Save for the closure of Motorino’s Williamsburg location, it’s been a quiet summer on the Neapolitan-pizza front. But no longer: This fall, Kesté owner Roberto Caporuscio will partner with Antonio Starita, the owner of Naples’ 110-year-old Pizzeria Starita, to open Don Antonio, a wood-fired pizzeria in Hell’s Kitchen.
Crain’s reports that the pair have signed a 10-year lease for a 2,500-square-foot space at 390 West 50th Street, near Ninth Avenue. Starita, who is also the vice president of Neapolitan Pizzaiuoli, the Naples-based governing body that certifies the authenticity of Neapolitan pizza makers, has been a mentor to Caporuscio, and last fall did a one-night guest stint at Kesté.
Caporuscio told Crain’s that Midtown is the perfect spot for the restaurant, where he plans to introduce a pizza frita that uses fried dough, since it “doesn’t have a good Neapoliltan pizza.” Expect that to change in October, when Don Antonio expects to open for business.