Dec. 12, 2014 By Christian Murray
A new pizzeria is opening on Vernon Blvd next spring moving, taking over the space that was previously occupied by Papo Fried Chicken Zacks Pizzeria.
The pizzeria, to be called sLICe, will be located at 48-11 Vernon Boulevard and will be partly owned by Anthony Perez, co-owner of Blend and Blend on the Water.
Perez said the pizzeria will sell New York Style-pizza—as well as items such as pasta, meatballs and little calzones.
Papo Fried Chicken closed in April. It was closed down by the Health Department and then never reopened.
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The food matches the bland people of course. Demographics of LIC is people work, eat, and drink in Manhattan and just sleep in LIC. No movie theaters, Bowling Alleys, anything cultural in that Western part. This all mimics the population living there. All other gentrified hoods have tons of places since the people demand it. You guys are not hanging at PS1 or the Sculpture center so don’t give that. I have a business and own an office building for 15 years in LIC and haven’t seen anything change except more bedrooms for people from the UES which is just as bland. Rock Climbing place is cool.
Wow, talk about a blanket statement. While this may be true of the buildings/towers on the waterfront (in part), there are a ton of folks actually putting down real roots here (or maintaining long standing roots status) and looking for a neighborhood that offers all the convenience, entertainment and community of a neighborhood. (not just a bunch of “sea of sameness” restaurants and B&T weekend destinations)
Honestly, you just sound like one of those nimby, tower hating, bring back the butcher, individuals. Change is inevitable.
And I agree, the Cliffs is cool! So is the new TRX/Pilates/Trampoline spot.
Open Door on 50th is very good. I too second the motion for Greek.
It seems often its the same two or three owners “branching out” and opening new places in the neighborhood cause they know they can serve mediocre fare and make a profit – Blend x 3 now, the guys behind Shi with Skinny’s plus the pastry place – these are rarely good because they don’t have to be. Blend is bad and at its opening Skinny’s was possibly the worst restaurant I have ever been to in my life. Overall the standards are very low in LIC and I’m always skeptical of new places. Thank god there are places like Tournesol and Casa Enrique that are great at what they do. And frankly many of the best restaurants in the neighborhood are in Court Square (LIC Market, Il Falco, M Wells, Sage) where you have to try harder to attract people and stay in business. Unfortunately the Manhattan prices for terrible food will survive in Hunters Point because of the critical mass of people. My hope is one day as a community we will demand higher standards and it will be harder to thrive if you serve mediocre stuff.
Il Falco is awesome! Just went recently. So is Casa Enrique… I didn’t like M Wells Steakhouse though.
There’s just no place to get a burger on Vernon. 🙁
You serious? Corner Bistro! LIC does need more diversity in its food choices. Greek, Middle Eastern, better sushi, some chinese… even some healthier options like a Fuel/Natureworks/Muscle Maker grill type place. Sometimes you want to order in without being super fat.
Corner Bistro, Tournesol, Petey’s Burgers, Alobar… I think there are ENOUGH places to get a burger. We need some real ethnic food, not this chain crap like Blend and Spice.
And…bareburger (which could be considered a chain, but from what I have heard is not crap, and serves burgers…)
Would love to see greek and/or Mediterranean, a healthy option or two, etc. But I agree, less chains, more unique awesome choices.
And I still think we need a shoe repair shop – but that doesn’t have to go on prime real estate like Vernon; likely not sustainable.
I hope it will be more like Polito’s in Astoria,a classic pizza joint, real simple nothing fancy or trendy and it works!
I’m also glad that Fortune Cookie is back once again!
Junior’s Sells slices.
Blend isn’t expensive, it’s overpriced. There is a difference.
So happy to have Fortune Cookie back!
I’m surprised at all the negative comments here. This neighborhood desperately needs a good normal pizza-by-the-slice place of the kind that exists on every block in downtown Manhattan. I was hoping that would be L’Inizio, but they only sell fancy-pants slices (which are delicious, by the way, just not what I was hoping for). I don’t know what’s up with the dark and vacant San Remo, but it’s not that place, either. Other good places, like Bella Via and Junior’s, don’t do single slices.
Give this guy a chance. The concept he’s describing sounds nothing like Blend, but it does sound like something this neighborhood could use.
And let’s celebrate that soon we can finally quit moaning about the lack of a hardware store!
If we’re getting a good pizza place, then bring it. L’Inizio is a beautiful restaurant and seemed so promising, but the pizza is not even close to good and I don’t think it will survive unless they completely revamp their method.
[…] Pizzeria to Open on Vernon in former Papo Fried Chicken Space – welcome to the pizza wars, can you say $1 slice? […]
Personally I’d be interested in a place like San Remo. You know. A real neighborhood slice, only cleaner. BTW, Fortune Cookie Chinese take out reopened on 21st.
Was happy that maybe a real NY pizza place would move in but then saw the Blend owner is involved and immediately know it will be crappy, overpriced, flavorless food. This is not even a direct knock on Blend (although Blend is terrible) it’s a knock on Blend type places that somehow survive in LIC bc of business from people who come from other parts of Queens and “make a night of it” in LIC (Think SHI) OR LIC natives who complain about too many nail salons and real estate offices on Vernon but then order in from every crap restaurant that opens because its the new place on the block and they have some bs fancy pants take on things that “set it apart” (Think L’inizio or Alobar). Vernon Blvd. sucks now. Juniors is still a good one. Bella Via will always be good. Dominies Hoek is a good bar. Other than that…
Either way. Can we all just accept the fact that you’re not going to get good ethnic food because the neighborhood is not affordable to 93 percent of the population.
Juniors is the best thing in the neighborhood. Hands down.
We have 3+ pizza places (none of which trump donato’s in Sunnyside), we have 4+ italian places, we have 13+ real estate offices, at least 4 nail salons, and yet no Greek, no Middle Eastern, no Chinese (now that New City was chased out), no health clinic, no shoe repair, no true Sports bar, the list goes on.
The community of LIC is extremely diverse, why is it that our businesses don’t reflect the same?
And Who’s bright idea was it to put in a pizza place that is 1 block from the other pizza place L’inizio), across the street from the other pizza place (San remo) and a mere two blocks from the other pizza place (Juniors)? The idiocy is astounding.
Lastly, if this pizza is made, priced, or serviced by the same group as Blend on the Water, it will be overpriced, bland and they will tell you there is a 30 min wait when the place is empty. But hey, the menu will be backlit!
(I could have been meaner here, but it’s the holidays)
Well said, well put! Took all the words out of my mouth. Sadly, this seems to be a continuance in the downfall of Vernon Blvd…
Move
You first.
What the individual above me said x 3. Blend is a terrible destination and I can’t imagine that level of mediocrity thrust into pizza. It blows my mind how little this neighborhood offers in terms of diversity of services.
Well said! LIC really needs a lot more businesses that address a wider variety of needs of daily living in order to become a full fledged neighborhood. As far as sports bars go, Alewife with its many TV screens serves that purpose pretty well.
For people who don’t watch sports. A real sports bar has enough tvs to show every football game on a different screen at the same time. Serving wings is also often a pre req for sports bar classifications.
sweet more pizza! cant wait…..
Really? Another pizzeria? Is there really that much demand?
For real. Please please please let it be simple pizza at a normal price. That other pizza spot that opened on Vernon is some bs…
I can’t…and if what they charge at Blend is any indication of what they’ll charge here, then I don’t want any of it.
Enough about how expensive our hood is!!! If you don’t like it then move!!!! I’m so sick of people always finding something to complain about instead of seeing the positive in the new things coming to our area.
Some of us work here, you know. We didn’t choose to watch this place turn into a Manhattan enclave.
First, I would call LIC a Manhattan exclave. Second, tough…the neighborhood is changing and you may as well get used to it.
I go out a lot and Blend is not expensive.
Expensive no. Overpriced yes (as in, the food just isn’t worth what they think they should charge for it)