Slice of Queens: Dani’s House of Pizza in Kew Gardens

A ‘SLICE’ OF QUEENS A Brief History of Dani’s House of Pizza

BY ROBERT INTELISANO

When you think about Kew Gardens, many things come to mind, as it has a long and rich history as a pivotal part of Central Queens.

Kew Gardens’ commercial center is on Lefferts Boulevard between Austin Street and Metropolitan Avenue. Historical attractions include the iconic sports bar Austin’s Ale House, the Village Diner, and Kew Gardens Cinemas. The eclectic 1930’s art deco movie theatre has been converted into a six-screen multiplex which shows a mix of commercial, independent, and foreign films.

Rodney Dangerfield and Kitty Genovese (famous 1964 murder case) both lived in the apartments (not together) above Austin’s Ale House. Other well-known people from Kew Gardens include Burt Bacharach, Charlie Chaplin, Jerry Springer, George Gershwin, Paul Simon, and Paul Stanley from Kiss.

Due to its proximity to both JFK and LaGuardia airports, the densely populated neighborhood is also home to many airlines and airport personnel. Kew Gardens is accessible by car from interstate 678 (Van Wyck Expressway), Grand Central Parkway, Jackie Robinson Parkway (formerly the Interboro Parkway), Queens Boulevard, and Union Turnpike. The neighborhood is served by the E and F trains at the Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike station.

In 1875, the Maple Grove Cemetery opened in Kew Gardens, and the Long Island Railroad built a station to serve mourners a few months later. In the late 1800s, the section around the LIRR station was developed into a golf course and a hotel called Hopedale Hall, which was briefly the name of the area.

In 1909, the golf course was demolished to make way for a planned community, one of only seven in Queens at the time. The community was built in the beautiful neo-Tudor architectural style. This new Kew Gardens neighborhood was named after the luxurious botanical gardens in southwest London. The Kew Gardens station on the LIRR has been in operation since 1910 with the same station house on the Manhattan-bound platform.

Other than great food, what I like most about Queens is its ethnic diversity. Kew Gardens is an excellent example of this. There is a large community of Jewish refugees from Germany who migrated to the area after World War II, which is still reflected today by a large number of active synagogues. About 2500 Iranian Jews arrived after the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Immigrants from China, Russia (the USSR at the time) Pakistan, Israel, India, Bangladesh, and Korea settled in Kew Gardens during the 1980s and 1990s.

Dani’s House of Pizza was founded in 1959 by Ramiz Dani. He came to the U.S. in 1957 to escape the Albania-Soviet Union split and the only job he could find was in Little Italy, making pizza. After learning the art of pizza making, he set up a “temporary” shop in Queens as he never intended to stay long term. He hired, mentored, and trained other Albanian refugees before they set up their own pizza shops across Queens and Brooklyn. Ramiz unselfishly helped build dozens of pizzerias that employed immigrant workers and taught them skills, even though he knew they would eventually become competitors. Ramiz died in 2000 and passed the shop to his son Sabri, who still owns it today.

Located at 81-28 Lefferts Boulevard since 1959, Dani’s House of Pizza is nestled on the corner, a stone’s throw from the eastbound Kew Gardens LIRR station. You would drive right by it if you didn’t know it was there at the bottom of the hill. Dani’s House of Pizza was the third pizzeria to open in Queens following Alfredo’s in Woodside and New Park in Howard Beach!

Dani’s House of Pizza serves a delicious thin-crust monster-sized regular slice with their signature “sweet sauce.” If you like a sweet

Intelisano and Raj Goel, right, enjoying a slice at Dani’s sauce, Dani’s is for you! Their reg- “Pizza Passion” in its finest form! ular slice has a unique aftertaste. Dani’s serves a Sicilian, regular, The sugar cuts the acidity and there vegan, pesto, vegetarian, and other are “unconfirmed” rumors that they combinations like Raj’s garlic and mix strawberries in with their secret eggplant. If you ask for it by name, sweet sauce formula. they will make it for you on the

To get a unique second opinion, I spot. Many regulars ask for the invited a fellow foodie, Dani’s reg- sweet sauce on top of their legendular and local business owner, Raj ary pesto slice. Goel, to meet me at Dani’s on an Before Covid-19, Dani’s was a sitApril Friday afternoon. Raj is the down restaurant with seating for 26. President and Founder of Brainlink As mentioned, they were known for International, a specialist firm in IT being open late at night, usually to and cybersecurity. 3:30 a.m. or whenever they ran out

When I mentioned to Raj that of pizza. I used to tell people Dani’s Dani’s was also well known for did more business with lines out the their pesto slice, a big smile erupted door after midnight than most placacross his face. He acknowledged es did all day. the regular and pesto slices are tasty The beauty of pizza is a personand said, “nothing compares to their al preference. Thin crust vs thick garlic and eggplant slice!” crust, Sicilian vs grandmas, New

I asked him how Dani’s com- York-style vs Chicago deep dish, pared to other better-known spots in sweet sauce vs savory sauce. Queens, and he said, “Dani’s pizza Due to Covid-19, their new busiis the best in Queens, and it’s not ness hours are 2 p.m. - 11 p.m. seven even close!” days a week. There are currently no

We traded pizza stories for hours. sit-down options (not even on their I told him how I was driving back old-school round counter seats) only from the 2018 Atlantic City Boxing take-out. Hall of Fame weekend in a crazy Take a close look at their refrigeramonsoon at 3:45 a.m. (starving and tor behind the counter as they have running out of gas) and Dani’s was an extensive craft bottled beer selecclosing at 3:30 a.m. and they let me tion, as well as wine. They are a in for the last two slices to go. classic old-school slices place, and it

Admittedly, Raj’s best Dani’s story is usually a long wait for a pie. topped mine. Yearning to share his favorite garlic and eggplant slice with his family, he packed slices in Chinese food plastic containers and took them on the plane to visit his family in Mumbai, India. That is Email me at Rob@InsuranceDoctor.us to share your favorite Queens pizzeria and slice.