From Milan and Piacenza to New York, passing through London and Elba Island: the story of Elena Della Volpe and Matteo Prospiti is that of a couple who chose to start again from scratch pointing on Italian authenticity. With Sottocasa Harlem they have built much more than a pizzeria: a point of reference for the neighborhood, where tradition, community and hospitality intertwine each day in the heart of Harlem.
Elena Della Volpe was born in Aversa, in the province of Caserta, from a Southern family with Neapolitan and Sicilian roots. Grown up in Milan, he developed a 20-year career in information technology before deciding to change his life. After experiences between Milan, Elba Island, London, finally arrives in New York, where he opens with his partner and partner of life, Matteo Prospiti, the pizzeria Sottocasa Harlem.
Matteo Prospiti was born and grows in Piacenza, where he attends the school with the idea of undertaking a job that allowed him to travel. His first experience in the United States arrived in 1990 at Disney, in the Italian restaurant Alfredo, followed by other experiences between Europe and Italy. After years of work between hotels and catering, the decision comes to move with Elena to New York.
Let’s start from the beginning: when you opened Sottocasa Harlem and when did this decision come to your life?
We came to New York for the first time on holiday in 2010 and lived in Harlem, immediately realizing that we were in a completely different context from the European one. In New York, people come out to eat much more frequently than Italy: a completely different approach to catering, which has made us further reflect and adapt our entrepreneurial idea. In the following years we have returned several times, beginning to better understand the market and its dynamics. Our initial idea was to open an Italian wine bar, but over time the project evolved. Through a lawyer we came into contact with an entrepreneur, Luca Arrigoni, already active in the catering sector in Brooklyn with Sottocasa Pizzeria Brooklyn. From there the opportunity was born to open Sottocasa Harlem.
Why did you choose Harlem? What convinced you to open right here?
We chose Harlem because, since 2010, every time we came to New York we felt at home: it is a living, friendly, very human neighborhood. In addition, we would like to stress that we do not consider it any more dangerous than other areas of the city.
Do you feel more like a neighborhood pizzeria or destination for Italians and tourists?
Both. We are very close to the neighborhood, families and customers who have been following us for years. At the same time we also have an international clientele, but the relationship with the local community remains central.
Is there still today, according to you, an “Italian Way” to make food abroad? Or does New York inevitably force to change approach?
We try to remain authentic: we do not adapt the product to pursue the market. We use Italian ingredients, Italian machinery and aim to maintain a consistent identity in every aspect of our work. The goal is to offer an experience as close as possible to the Italian one. We then opened our pizzeria following this philosophy: Italian music, Italian products and staff able to understand Italian. From the outset, our goal was to make customers experience authentic, without ever falling apart. It is a challenging job, especially in a city like New York, highly competitive and highly homologated, but our identity has remained unchanged.
What were the greatest difficulties in opening an activity by Italians in the United States?
As soon as transferred it was difficult to get credit, but beyond this aspect, bureaucracy is definitely leaner and at the same time more rigid. If there is a rule or procedure, that is followed precisely, and finding alternative solutions is complex. This, perhaps, was the main difficulty: the lack of flexibility in identifying different paths than those established.
After almost ten years of activity, what is Sottocasa Harlem today?
Undercasa Harlem with time became a point of reference. We have seen growing customers, families and a community that has consolidated over time. It’s a neighborhood we hear. To tell it are mainly daily episodes that, over time, have given meaning to our work. A couple of clients and friends moved after Covid. We met and started talking; she, who had celebrated the baby shower from us, at some point moved. He told us that, although today he lives elsewhere, when they lived in the area our place was their point of reference. She and her husband often came. Their first date had been organized by us.
What does “home” mean to you today? Italy or New York?
For us they are two different but complementary dimensions. Italy represents the family, roots, affections and everything that has formed us. New York, however, is the life we have built over time, our work, experiences and personal and professional journey. Both, in different ways, are home, because each belongs to a fundamental part of our lives.
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