Village Pizza is like family

Celebrates 22 years of feeding Goshen, By Vicki Botta Goshen —When Sal Brancato brought his wife and family to Orange County from Bayside Queens in 1984, it was for his love of “fresh air and the country.” He also wanted to pursue his hobby of raising organic food and making dishes from scratch with his own homegrown, healthy ingredients. He raised goats so that he could make cheese from their milk, and chickens so that he could have the freshest eggs. In his garden he grew tomatoes, basil, and other vegetables. He brought his love of making things from fresh, wholesome ingredients to his business, Village Pizza. He started the restaurant with his wife, Barbara Jean, when their two sons, Sal Jr. and John Paul, were very young. Brancato worked hard, making sauce from scratch with fresh herbs, kneading his own dough, and bringing family recipes to life for customers to enjoy. His children grew up in the restaurant at a time when Goshen had “a lot of bars.” The boys made boxes as soon as they could manage the task and delivered fresh slices to customers. When they were old enough to drive, they made deliveries further away. Deliveries had to stop when the local population grew too big, and demand began to affect the quality of the take-out business. Today Brancato’s sons own their own pizzeria in Delray, Florida, called Gennero’s, which seats 70 people. Brancato said would not have done anything differently. “I still love making good food from fresh ingredient, and I love the people,” he said. His customers treat him like family, calling him by his first name and chatting about their personal lives. Brancato listens with genuine concern and asks about their children by name. He was patient and attentive while one of his customers told him about his father’s health problems and medical treatments. It’s easy to see why customers feel so comfortable with him. He is soft-spoken and gentle, with an easy smile. He’s a good listener. Yet, he never stops working. Although he is naturally slim, his muscles protrude from his forearms from all his years of working the dough by hand, and from his legs from standing for hours on end, and walking back and forth from the ovens to the counter to the rolling area. “It’s a hard business,” he said with a smile, “but you get used to it. The people are my social life.” At 58, he’s cut back to working 60 hours a week. He shares the workload with his nephew Paul, who is getting married next year and will eventually take over the business sometime in the future. Some of Village Pizza’s specialties include “veggie pies,” which are topped with a combination of vegetables; and “grandma’s pies,” which have a heavy marinara sauce with fresh basil and no cheese; and baby individual pies, which are white and topped with spinach, broccoli, and chicken. “You can’t beat the family special,” said Anthony Sanzone, a longtime Goshen resident who’s been coming in to Village Pizza for many years. The family special includes a whole pie, salad, meatballs, and baked ziti for $14.99. “We add anchovies and an extra pie,” said Sanzone. “It’s probably the best pizza in Goshen other than going down to New York City. It’s an extension of New York City here in Goshen.” “That’s quite a compliment,” said Brancato as they shared a smile and an understanding glance. It was Brancato’s wife of almost 36 years, Barbara Jean, who encouraged him to open the business. He had initially worked in the family liquor store business in Manhattan, and later with his brother in his brother’s restaurant. When his brother began working as a stockbroker, his wife’s uncle invited Brancato to work with him in his restaurant and then guided him when he opened his pizzeria. “It’s not like selling a product,” he said, very seriously. “When it’s your own creation and you make it from scratch, you get a special sense of satisfaction.” Although his business has pretty much stayed the same all these years, Brancato is happy with the way things are. He and Barbara Jean have six young grandchildren whom they like to visit from time to time. He’s a longtime charter member of the Italian American Club of Goshen. Even after he retires some day, he wants to stay in Goshen and maybe travel to Italy. “Goshen has always been very good for me,” he said. Village Pizza, located at 100 Greenwich Ave., may be reached by calling 294-7923.