HUNTINGTON, NY — Danny Rocca has spent much of his 23 years on Earth in pizzerias. Ever since his grandfather got his start as a dishwasher at a pizzeria and eventually owned the building, the art of dough, sauce, and cheese has been woven into the lifeblood of the Rocca family.

It's fitting that Rocca now owns his own business: Dough & Co. Pizza in Huntington.

The young pizzamaker wanted to give people a feeling that was rustic while simultaneously young and hip. He kept a visual in mind while he was building out the eatery:

"You’re coming off a boat on Ellis Island, there’s a pizzeria shop. All the ingredients are imported, and it’s tasty. It’s New York, you know?" Rocca told Patch.

Rocca also wanted his pizzeria to represent himself.

"Sleek, classy, tasty, always the best ingredients."

Rocca's pies fall in line between classic and artisanal. He can make a Neapolitan or Sicilian pie with the same skill as his Bourbon BBQ Chicken.

His specialty, however, is pizza metro: meter-long pizza that Italians chop up and serve to people walking the streets of the European country on the go. Rocca developed his take on it for a year and a half. Many attempts and much feedback from others later, and Rocca had his pizza metro.

"[It's] thin, it’s crispy, it’s what people want. It’s traditional, but American traditional, with that Italian feel," he said.

Rocca's pizza-making skills come from years of work, but they also run in the family. His father and aunt followed in his grandfather's footsteps. His uncle and grandmother's brother also got involved. Multiple Rocca family members worked at or ran pizzerias on Long Island and in Queens.

"It was like a lineage, like a bloodline," Rocca said. "I found myself in a position to also do the same thing. I loved the environment and camaraderie of it all. Here I am today with a great opportunity."

Rocca recalled his middle school days when he would rather go to the pizzeria than do his summer homework. He would go with one of his parents from morning to night. There, Rocca cleaned tables, learned the craft, and rolled dough.

Rocca finally became of employment age, but his parents had sold their shops by then. A new Umberto's was opening around the corner from where Rocca lived in Plainview. At first, he was not hired.

One year later, Rocca's phone lit up. It was Umberto's asking him if he would like a job.

"I responded in a matter of a second. I said ‘yes,’ and I was there that same Sunday for work.”

For eight years, Rocca gained experience in the world of pizza. He eventually found himself with the chance to open a pizzeria he could call his own.

Rocca is in love with the idea of pizza as an art form.

"Every pie is unique. Every pie is different. There’s a bubble in different spots every single time. The color may be different on every single pie. You expect the pie to be round, but sometimes, it won’t always be the roundest. The gluten structure, how the pie grows in the oven. The spring. There’s a ton of it to me. But what I love about it is each pie surprises you, because each pie is different in its own unique way."

While Rocca grew up in Plainview, he often found himself heading to Huntington with friends.

“I find that Huntington is a very fresh town with friendly people," he said. "The community is strong, which I love."

Rocca thanked Huntington for accepting him and Dough & Co. Pizza into the town.

"We can’t wait to serve you for many more years down the line. We appreciate all the support and all the business that you give us."

The pizzeria is at 318 Main St., Huntington and can be reached at 631-213-2426.

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