the O’Connors bought the restaurant in Surf City. After a year they completely remodeled. Today, images from New York decorate the walls.
The inevitable subject of September 11th, 2001, could not be avoided. Pat wiped at the corners of her eyes as the topic emerged. With all of their family still in New York on that day, she explained, those first hours of uncertainty were especially hard on her. “I was in Wilmington donating some things to a charity. I remember I gave a little TV set and the woman plugged it up to see if it worked,” Pat said, and then she paused for a breath. “And there were the twin towers on fire.” All three of Jack’s brothers were New York City cops on duty that day. Her son-in-law’s brother and cousin both worked as firemen in Manhattan. Jack’s brothers survived, but their son-in-laws brother lost his entire unit. Their cousin, new on the job and responding to his first emergency call, died when the second tower collapsed. “it was hard,” Pat said. “Richie was in our daughter’s wedding….and then he was gone.”
Just then a customer came in. Pat cleared her throat and told him to sit wherever he liked. “We have to move on,” Pat said, smiling a little. Jack emerged from the kitchen, tended to the new customer, and stopped over to add his own perspective. “I worked the first Trade Center bombing in ’93,” Jack said. “The walls were six feet thick of concrete…… I never thought I’d see those buildings come down.” Then he was off again checking on the cook, making sure the pots and pans were soaking, and bringing his customer a slice of pizza – undaunted and strong, like a real New Yorker.
Long Island Pizza
610 North New River Drive
Surf City, NC 28445
910-328-3156
910-328-3153 fax
