Downtown NYC Fave Smillie Pizza Popping Up at Southold General

Buzzy NYC ghost kitchen Smillie Pizza is popping up at Southold General later this month, slinging wood-fired pizzas in partnership with North Fork wineries this fall.

Chef Justin Smillie, who worked under Jean Georges and Jonathan Waxman before becoming executive chef at much-praised downtown eatery Il Buco Alimentari, has lately also become known for his thin-crust, wood-fired sourdough pizzas made with locally sourced ingredients.

The pop-up pizza menu at Southold General will offer a variety of pies made in Smillie’s traveling wood-fired oven. Notable options include a Cacio e Pepe pie with fresh mozzarella, caciocavallo, labneh, and black pepper; the Jimmy Nardello Peppers with lioni stracciatella, mint, and pepitas, and a Green Zebra Tomatoes pie with labneh, kourellas feta, and garlic oil, all priced between $22 and $27.

Smillie Pizza will be operating from Thursday through Sunday, starting at 3:30 p.m. and serving until 9 p.m. No reservations are required — it’s first-come, first-serve. For those on the move, there’s always the convenient pick-up option, too.

Additionally, Southold General will offer diners inviting outdoor seating near the burning oven, where guests can enjoy a unique self-pour wine experience in partnership with local vineyards every two weeks.

The Smillie Pizza concept took off when Smillie added a ghost kitchen specializing in delivery pizza to the back of Noho restaurant il Buco Alimentari & Vineria, which has earned a three star review from The New York Times.

In addition to Smillie’s pizza, Southold General offers a curated selection of everything from local wine and beer to breakfast and lunch to local produce, coffee and gelato. Under the direction of Chef François Payard, “The General,” as locals call it, has become a foodie staple in the North Fork community since its opening in 2021; the same can be said about Payard’s bistro, Southold Social.

This collaboration is designed to celebrate locally sourced ingredients and fresh preparations, although the wood-fired oven often takes center stage, infusing each of Smillie’s pizzas with a distinct smokiness.

Southold General is located at 51480 Route 25, Southold, southoldgeneral.com