F&F Pizzeria, 307 Beverly Road, has officially opened its doors in Mt. Lebanon, marking the Brooklyn eatery’s first expansion outside New York and the first time its full-service restaurant and slice shop concepts are combined under one roof.

Co-founders Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli have been friends and partners for more than 50 years. They grew up playing hockey together in Queens and later opened several restaurants in Brooklyn’s Carroll Gardens neighborhood: Frankies Spuntino, Franks Wine Bar and F&F Pizzeria, a slice shop.

For Falcinelli, Mt. Lebanon had been on his radar for decades. While attending the Culinary Institute of America in 1984, he became friends with chef Greg Alauzen of LeoGreta in Carnegie. Alauzen’s wife, Deborah, is from Lebo.

“I had been hearing about Mt. Lebanon and visiting Pittsburgh over the years … Once we saw the location, it was love at first sight,” Falcinelli said. “It’s perfect for what we want to do here, and I think it’s going to be a perfect addition to the neighborhood.”

The new F&F brings the same chef-driven philosophy of its Brooklyn location, with naturally fermented sourdough crusts and  high-quality toppings.

“What really sets us apart from other pizza makers is that we’re chefs first,” Castronovo said. “When you apply chef techniques over pizza, you get a different thing — a wider variety, a little more depth. It’s just a very delicious product.”

Standouts on the menu include the spicy partanna classico pie, topped with red onion, mozzarella, pecorino romano, Calabrian chili, orange blossom honey and Sicilian oregano; and the clam pie, available with classic marinara or a garlic white sauce.

While not as common in Pittsburgh, Falcinelli said clam pizza is a staple in Brooklyn and a popular menu item in their New York pizzeria. He described the clams as providing an “umami” taste. Think linguini and clams as a pizza.

Another must-try is the light and crunchy cheese arancini. One bite provides a perfect cheese pull and a bolognese version is also available. Specialties will rotate seasonally.

Falcinelli’s ties to the area are complemented by those of the restaurant’s partners Anthony Simasek and Robert Mullin. Simasek’s mother is from Mt. Lebanon and his father is from Beechview. After college, he moved to Pittsburgh to work for Bank of
New York.

Mullin grew up in Hampton Township and now resides in Point Breeze.

“Pittsburgh is a town of neighborhoods, and Mt. Lebanon has that walkable Main Street feel,” he said.

The Mt. Lebanon location honors the former Bado’s Pizza Grill & Ale House space, blending preserved historic elements like exposed brick and uncovered vintage tile floors with an open, airy redesign.

“There’s a sense of history when you walk in,” Mullin said. “It feels grounded in what that space has been for the neighborhood, and now we get to build on that.”

The restaurant also introduces a new operational model: customers can order individual slices or sit down for a full-service meal. A custom PizzaMaster oven anchors the dining room, and Simasek said the open kitchen creates a fun atmosphere, giving customers a glimpse of “the pizza-making process — pulling, stretching, topping, baking, slicing.”

Community is central to F&F’s approach.

“Being part of people’s lives, from newborns who later work for us to families making memories over meals, that’s what it’s about,” Falcinelli said. “We want to be that reliable, honest place where you can get good food and feel taken care of.”

For F&F Pizzeria’s hours and more information, visit their website.