There’s a saying that in the land of the blind, the man with one eye is king. In the land where there’s no electricity, the restaurant with a backup generator makes a killing.
You have to hand it to Umberto Corteo and his namesake restaurant, thinking ahead to secure a backup generator ahead of Hurricane Sandy and therefore being open Tuesday, with lines practically out the door onto Jericho Turnpike for one of their grandma-style pizza pies.
Workers were frantically piping out the pies behind the counter, with tickets filling up the overhead racks, and pies getting into customers’ hands as fast as they came out of the ovens.
Even Chaminade High School varsity hockey coach Frank Bendl was spotted at the famous pizzeria, picking up a few slices.
The restaurant’s location on Hillside Avenue was also open with a backup power supply.
“Thank God for Umberto’s,” one New Hyde Park resident said, clasping his hands together in prayer and bowing as he crossed the threshold.
