For two years, a sign for “Fiocha Pizza” tantalized passers-by in the shopping center on Middle Road in Mattituck that holds Wendy’s Deli and Ali Katz Kitchen: The promise of a new pizzeria — which would hopefully pick up where the popular Pizza Rita left off.
Now, thanks to owner Nabeel Massoud, Fiocha Pizza (55 Middle Road, Mattituck, 631-298-7371) is officially open for business, offering a vibe that’s at once familiar and unique.
“I began this bread-making, pizza-making journey at home 10 years ago or so,” says Massoud, whose family owns and operates both Palmer and Paumanok Vineyards. “My family would come over and say the pizza was amazing. I’d say we should do this at the winery and they’d go, ‘Are you crazy?’”
Massoud convinced his family, including brother Kareem and father Charles, that making pizza at Palmer would be a good business venture, and things fell into place when Macari Vineyards put their custom wood-fired pizza oven truck up for sale. With the encouragement of Massoud’s mother, Ursula, the vineyard purchased it, and wood-fired pizza became a popular staple at Palmer Vineyards on weekends.
When Pizza Rita closed in 2023, Massoud jumped at the opportunity to rent the space, but quickly found some issues with the shop. Now, with multiple improvements and renovations — from a new HVAC system to a 6,000-pound, wood-fired pizza oven direct from Naples that cooks pizza in 60-90 seconds — Massoud has finally opened his dream project, named after his daughter, Fiona, and son, Charles.
Fiocha’s wood-fired, personal pizzas are sure to find weekday fans, especially among the folks who have enjoyed Palmer’s weekend offerings. Massoud has started small, with eight personal-sized pies (four red and four white) with multiple topping options, and two salads. Massoud also has ambitious plans to expand to Detroit-style slices, Sicilian pies, crispy pan-fried pizza and other pie’s-the-limit dishes.
Massoud, who manages Palmer and Paumanok Vineyards, also wants to incorporate his family’s rich legacy of food into the pizzeria.
“I might pay homage to my family heritage,” he says. “My father’s from Lebanon, my mom’s from Germany, and both those cultures have amazing cuisine,” says Massoud.
Additionally, Massoud plans to include a dessert pizza with banana, Nutella and powdered sugar.
“It’s going to show up on the menu soon,” he says. “It’s incredible.”
Currently, Fiocha Pizza is open Thursday through Monday, but Massoud hopes to open seven days as soon as next week.
“I love all food,” says Massoud. “But pizza has always been amazing to me. You have the crust as the foundation, and your imagination can be what goes on top.”
