Slice of Queens: Bebee’s Pizza at the Boro Hotel

A ‘SLICE’ OF QUEENS Beebe’s Pizza at the Boro Hotel

BY ROBERT INTELISANO

In Long Island City on the westernmost tip of Queens, is a hidden gem called Beebe’s Pizza. If you didn’t know it, you would walk or drive right by the trendy Boro Hotel where Beebe’s is situated in the lobby of the building at 38-28 27th street in Long Island City.

With a population of 57,000, Long Island City is a redeveloped industrial area nestled along the east river of Manhattan. The area is known for its high-rise buildings with sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline, art galleries, museums, performance spaces, and cultural diversity.

This up-and-coming neighborhood is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live in New York City. Long Island City is part of the Queens Community Board District 1, which also includes Astoria, Astoria Heights, Queensbridge, Dutch Kills, Ravenswood, and Steinway.

Beebe’s opened their doors on March 2nd, 2018, inside the new Boro Hotel. At the time, the closest train station was known as 39th Avenue-Beebe Avenue on the N and W line, just two stops from Manhattan. In 2019, the station was closed for renovations and when it reopened, due to pressure from the Dutch Kills Civic Association, was renamed 39th Avenue-Dutch Kills to “better represent the neighborhood’s history” said an MTA spokesman at the time.

Dutch Kills, when founded in 1642, was a swampy area with several farms and a mill. The Dutch Kills farms supplied produce to the New York markets and the waterpowered grist mills ground grains in the area now known as the Sunnyside Rail Yards.

In 1901, construction commenced on the Queensboro Bridge, which would connect Manhattan with Queens. The bridge–known by many as the 59th Street Bridge, because of its location between 59th and 60th streets in Manhattan–was renamed the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge in 2011.

The city tore down many of the Dutch Kills buildings creating open spaces around the new bridge forming Queens Plaza; hence, Long Island City was born.

In the late 1940’s and 1950’s, local manufacturing had declined greatly. Most of the industries and factories were transformed into studios, which encouraged artists to flock to LIC to rent economical and creative studio space in the former industrial buildings. In 2001, the area was identified as a “growth area” by the city and was rezoned to foster residential and commercial development. Long Island City has been growing and thriving ever since.

I arrived 30 minutes early, before our scheduled 6 p.m. dinner reservation for six. The plan was to try between 3-4 different pies and a few appetizers. I also wanted to check out the breathtaking Manhattan Skyline view from the hotel rooftop.

The Boro Hotel has 13 floors and then the rooftop. It is one of the few Queens buildings that has a designated 13th floor. I met a couple on the elevator who were staying at the hotel, and they had no idea there was a restaurant in the lobby.

Walking into Beebe’s, I was greeted by Marshall. I was immediately drawn to the attractive tomatored-colored oven. As I sat down at the closest table to the oven, Beebe’s Manager, Nick Spanos, greeted me and we struck up a conView from the rooftop of the Boro Hotel versation before my “foodie” group If you order a pie, usually 2-3 slices arrived. I hadn’t told Beebe’s I was are charred with heat bubbles (which doing a pizza review for This Is I prefer) and the other side of the pie Queensborough Magazine before- is less cooked, even if you ordered a hand, so Nick was pleasantly well-done pie. If you have a famsurprised. ily with different preferences, this

Nick asked how I had heard about is ideal. If you are looking for the Beebe’s, which was a story unto consistency of an evenly cooked pie, itself. Sophia Xanthopoulos, a class- this is not good. mate, friend from Beach Channel A pizzeria is only as good as the High School, and loyal pizza col- quality of its ingredients and oven. umn reader, had been telling me Beebe’s features a 3,200-pound about this place for years and urging gas oven imported from Modena, me to go. Ironically, that day was her Italy, home of Lamborghini. At birthday. I mentioned it to Nick, and 519 degrees, pies can be ready as it turns out they knew each other– quickly as three-and-a-half minutes, the Greek Connection! depending on how many pies are

We started the experience with being cooked concurrently. What is the Kale Caesar salad and meatball unique about this gas oven, to obtain appetizers, which were both solid. consistency, is that it can automatiThen came what we were waiting cally rotate the pies. Their cheese for, the pies, which were served two comes directly from an Ohio farm, at a time. I chose the Margherita so literally, farm-to-table. and the Louie “New York Style” One of the many things I liked pies first, a warmup for our taste about Beebe’s is that they allow you buds. I waited to eat until every- to customize your pie, should you one else had a slice to see their reac- prefer different combinations than tions and big smiles erupt across on their menu. This is a fun place. their faces. One of the foodies in our group

Next up, we ordered the “Roni” was Adrian Miller, who owns a pie, which consisted of tomato, moz- sales training firm. She liked it so zarella, and pepperoni. For the much that she was back there two grand finale, out came the “Hot nights later with her husband. Give Italian,” arguably their most popu- Beebe’s a try, you will thank me lar pie. This unique pie has toma- later. to, mozzarella, pickled chili, hot sausage, pepperoni, and Mike’s hot honey. Email me at Rob@InsuranceD-

At most pizzerias when the pie octor.us to share your favorite comes out, it is not evenly cooked. Queens pizzeria and slice.