Let's get the "full disclosure" part of this story out the way first. Mike Chau, who, along with his wife Alexandra Chau, just opened Masani Pizza a few blocks from their home in Forest Hills, is one of my closest friends. We first met in 2015 (while eating of course; he's since become a pretty famous Instagrammer for his FoodBabyNY account). I've been to his house many times, I know his whole family, I've been goofing around with his and Alex's three kids for their entire lives.
So hell yeah, bestie's got a pizza place now! And it's amazing! Thank God, right? It would have been so awkward otherwise...
Anyway, two months ago Mike and Alex got the keys to the long-time Lillian space on 69th Avenue, a neighborhood institution that first opened in 1972 but had been on a downward spiral after she sold it to some randos in 2018, and then they resold it to another bunch of randos in 2024.
Mike grew up in Forest Hills and loved the old, original Lillian just like everyone else around here, and really missed having good pizza nearby. So, when he and Alex, who had just left her corporate job, heard that the place was on the market again, they told me they saw an opportunity to not only bring good pizza back to the community, but also to build something for their family.
"Growing up, it never felt like an option, to make a living doing something that you like doing, something that you're passionate about," Alex told Hell Gate. "You go to school, join a big firm or a bank, something stable, and squeeze all of your hobbies and your interests into your weekends and nights.
"So for our kids, Masani means more than just having a place to hang out with their friends, and having us working close by. I want them to see that you can make a living doing what you like to do. Mike and I are having fun, we're laughing, and our children are watching us grow something that is going to be a part of their lives, a piece of their family legacy."
Sweet Bill Waterson vibes for sure. Most important, though, is that the pizza at Masani is great—just beautiful, classic, New York City slice shop stuff. And I'm not just fangirling my friends by saying so (though I am known to do exactly that), because neither Mike nor Alex are the pizzaiolos here. That job falls to the inimitable Felix Toro of Happy Bull Pizza, who's working at Masani for a few months, developing recipes and making sure things start out right.
The basic pepperoni slice, for example—always my baseline at any new pizzeria—hits exactly right. The crust is chewy and sturdy, there's some nice charring going on, the cheese is salty and gooey, the tomato sauce bright and just the right amount of sweet, and the oily 'roni cups bring in the funk. Perfection.
If you're looking to party, the "Supreme Clientele" slice adds sausage, peppers, onions, mushrooms, and olives to the above, with satisfying, maximalist results. The "A&J" slice is named after the shuttered Austin Street spot known for its chicken-and-broccoli combo, which also happened to be where Mike and Alex went on their first date.
The beloved "Lillian Sicilian" has been resurrected here, too: thick, saucy, fluffy, and available in both regular and vegan versions. The other square pizza is a super-thin, super-crispy grandma slice, and is maybe Mike's favorite thing here. There's a peppy vodka slice, a creamy cacio e pepe slice, and, ingeniously, a throwback "for your health" option, which allows you to pile any of the four Masani salads on top of a white slice.
And if for some reason you've walked into a pizza parlor but aren't in the mood for pizza, Masani's got your back. There are five pastas on the menu, including an excellent gemelli bolognese and a bowl of cool-looking trotolle covered in some punchy pesto. Chef Jimmy, who used to work at MisiPasta, is in charge of this part of the kitchen, and he has a nice touch with the stuff, all of which comes fresh, not dried, from Brooklyn Pasta Lab.
There are also pepperoni or broccoli pinwheels (the latter apparently a cult favorite here during the OG Lillian era), a doughy chicken roll with dunking sauce (get the vodka), a calzone, and a plate of meatballs. Alex's signature drink, a can of Diet Coke, leads the way in the beverage department, and desserts are courtesy of the Lemon Ice King of Corona, with specials from places like Caffè Panna also showing up frequently.
The Chaus never half-ass anything, so it didn't surprise me to see how much creativity and love they put into their whirlwind renovation of the space, and how much they made the place their own.
For starters, the name Masani is a portmanteau of their kids, Matthew, Samantha, and Nicole. Mike's other best friend Alex Ostroff did the graphic design and the branding via his firm Saint Urbain. Mike's brother Dave did the hilarious choking poster (I won't give the joke away, but the Chaus are all big Knicks fans, and can you think of someone very tall who choked really badly recently?). The playlist reflects Mike's deep knowledge of '90s hip hop. And there are dozens of photos on the wall, each in a charmingly garish gold frame, of the Chau family and their many, many friends.
"There are things in life that to me are like, Oh my God, I can't believe this is happening moments," said Alex. "Like when Mike and I first started dating, and I thought, I can't believe I'm going out with Mike Chau. That's wild. For your crush to like you back? Amazing. And when I saw that first pregnancy test, and it was like holy shit, I'm going to have a baby. And Masani is right up there. I wake up sometimes and think, is this really happening? That we're a small business owner in our community, and we're reviving this iconic spot? It's so exciting."
Masani is located at 96-01 69th Avenue, at the corner of Harrow Street and is currently open on Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. until 9 a.m. Mike says they'll stay open later on nights when there's a concert at Forest Hills Stadium, which is just a few blocks away.