When you claim New York-style pizza as your brand, you’d best be prepared for some skepticism, particularly from New Yorkers. And when you take over a beloved, locally owned business, you’d best be prepared for some hurt feelings, particularly from customers who have been devoted to that business for nearly a decade.
Christine Costa Balzer — who with her husband, Justin Balzer, took possession of Manicomio Pizza on Biltmore Avenue on June 30, and on July 13, threw the doors open to Birdie’s New York-style pizzeria — says they’re eager to win over skeptics and loyalists alike.
“My grandparents came from Italy, my family is Sicilian, I was born in New York and raised in Jersey,” she says. “Justin and I have spent five years working on our dough and recipes to where I feel comfortable calling it New York-style. This is my culture. I promise you, I know a good pizza.”…