Hats off to this fine restaurant, which Joseph Aloy opened as a pizzeria way back in 1929 — it’s the granddaddy of pizza establishments in our area. In the 1950s, the spot changed hands, and new owner Frank Nardone expanded it into a full-blown Italian eatery, with rooms large enough for events and a catering menu. Christopher DiLeo took over in 2001, but has done his best to retain the old charm. “We have grandparents coming in with their grandchildren who tell stories of how they used to come in with their grandparents, and they like that it’s still generally the same,” he says. He credits the recipes for the pizza dough and sauce as the restaurant’s secret to success — and they really are secret: He had to sign a contract that he wouldn’t reveal them when he bought the place. But the bottom line is it’s still the same square, thin-crust pizza that has kept the place afloat for 84 years. We think they deserve a nice round of applause.
» Go to Aloy’s Italian Restaurant in Poughkeepsie, NY
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