Ex-Trocadero site to become DiModa Pizza

DiModa Pizza, serving wood-fired pizza, will replace Trocadero on the lower east side, property owner Wild Planet Hospitality Group announced Wednesday.

Trocadero, the French-inspired cafe and bar at 1758 N. Water St., closed in January; the new restaurant is expected to open at the end of April.

DiModa will be the latest in a line of restaurants to install a wood-fired oven for pizza and other dishes. Plans call for the pizzas at DiModa to be made in rectangular Roman or square Sicilian styles, or as flatbreads.

Pizza topping combinations are expected to include clam, endive and bacon; 'nduja sausage, roasted peppers, giardiniera, fresh mozzarella and tomato; and charred pepperoni, caramelized cipollini onions, and buffalo mozzarella. Prices will range from $12 to $15.

Main dishes planned for the menu include linguine with scallops, crab and house giardiniera, Sardinian-style clams and fregola in broth, and chicken, cooked under a brick, with blistered grape tomatoes and Calabrian peppers. Prices are mostly $19 to $23.

The menu also will have shareable appetizers, salads, sandwiches and desserts.

DiModa will hang on to Trocadero's weekend brunch legacy by keeping the Frenchie Bloody Mary and house-made beignets on the brunch menu, according to the announcement.

The chef will be Mark Grimes, previously director of food and beverage for Marcus Theatres. He also was corporate chef for Champps Americana and ESPN Zone/Disney, among others, according to Wild Planet, and he's also worked as a chef for Chicago's Lettuce Entertain You group at Maggiano's Little Italy and the Pump Room.

DiModa is to be open daily for lunch and dinner, with brunch served Friday and Saturday.

DiModa is on Facebook and on Instagram @dimodapizza.