Not long after Il Mattone opened at Greenwich and Hubert in 1992, where Sweetgreen is now, Charles Fusco started working there as a dishwasher, then busboy, pizza guy, and sous chef. In 1994, he took it over, and had a nice run till Hurricane Sandy came along in 2012. His lease was almost up, and the rent was going to be doubled, so he moved to Beach Street. The new Il Mattone is significantly smaller—with a few seats inside, and a counter for standing that can be moved out at night to make room for a couple more tables—but Fusco and his sister, Connie, are serving a menu that’s very close to the one from the Greenwich Street location. The major difference between then and now is that the new Il Mattone has a gas oven. As Charles says, “The neighborhood called for a slice joint.” (Il Mattone also has a gluten-free individual pie.) A beer-and-wine license is the works. The delivery zone on Seamless is from Canal to Chambers, West Street to Broadway. If you live beyond those borders, call in your order and they’ll accommodate you. Note: The restaurant is currently opening in the mid-afternoon on weekends, but the plan is to start at noon once the place gets staffed up.

 

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