STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — For the past 10 years, Sabrina and Giuseppe Falanga have done a lot for the NYC food scene. The first-generation husband-and-wife Italian-American duo, who hail from Bensonhurst, run Brooklyn Bitess, a viral food blog and social media brand that documents good eats from local pizzerias, delis, and restaurants.
Their foodie devotion extends well beyond Brooklyn, as they visit hotspots throughout the five boroughs, documenting countless can’t-miss dishes to more than 300,000 followers. Palermo Pizza, Renato’s, Seppe Pizza Bar, Patrizia’s and Ariemma’s Italian Deli are just a few of their Staten Island highlights.
And now, one of their recent posts is garnering attention for a different reason: A simple nod of respect from one food lover to a restaurateur.
“Just got two Sicilians … they put them in the box, the guy looked at them, thought about it, took them out and threw them out,” Giuseppe Falanga said in the post, carrying a pizza box from Original Pizza on Ralph Avenue in Brooklyn. “Top looked great, but the bottom was charcoal black.”
In the video, Falanga stated he was confused until the owner approached him and told him why his order was being refired: “I didn’t want to serve you a burnt pie.”
“That’s the difference between having a customer coming back and only seeing customers that come once and done,” Falanga said. “Respect to an old school spot for doing it right.”