<div>With its constant reshuffling and ever-changing dining options, Ithaca’s Restaurant Row is undergoing yet another change. The jam-packed strip of eateries on North Aurora Street has included Monks On The Commons at the Ithaca Marriott since 2016, but now a new neighbor is moving into Monks’ space. In a Facebook post, the Ithaca Marriott announced Monks’ departure in August of 2026 and welcomed Patsy’s Pizzeria into its restaurant space. The popular Harlem-founded restaurant welcomed an upstate location on Aug. 27, with a ribbon cutting and the first of many coal-oven pizza dinners. The original Patsy’s Pizzeria was opened in 1933 by Pasquale “Patsy” Lancieri and his wife Carmella, a family venture in East Harlem. After the business garnered significant attention, it celebrated an iconic history, with frequent visits from Frank Sinatra himself. Patsy’s gained a significant reputation hosting the cast and crew of “The Godfather” for table readings, later expanding to over a dozen locations in Manhattan, the outer boroughs and now, Ithaca. After 58 years of ownership, the Lancieri family passed their beloved enterprise to coworker and long-time friend Frank Brija, who began managing the Patsy’s chain with his son, Adem in 1991. The father-son duo soon partnered with Promise Hospitality Group to expand the pizzeria across the nation. Now, Ithaca marks the second partner location in a national expansion strategy that Promise Hospitality CEO and Founder Premtim Gjonbalic plans to continue into 2027.“During a visit last year, I completely fell in love with Ithaca, not just for its famous waterfalls, but for its vibrant, tight-knit community,” Gjonbalic said. “One thing we noticed, however, was that despite Ithaca's status as a premier New York destination, authentic, New York-style pizza was hard to find. We knew right away that we could fill that gap for local residents, Cornell students, and guests staying right above us.”For years, Thompson and Bleecker has featured fine-dining pizza while post-bar slices are served up at Casa Blanca and Adelina’s At Argos makes its summer cameo. But neapolitan and roman-style sourdough pies don’t provide the city experience that Patsy’s is versed in. Gjonbalic describes the restaurant as “a preservationist of authentic thin-crust, coal-oven pizza culture” with a century of undoubted success to justify it. Founder Pasquale Lancieri was in fact a pizzaiolo at Lombardi’s, the first coal-oven pizzeria in the United States. While many pizzerias emphasize new recipes, doughs unheard of or unconventional toppings, Gjonbalic explained that Patsy’s keeps it classic by offering a slice from the past. As Patsy’s Ithaca is the franchise’s new upstate flagship, the team took extra measures to ensure that the culinary experience is as close to that in Harlem as possible. A brick by brick custom built oven by master artisan Nobile Attie was installed in the kitchen at the Ithaca Marriott, replicating tradition four hours away.“Our goal is to serve an experience that gets as close as humanly possible to the original 1933 slice you would have been handed in East Harlem,” Gjonbalic said.Besides pizza, Chef Pietro Aletto and his team also offer an exciting Antipasti menu with tuna crudo, meatballs and mozzarella stuffed suppli. Salads and classic mains in milanese and parmigiana round out the menu, with a whole branzino and steak pizzaiola: a 14 oz ribeye seared in pizza ingredients including tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and olive oil. Orecchiette, cacciatore, tortellini and a full pasta menu demonstrate how Aletto balances Patsy’s classics with reimagined signatures. Many things are kept in Marriott fashion, as the new dining establishment also offers a full cocktail menu with martinis, negronis, and wines galore. As Monks On The Commons served three meals a day, Patsy’s keeps up the same extensive hours with a breakfast menu, all day menu, and of course, dessert options. Early Italian pastries, whipped ricotta toast or a calzone to start the day are morning specialties while zeppoles, tortonis and affogatos are sweet treats on standby. As Patsy’s assimilates to Ithaca’s community and client base, Gjonbalic also looks forward to collaborations with Cornell’s Nolan School of Hotel Administration. He hopes that students will be able to use the restaurant as a resource, acting as a real-world launch pad for budding talent in the food and service industry.While the Marriott lets its star eatery depart for new horizons, the pizza scene’s future on restaurant row is looking a little different. With dark green interior decor and Harlem style right in town, Patsy’s pizzeria promises a trip to Harlem with every meal and no bus ticket necessary.Gjonbalic and his colleagues anticipate the spread of a tradition that never gets too old. “The fires in these ovens rarely, if ever, go out,” he said.</div>

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With its constant reshuffling and ever-changing dining options, Ithaca’s Restaurant Row is undergoing yet another change. The jam-packed strip of eateries on North Aurora Street has included Monks On The Commons at the Ithaca Marriott since 2016, but now a new neighbor is moving into Monks’ space. In...

Harlem’s Patsy’s Pizzeria Comes to Ithaca

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With its constant reshuffling and ever-changing dining options, Ithaca’s Restaurant Row is undergoing yet another change. The jam-packed strip of eateries 

Harlem’s Patsy’s Pizzeria Comes to Ithaca

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