Though he spent years cooking big meals for friends and family, Paul Giannone (1974 Photography) knew that if he were to start a restaurant after a long career in IT consulting, he had to hit "a home run," he says. In 2010 he opened Paulie Gee's, a Neapolitan-inspired pizzeria in Brooklyn's Greenpoint neighborhood. Rave reviews, crowds and licensing agreements with pizza-makers in Baltimore, Chicago and Columbus, Ohio, followed. But Giannone—who spends nearly all of his time at work, greeting diners and fussing over details ("The restaurant is my life," he says)—resisted expanding on his own until last year, when he opened Paulie Gee's Slice Shop.

Located around the corner from the original Paulie Gee's, the Slice Shop sells more traditional New York pizza, optimized for takeout—since, as Giannone says, "there is no better smell than the smell of pizza on the cardboard takeout box." The Slice Shop resembles a small corner spot upon entering, much like the "little half-pizzerias," he recalls from his Brooklyn childhood. But past the counter is an eat-in restaurant with wood paneling, green barstools, orange bench seating and a glass garage-style door that floods the room with light. A shrine to Giannone's beloved New York Yankees, the space is decked out with vintage team memorabilia. Giannone carefully curates the music—no contemporary pop—and plays it audibly to add to the old-school ambiance.

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The renowned old-school pizzeria is operating two concession stands in the famous arena