Cruz has been working the oven at Astoria's Forno Italia for years now. I think he must get a little bored at times. [Photo: Adam Kuban]
As the wife and I walked in to one of our local favorites last night, we were greeted by a menagerie of bread animals, including this cute wood-fired alligator (or maybe it's a crocodile, I don't know). We've been going to Forno Italia regularly since I moved in with my better half a couple years ago. I've never seen anyone on the oven but Cruz, who makes a solid if not stunning pie for the Astoria-Ditmars area—his focaccia, though, is outstanding. I think this is what he must do to amuse himself in his downtime there.