{"id":57463,"date":"2021-05-02T00:01:44","date_gmt":"2021-05-02T06:01:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=57463"},"modified":"2026-03-31T14:03:41","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T20:03:41","slug":"poppys-pizzeria-italian-eatery-albuquerque-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=57463","title":{"rendered":"Poppy’s Pizzeria & Italian Eatery – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Poppy’s Pizzeria on Central Avenue Just East of Old Town<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chef-owner Mario D’Elia knew what he’d be in for when he named his new restaurant Poppy’s Pizzeria & Italian Eatery.\u00a0 Legions of Seinfeld fans would undoubtedly joke\u00a0 “Poppy’s a little sloppy<\/strong><\/a>,” a reference to Poppie, a restaurateur on the comedy Seinfeld who didn’t wash his hands after using the bathroom.\u00a0 Sure enough,the jokes came…until the jokesters tasted the seriously outstanding authentic New York style pizza.\u00a0 Poppy’s pizza is no joking matter.\u00a0 So why would Mario subject himself to a spate of predictable and hackneyed jokes?<\/span><\/p>\n

Poppy, as you might know, is an affectionate nickname given to a father, grandfather or a male authority figure standing in a similar position.\u00a0 Mario speaks with reverence and love about his poppy, the nurturing grandfather who encouraged and challenged him to always do his best.\u00a0 Mario’s Poppy would be very proud of the man his grandson has become.\u00a0 The precocious child who once giggled as he bounced on his grandfather’s knee has become not just quite a chef, not just quite a dad, but quite a good dude.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Hands-On Chef-Owner Mario D’Elia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Born and raised in the same Bronx neighborhood Joe Guzzardi of Joe’s Pasta House<\/strong><\/a> also called home, Mario started cooking at age 12.\u00a0 Because culinary school wasn’t an option, he opted for unpaid kitchen internships at several restaurants, a process known as “staging” that generations of great chefs once followed.\u00a0 Those apprenticeships served him well, helping him build a very impressive “curriculum vitae” that includes garnering numerous national accolades.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mario’s credentials include having worked as a chef for the Chicago Cubs.\u00a0 He fed major league baseball players at the Windy City and traveled with them for spring training in the Phoenix area.\u00a0 Before relocating to Albuquerque, Mario owned and operated four restaurants in the Atlanta area including a pizzeria that did two-million-dollars in sales one year.\u00a0 Every one of his restaurants received lavish praise from the public and the media.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Chef Mario D’Elia Baking a Pizza<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mario’s first stint in the Duke City was as executive chef for the Albuquerque Isotopes.\u00a0 For four years he cooked for aspiring major leaguers as well as such superstars as Josh Hamilton, then the American League Most Valuable Player.\u00a0 He also fed suite owners, picnic-goers and one persnickety coaching legend.\u00a0 When Hall-of-Fame Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda requested a pizza, Isotopes officials warned Mario to mask his Bronx attitude and under no circumstances mention Lasorta’s hated rival, the New York Yankees.\u00a0 Such was Lasorta’s antipathy for the Dodger’s world series rival.<\/span><\/p>\n

After working for the Isotopes, he launched a meal prep service called “Shut the Chef Up” where he prepared health-minded meals for clients with dietary and allergy concerns. During its peak, Shut the Chef Up produced about 8,000 meals a week. There isn’t an allergy or dietary concern with which Mario isn’t familiar.\u00a0 Shut the Chef Up eventually launched a satellite operation at the Jackson Wink MMA Academy where he served mixed martial artists and patrons pursuing healthy lifestyles.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Mario’s Fabulous Meatballs – Get Them Before They’re Gone<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During the dreaded pandemic year of 2020, Mario came out of retirement to launch Poppy’s Pizzeria & Italian Eatery in the space which previously housed Amore Neapolitan Pizzeria<\/strong>.<\/a>\u00a0 Mario inherited the high-heat, 905-degree oven Amore left behind.\u00a0 Though Neapolitan pizza ovens are rarely, if ever, used for New York style pizza (deck ovens are almost mandatory), Mario has learned over the years to control the temperature of any oven to create the perfect pizza every time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Peruse Poppy’s Facebook page<\/strong><\/a> and you’ll see the audacious claim “New Mexico’s first authentic NY pizzeria.” If you’ve been around the Land of Enchantment for any length of time, you know a significant number of pizzerias claim to serve New York style pizza.\u00a0 So what makes Poppy’s pizza more authentic than other claimants?\u00a0 Mario will tell you New York style is also about the vibe, the attitude and the personality.\u00a0 It’s about the way customers are treated and the experience they’re given.\u00a0 Mario is a born-and-bred New Yorker who prepares and serves pizza the way New Yorkers enjoy it.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Large, Authentic New York-Style Pizza–the Best We’ve Had in Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The only concession Mario will make to New Mexicans who insist on putting green chile on everything (up to and including dessert) is as an option on pizza.\u00a0 He will not–under any circumstances–add green chile to pasta, meatballs or any other authentic Italian dishes he plans on introducing soon.\u00a0 <\/span>Because of government-imposed capacity limitations, Poppy’s menu is somewhat abbreviated but it’s undergoing a make-over that will truly showcase Mario’s cooking repertoire.<\/span><\/p>\n

2 May 2021<\/strong>: American writer Daniel Handler believes “Miracles are like meatballs, because nobody can exactly agree on what they are made of, where they come from, or how often they should appear<\/em>.”\u00a0 In rare cases, meatballs themselves are the miracle, so good you’d swear celestial hands prepared them.\u00a0 That’s true of Poppy’s meatballs<\/strong><\/em>, two golf ball-sized homemade all-beef meatballs covered in tomato sauce and melted mozzarella.\u00a0 The garlic and oregano kissed meatballs are dense and firm, but cut easy with a press of a fork.\u00a0 The tomato sauce is tangy and acidic with herbaceous notes accompanying the flavor of fresh tomatoes.\u00a0 These are meatballs you might dream about, but don’t spend too much time dreaming. \u00a0Mario makes only six or seven pounds of them at a time and once they’re gone, you’ll have to wait until your next visit to get them.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Pop Pop’s Italian Ice: Watermelon and Tiger’s Blood<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

10 April 2021<\/strong>: In addition to a bake-your-own-pizza<\/strong> <\/em>option, Poppy’s menu lists six pizzas, five of which are named for New York City area places: Da Bronx, Queens, Westchester, Brooklyn and Long Island.\u00a0 My Kim picked out the ingredients for our inaugural Poppy’s pizza: cheese, ricotta, sausage (from Chicago) and garlic (folded into the sauce).\u00a0\u00a0 Within minutes of placing our order, Mario delivered a picture perfect sixteen-inch pie with a light char and just the slightest cornicione, an Italian term for the \u201clip\u201d or puffy outer edge of the pizza.\u00a0 It’s only when a pizza has a very slight cornicione that it can be eaten the way New Yorkers* enjoy their pizza–by folding it vertically.\u00a0 “That’s so you can eat it as you walk<\/em>,” Mario explained.\u00a0 “In New York, pizza is a street food<\/em>,” he told us.\u00a0 *Except for Mayor Bill deBlasio who committed the mortal sin of eating pizza using a knife and fork.<\/span><\/p>\n

Only contemporary NBA players flop as much as a slice of thin crust, light char pizza from Poppy’s, another sign you’re experiencing an authentic New York style slice.\u00a0 Now, theories abound that the main reason New York style pizza is so good is because of the city’s water.\u00a0 Pizzerias across the country have purchased expensive water filtration systems that mimic New York’s water and they still don’t do the trick.\u00a0 Crediting the water doesn\u2019t quite do justice to the skilled New York City pizza chefs.\u00a0 The secret to the deliciousness of Poppy’s pizza is Chef Mario D’Elia’s experience and skill.\u00a0 Sure the sauce, the cheese, the crust and other ingredients are of the highest quality, but it’s Mario who puts it all together incomparably and deliciously.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Veronisi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2 May 2021:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>My friend\u00a0\u00a0Howie \u201cthe Duke of the Duke City\u201d Kaibel<\/strong><\/a>, Community Director for Yelp started his review for Poppy’s by declaring “There ain’t nothin’ on the planet like Chicago sausage<\/em>!”\u00a0 \u00a0He’s absolutely correct.\u00a0 \u00a0That’s why Mario uses it on his pizza.\u00a0 So does another New York born-and-bred \u00fcber chef, Bob Yacone of Forghedaboudit<\/strong> <\/a>in Las Cruces and Deming.\u00a0 Why would two proud New Yorkers insist on Chicago sausage?\u00a0 Quite simply because it’s the very best!\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

While the rest of the country prefers pepperoni, in Chicago sausage is king.\u00a0 It’s been that ways since before Carl Sandberg declared the Windy City “hog butcher for the world<\/em>.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>One of the pizzas in which that Chicago sausage shines best is the Veronese<\/strong> <\/em>where a generous amount of that sumptuous sausage shares canvas space with pepperoni and meatballs.\u00a0 This is a true meat-lovers pie, good enough to convert the most staunch of vegetarians and maybe militant vegans, too.\u00a0 The sausage is well-seasoned and delicious, a meat candy you’ll be tempted to pluck off the pizza and eat separately.\u00a0 As tempting as that may be, your best bites come from that incomparable blend of meats, cheeses and crust.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

10 April 2021<\/strong>: For Mario, the New York vibe of which I wrote earlier includes being able to get a scoop of Italian ice<\/strong> <\/em>for twenty-five-cents a scoop no matter how many scoops you order.\u00a0 Italian ice is a refreshing treat that will make Albuquerque bearable in the summer.\u00a0 Mario procures it by the tubful from Pop Pop’s Italian Ice<\/strong><\/a>, an Albuquerque institution for nearly a quarter-century.\u00a0 We certainly enjoyed the two flavors available during our visit, watermelon and the curiously named Tiger’s blood, a mix of cherry and coconut.<\/span><\/p>\n

Poppy’s Pizzeria & Italian Eatery offers a real New York pizza made by a real New Yorker and so much more. Mario is planning to close the restaurant at 4PM on Sundays to serve four-course Italian family dinners. He’s working on a new menu that will showcase his formidable Italian cooking skills.\u00a0 Soon he’ll be introducing a 30-item line of sodium-free condiments and he’s still preparing health-minded meals under the Poppy’s umbrella. The sky’s the limit for this little piece of New York in the Duke City.<\/span><\/p>\n

Poppy’s Pizzeria & Italian Eatery<\/strong>
\n1700 Central Avenue, S.W.
\nAlbuquerque, New Mexico<\/strong>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 2 May 2021
\n1st VISIT<\/strong>: 10 April 2021
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 2
\nRATING<\/strong>: Outstanding<\/strong><\/span>\u2013A stand-out; delivers a memorable dining experience through a harmonious blend of exceptional food, attentive service, and consistent quality
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Meatballs, Pizza (Sausage, Cheese, Ricotta, Garlic), Italian Ice
\nREVIEW #1216<\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chef-owner Mario D’Elia knew what he’d be in for when he named his new restaurant Poppy’s Pizzeria & Italian Eatery.\u00a0 Legions of Seinfeld fans would undoubtedly joke\u00a0 “Poppy’s a little sloppy,” a reference to Poppie, a restaurateur on the comedy Seinfeld who didn’t wash his hands after using the bathroom.\u00a0 Sure enough,the jokes came…until the jokesters tasted the seriously outstanding authentic New York style pizza.\u00a0 Poppy’s pizza is no joking matter.\u00a0 So why would Mario subject himself to a spate of predictable and hackneyed jokes? Poppy, as you might know, is an affectionate nickname given to a father, grandfather or a male authority figure standing in a similar position.\u00a0 Mario speaks with reverence and love about his poppy, the nurturing…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":57621,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[440,839,703,262,71,141,68,561],"tags":[935,938,940,937,934,933,936,932,939],"class_list":["post-57463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albuquerque","category-closed-in-2021","category-dog-friendly","category-closed","category-italian","category-new-mexico","category-pizza","category-rating-outstanding","tag-bronx","tag-chicago-sausage","tag-farm-raised-tomatoes","tag-italian-family-meals","tag-italian-ice","tag-mario-delia","tag-meatballs","tag-new-york-style-pizza","tag-wisconsin-cheese"],"yoast_head":"\nPoppy's Pizzeria & Italian Eatery - Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED) - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=57463\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Poppy's Pizzeria & Italian Eatery - Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED) - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Chef-owner Mario D’Elia knew what he’d be in for when he named his new restaurant Poppy’s Pizzeria & Italian Eatery.\u00a0 Legions of Seinfeld fans would undoubtedly joke\u00a0 “Poppy’s a little sloppy,” a reference to Poppie, a restaurateur on the comedy Seinfeld who didn’t wash his hands after using the bathroom.\u00a0 Sure enough,the jokes came…until the jokesters tasted the seriously outstanding authentic New York style pizza.\u00a0 Poppy’s pizza is no joking matter.\u00a0 So why would Mario subject himself to a spate of predictable and hackneyed jokes? 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