Maine’s Famous Lobster Pizza Lands In Brooklyn At Il Leone

BROOKLYN, NY — Il Leone is bringing Maine to Brooklyn — and yes, that includes lobster pizza — as the Peaks Island pizzeria sets up its first city location in Park Slope this fall.

The new Park Slope location will take over the former Bar Vinazo space at 158 Seventh Ave., marking the first expansion for the Peaks Island pizzeria.

Chef and founder Ben Wexler-Waite confirmed earlier this year that Il Leone is coming to Brooklyn, with the new spot expected to open later this week, according to reports. The Peaks Island pizzeria, which has run on a seasonal schedule, finished its summer season on Aug. 25.

The Brooklyn outpost was first announced in a social media post earlier this year.

"The Brooklyn space will have an open kitchen and a large backyard and feature the same naturally leavened pies we have been serving the last 5 summers out of our trailer on Peaks Island," he wrote on social media.

Park Slope was chosen for the new location because Wexler-Waite has been living there during the off-season with his girlfriend, Lizzie, with the restaurant team calling it ‘the culmination of a dream of having the opportunity to serve our pizzas in the city where Ben grew up.’

The original Il Leone, which opened in 2021, prides itself on using fresh ingredients and a 100 percent naturally leavened sourdough starter instead of commercial yeast. After a 72-hour fermentation, the dough is topped and baked at over 800 degrees in an Italian wood-fired oven.

For the Brooklyn location, Wexler-Waite plans to continue sourcing produce from small organic farms and farmers markets, while maintaining the restaurant’s signature Isola lobster pizza with the finest Maine frutti di mare.

The Brooklyn location will also offer natural and low-intervention wines, mainly from Campania—the birthplace of pizza in Italy—along with Italian cocktails, spritzes and Maine beers, officials said.

Il Leone’s menu features its signature Isola lobster pizza, made with the finest Maine seafood, alongside seasonal pies like the Fiore, topped with wood-fired Maine zucchini, squash blossoms, fresh mozzarella, Amalfi Coast oregano, lemon, and chili flakes, and the Bianca, with Maine garlic scapes, fresh mozzarella, organic basil, and Sicilian olive oil.

Other options include the Diavola, featuring Calabrian salami, San Marzano tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and chili flakes, and the Pizza Rossa, with hand-milled San Marzano sauce, Maine basil, Amalfi oregano, garlic, and chili.

To view the full menu, click here.

The new Brooklyn location is set to open Thursday.