“I wanted everyone to feel or have a little piece of the Big Apple right at their fingertips-literally speaking,” said Marco Geffroy, owner of The New Yorker in the Gaslamp. Since opening their doors, Geffroy has sought to bring an authentic New York pizzeria to America’s Finest City.
As soon as you enter The New Yorker, which is inside the historic Chinese Laundry building on Fourth Avenue, you might expect to hear rough Brooklyn accents and taxi drivers honking. Geffroy went all-out to create a space reminiscent of New York in every way, with fun visual accents like murals on the back brick wall and a penny floor. It’s an environment that’s great for watching the game, catching up with friends or, on Tuesday nights, belting out your favorite karaoke hits.
Of course, as Geffroy knows, New Yorkers have very high standards for their pizza, and bringing that distinct East Coast flavor to the West Coast isn’t easy. “I took that as a challenge to make New York-style pizza that San Diego can be proud of,” Geffroy said. He works with the best partners and suppliers in the industry to deliver fresh ingredients that get turned into delicious pizzas, salads, sandwiches and pastas. Aside from the pizza, Geffroy loves the Caesar salad (with homemade dressing), caprese salad and the sliders with chipotle aioli, served with sweet potato fries.
The New Yorker is also respected for its cocktails, which include classic go-to drinks like Old Fashions and Moscow Mules and specialty house creations like The Seasoned Man (strawberry-infused Pimm’s No. 1, bruised basil, pressed lemon and ginger ale). You can also wash down your slice with a pint of craft beer.
Geffroy got his start in the restaurant industry 25 years ago and quickly fell in love with it. He wanted to open an East Coast-style neighborhood bar and kitchen in San Diego in part, he said, because “in San Diego, three out of 10 people are from New York or have an East Coast background.” He sees The New Yorker as a way to give those people a slice of home and to introduce San Diegans and West Coast natives to New York-style pizza.
The New Yorker, 535 Fourth Ave., downtown. thenewyorkersd.com
Source: DiscoverSD