One minute you’re on a New York subway train; the next you’re sipping cappuccino at a sidewalk cafe in Rome.
The best part is that you don’t need a plane ticket to get there.
Just drive to a strip center at the northeast corner of Nob Hill Road and Sunrise Boulevard in Plantation and walk into Pizza Time, a themed Italian restaurant and cafe that opens on Wednesday.
The unusual decor combines a gritty New York scene, complete with a model of the Empire State building and subway turnstile, with a chic Italian cafe set against the backdrop of the Roman Colosseum.
Sound bizarre?
Not to owners Sandy Levy and Umberto “Bobby” Cerbone. They say it’s about time west Broward joined the national craze for themes, from themed amusement parks to shopping malls.
Levy, a retired New York accountant, met Cerbone, the owner of Pizza Time in Coral Springs, by chance.
Two years ago, Levy chucked a successful 20-year career to retire in Coral Springs. His wife gave up a jewelry business.
One day, his wife, also named Sandy, complained to a Realtor that she couldn’t find good pizza like she had in New York.
The Realtor referred the couple to Pizza Time, where they fell in love with the pizza and met Cerbone, an Italian and fellow New Yorker who has operated the popular Coral Springs restaurant for 15 years.
It was a perfect match.
“Between Bobby’s recipes and my business expertise, we can’t go wrong,” Levy said.
The non-smoking restaurant offers more selections than its Coral Springs counterpart. That is due in part to chef Stefano DalBon, who comes to the new eatery from a Palm Beach restaurant.
The lunch and dinner menus have everything from regular and specialty pizzas to pasta, veal, chicken and fish dishes. Dinner prices range from $10.50 for a small pizza to $17.95 for angel hair pasta with shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels and calamari.
The 4,000-square-foot restaurant has a full bar, European desserts, 37 types of coffee and music on the weekend.
The owners are promoting the cafe as a place for coffee, a drink, or dessert after a movie. The New York area is geared for casual dining; the Roman section for upscale dining.
The restaurant is in the Nob Hill Pav-ilion, 10187 Sunrise Blvd. The hours are 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday; and 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays.
The 201-seat restaurant also has take-out and delivery service.
Besides its food, what makes Pizza Time stand out is its decor. Levy wanted remnants from his past, hence the New York theme. Cerbone wanted to pretend he was in Rome.
Pompano Beach artist Dan Daddona designed the restaurant. He has designed interiors for businesses around South Florida and the world.
Former New Yorkers will feel at home munching pizza on the New York side with its brick facade.
Staring down at them is King Kong, clutching Fay Wray, atop a wood and fiberglass model of the Empire State building. A subway train, covered with graffiti, rumbles on a track above.
The memorabilia is authentic, gathered by Levy’s father, Harry “Red” Levy, a retired New York City patrolman.
The gadgets include a red Chic-lets dispenser and strap hangers from a subway train. There’s a replica of the Brooklyn Bridge, an original Madison Square Garden sign, a bus token holder, a fire hydrant and a subway map, lantern, post and signal light.
One wall is adorned with Red Levy’s police cap and nightstick.
On the Roman side, the Colosseum wraps around the dining room, carved out of rigid urethane foam and covered in fiberglass and a cement-like substance.
Pillars and paintings of scenes from Rome adorn the room. The soft lighting shows off clouds and stars painted on the ceiling. The tables are granite, and some were handcarved by Cerbone’s father-in-law.
For the owners, both in their 40s, the restaurant is a chance to try something different.
Though the Levys and Carbones are confident they will make it in a competitive restaurant market, they are superstitious nonetheless.
All six doors of the restaurant have a mezuzah affixed to them. For good luck, Mrs. Levy buried 18 pennies with their heads facing up under tiles. She also sprinkled salt. A rabbi and priest will bless the eatery before it opens.
“This is going to be our next great adventure,” Mrs. Levy said. “It’s going to be a lot of work, but it’ll be fun.”
