Il Rione Team to Open Pizza Shop at Former Edison's Space in Tremont

Last month, Edison's Next Door Pizza closed its doors after just two months. The short-lived pizzeria took the place of Edison's Pizza Kitchen, which occupied the space immediately next door to Edison’s Pub for 15 years.

Next up for the Tremont storefront is Lil Ronnie’s, a satellite pizzeria from the owners of Il Rione. Since opening at the tail end of 2017, Il Rione (1303 West 65th St., 216-282-1451) has earned consistently high marks for its pizza, vibe and operation in Gordon Square. For the past few years, owners Brian Moss and Brian Holleran have been looking for a way to expand. With the Edison’s spot, they believe they found the ideal fit.

“We looked at a ton of stuff over the years, but this was one of the few places that fit our buzz, so I think it’s the right move,” says Holleran.

When Lil Ronnie’s (a play on Il Rione) opens in the coming weeks, it will be a stripped-down version of the mothership in Gordon Square. The primary focus will be on producing high-quality pizza by the slice and whole and delivering it in a timely and consistent manner.

“The space is so small that we want to keep things as simple as possible,” he adds.

The dough and sauce will come straight from the pizzeria in Detroit Shoreway. The style of pie will be familiar to regulars at Il Rione who have gotten to know and love the off-menu “slice pie” option that has been around for the past couple years.

“Ever since we started making pizzas, I've always longed to recreate the pies I would get as a kid from Spirito's in Elizabeth, New Jersey,” Holleran explains. “During Covid when we were closed for dine-in, we had a chance to screw around and make something as close as possible to a pie from Spirito's. We are calling it a Slice Pie as it resembles a slice you would get at a slice shop. A lot of people prefer that pie over our regular pie; it’s almost like a little cult following.”

While those “slice pies” are only sold whole at Il Rione, they will be offered by the slice and by the round for walk-up customers, call-ahead customers and for Edison's Pub patrons to enjoy onsite. Guests inside the bar or on Edison’s secluded rear patio will be able to order via app for on-premises enjoyment.

As for other menu items, Holleran says that they’ll need to feel out the space and business volume before making any decisions.

“We’d love to do sandwiches, we’d love to do Italian ice, we’d love to do all these fun things, but we need to figure out the logistics,” he says.

Holleran and Moss hope to open before the end of December.

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