Monthly Archives: December 2025

A Deep Dive into Domenick’s & Vinnie’s Half-Sausage, Half-Pepperoni Pie

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My latest excursion into the great CT pizza offerings took me to Middlebury, CT, north of I-84 to Dominick’s & Vinnie’s, who proudly proclaim, “we serve only one item: pizza, in all its various forms.”

Domenick’s & Vinnie’s is a family-owned destination that has been satisfying the greater Waterbury area at three different locations for over 75 years,. The original location in Waaterbury was opened in 1949 and the family later expanded, first to Middlebury and subsequently to Southington. The restaurant’s recipe dates back to the owners’ roots in Castelpaganica, Italy in a province known particularly for its superb cuisine, with all sauces and doughs made fresh daily, as well as their house-made meatballs and sausage.

The Middlebury location is located in a strip mall at 1625 Straits Turnpike, and I drove right by the entrance to the mall. I circled around, followed the “trucks only” sign and eventually pulled up in front of the restaurant. The basic white concrete building sports a white sign with the D&V logo and very light-fonted “Domenick’s & Vinnies’s,” you need to look hard to find it the first time.

Once you open the doors and enter the world of Domenick’s and Vinnie’s, it is a completely different experience, it is visual overload, with seating for 100 people in booths and tables in a bright and airy dining area. As you make your way to the back counter, your eyes are drawn to the sheer size of the open kitchen, it is enormous. On the entire right wall of the kitchen, extending over twenty feet from the counter to the rear, were ten pizza ovens, five double-stacked columns; how many pizzas could D&V produce on a busy night? And in the middle of the kitchen was an equally massive pizza prep area. On a lazy weekend afternoon, there were already three pizza makers busy preparing pizzas for in-house guests and takeaway orders.

I ordered my normal half-sausage, half-pepperoni, and took a seat.

This open and bright dining area was very different from the other pizza places I have visited in CT, where they are part of a neighborhood, or my eating a pie in the parking lot because of limited seating, or a dining area that felt more from the 1950’s or 60’s, D&V’s Middlebury location was large, open and bright. My expectations were very high for the product.

When my order was brought to my table, it looked as good as any pizza I have ever seen. The sauce and topping almost reached the edges, which had just a few char marks, and limited poof. Visually it was a 10, and the aroma hit my nose “like a big pizza pie…”

I pulled a little piece of the crust and tasted it. First, the texture was denser than I prefer, it was neither a crispy crack crust, nor a soft rendition, and the flavor was pretty good. My next stop was a slice of the pepperoni. The edges were crispy (positive #1), the slices were thicker than many others (positive #2), which allowed for a softness that I really liked (positive #3) and then the spice level kicked in, it was on the higher end of the spiciness scale, maybe a 7-8. If you like a spicier pepperoni, this will please you. Onto the sausage side and it was much milder, the kitchen was generous with the amount of crumbled pieces (my preference), they were still juicy and soft, and I was a big fan immediately.

When I looked at the underside, it had a nice medium tan with just a few char marks, the kitchen did a great job in the prep and baking. Now for the big test. Given the spiciness of the pepperoni, I started with a sausage slice. As I pulled the slice, the cheese clung in long strands, there was a good amount of cheese and sauce. The flavors were great, the sauce had a deep tomato-ey freshness and there was just a hint of tang in the cheese, each played well with the fennel-laced sausage. The toppings were a 10 on the sausage side.

Onto the pepperoni side with its added spiciness. For me, it was a little too spicy, for others, it may be perfect; it was hard for me, since I am not a huge fan of that level of spice. After a few bites I needed a plan B and I gently removed some of the pepperoni to taste a “plain” slice; it was more aligned with my strike zone, and I enjoyed that very much.

Overall, Dominick’s & Vinny’s has a great pie; the sauce, cheese and sausage were excellent, for those who like a big kick in the pepperoni, you will probably enjoy that as well. As I have found with a few other places recently, I struggled with the texture of the crust, others will enjoy the denseness and chewiness more than I did. I strongly recommend a visit to Dominick’s and Vinnie’s, over 75 years at three locations tells you the people love the product.

1625 Straits Turnpike

Middlebury, CT 06762

203-758-8846

https://www.domenicsandvinniespizza.com/

Tipsy Tomato in Derby: The Unexpected Stop That Won Me Over

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I’ve added another satisfying notch to my pizza belt and one more stop checked off the CT Pizza Trail.

Tipsy Tomato sits tucked in the corner of a strip mall along Route 34, halfway between Routes 8 and 15. I know that sounds a bit vague, but once you find the right plaza (think Big Y), the next challenge is locating the entrance, which is slightly hidden from view, two nondescript doors next to the pet store. When you approach, you might wonder if the interior is too small to seat adventurous pizza addicts, but step inside and your worries will immediately vanish. There’s an “S” shaped bar immediately to the left with a dozen stools, tables for another two dozen guests, and in the rear is a spacious dining room that seats dozens more. Anchoring it all is “pizza central,” an open kitchen where you can watch the stretch-top-bake ballet unfold right before your eyes.

Tipsy Tomato isn’t a one-trick pony, focused exclusively on pizza. The menu is generous, featuring both hot and cold appetizers, classic chicken, eggplant, and meatball entrées, a full lineup of pastas, and the three S’s, soups, salads, and sandwiches. Their pizza section proclaims it serves “New Haven Apizza” as the style of choice (I’ll share my thoughts on that claim a bit later), with pies offered in two sizes, plus gluten-free and cauliflower crust options available. Beyond the basics of sauce and cheese, there are thirty different toppings ready to be mixed and matched to satisfy every desire.

For my order, I kept things classic, a small pie, half plain for tradition’s sake, and the other half adorned with sausage and pepperoni.

I grabbed a seat at one of the bar’s high-top tables and caught a bit of mid-day TV. When the pizza arrived, my first impression was that it leaned more toward a New Jersey bar-style pie than a traditional New Haven apizza. The crust was minimal and less airy than what you’d enjoy down on Wooster Street. The sauce and cheese stretched nearly to the edge, reminiscent of that classic Jersey bar pie. The toppings were generous, a good layer of sauce, a large amount of melted cheese, hearty chunks of sausage, and crisp rounds of pepperoni. It looked ladened, but well balanced. A quick glance underneath revealed a firm, golden-brown base, crisp and sturdy enough to support the generous toppings without sag or flop.

As the pizza cooled, I started with the meats. The sausage came in large chunks, which was my preference and offered a nice balance of flavor, with a touch of fennel notes and a moderate spiciness. Each chunk delivered a satisfying bite. The pepperoni slices followed suit, bringing a slightly bolder level of heat, which played well with the cheese and sauce.

I pulled the first slice from the plain side, and strands of cheese stretched and clung to the pie, a promising start. The slice held firm with no flop, and that first bite included a generous amount of cheese approaching, but not crossing, the line of “too much.” The sauce was bright and rich in tomato goodness, and the crispy crust was a perfect counterpart. The plain slice was delicious.

Then onto the meat-laden side. My first bite was a large chunk of sausage, soft in texture, rich in flavor, with a pleasant little after-burn of spice. The next bite caught some pepperoni, equally satisfying with its sharper heat. And finally, the grand finale, crust, sauce, cheese, sausage, and pepperoni all came together in harmony. The balance was spot-on, sweet, savory, spicy, and crunchy, an excellent turbo-combo slice.

I walked in skeptical and walked out converted. I left Tipsy Tomato with a smile and a reminder that great pizza doesn’t always come from the places everyone talks about. Tipsy Tomato isn’t loud or flashy, but it delivers the kind of honest, satisfying pizza that makes the search worthwhile. Each stop on my ongoing journey to find great pizza in CT has a story, and this one reminded me of the adage, “don’t judge a book by its cover.”

Tipsy Tomato Bar and Pizzeria

656 New Haven Ave.

Derby, CT 06418

203.732.7931

https://tipsytomatopizzeria.com

Beyond Wooster Street: One6Three Delivers Big Flavor in East Rock

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My Connecticut pizza journey continued in New Haven’s East Rock neighborhood with a visit to One6Three – The Pizza Joint, which is nearing its 10th anniversary.

Located on the corner of Foster and Willow, One6Three has been on my radar for a while, thanks to a lot of positive feedback from my pizza buddies. Driving through East Rock felt like stepping back into my own childhood, lots of two-family homes on tree-lined streets and you could feel the sense of community. It was this type of neighborhood that molded my love of Italian food and great New Jersey pizza.

One6Three occupies a small storefront. Outside, six tables with twelve chairs line the sidewalk. Inside, five beautiful handmade red oak-topped tables with ten chairs fill the dining space, joined by five barstools facing the wood-burning brick oven. I can easily imagine the Saturday-night energy, locals shooting the breeze over their pies, others waiting for takeout, the oven blazing nonstop. The open kitchen dominates much of the interior. While the menu includes non-pizza selections like wings, salads, sandwiches, and sides, the heart of One6Three is unmistakably its pizza, with plenty of preset combinations.

On a first visit, I always order the basics to evaluate the fundamentals: crust, sauce, cheese, and technique, plus my go-to toppings of pepperoni and sausage. I ordered a small (13″) half-sausage, half-pepperoni.

When the pie arrived, I was surprised. The menu proudly declares, “A LOCAL, FAMILY-OWNED JOINT THAT SERVES UP CLASSIC NEW HAVEN STYLE PIZZA…” but what sat before me resembled more of a NJ bar pie than the New Haven style you find a mile away on Wooster Street. The sauce and cheese stretched to all the edges, there was very little, if any, char, more a la Colony or Riko. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good bar pie (I am from NJ), and this one looked great, but I was expecting a pie that was more Wooster-esque.

Respecting the roof of my mouth, I let it cool while inhaling the aroma. I first pulled a piece of crust away and I will return to my feelings a little later. Then I tried the quarter-sized pepperoni, which was delicious, with crisped edges, the right punch of spice and terrific flavor. The crumbled sausage followed suit, it was delicious as well, and delivered a good level of spiciness without overwhelming, about the same level of spiciness as the pepperoni. Neither was overpowering. Things were trending upward.

The cooling process was complete, and I lifted a slice to check the underside, a nice golden tan, with no charring at all, more aligned with a bar presentation. The lift test proved that this was not a stiff cracker crust with just a little flop at the tip, so far this was a really well-constructed pie.

Then came the real test.

The first bite of the pepperoni slice was divine. The sauce and cheese worked in perfect harmony with the pepperoni, spicy, sweet, creamy, stretchy, and balanced. On the sausage side, I initially worried the topping looked sparse compared to the pepperoni. But one taste proved me wrong, just enough to add that bit of spiciness and meat depth. Again, the balance of the cheese and sauce was amazing. While the toppings were out of this world, the crust didn’t shine in the same way. From my first taste at the edge, something felt missing. It held up well, but it just sorta missed and didn’t match the excellence of the toppings, sauce, and cheese. One6Three sits just beyond the bullseye of New Haven’s pizza mecca, in a neighborhood that reminded me of simpler times, when two slices and a soda cost under a buck. Inside, I immediately felt that community vibe, a father and son sharing a pie, a dude in motorcycle gear with a long white beard grabbing a pie. It’s a neighborhood spot in every sense, and I loved that. The warmth of the space, the sense of community, and the superb execution of a true bar-style pie make it a destination worth seeking out. If you’re looking to avoid the long Wooster Street lines without sacrificing quality, One6Three is absolutely worth the visit.

163 Foster St, New Haven, CT 06511

 (203) 777-5141

one6threect.com

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Roseland Apizza: Preserving Connecticut’s Pizza Legacy Since 1935

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I ordered a pizza, they delivered an apizza, and they called it ah-beetz.

Pizza lovers in Connecticut know exactly what the word apizza means, and they also know that one of the best (if not the best) versions in the entire state is found at Roseland Apizza in Derby. On a recent Saturday night, we joined some friends and made the pilgrimage to the neighborhood that has had the privilege of protecting this pizza icon. We sampled three distinct combinations, each with three distinct personalities and three different tastes, all sharing one undeniable theme: perfection.

Before diving into our visit, it’s worth appreciating Roseland’s roots. The story begins in 1935, when Giovanni “John” Scatolini, an Italian immigrant, opened a bakery and grocery store in neighboring Ansonia. He originally baked bread in a coal-fired oven in his backyard; a tradition he carried with him when he moved the business to Derby in 1938. World War II brought a family tragedy to the Scatolini family, when John’s son, Reno, was killed in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944.

The story of the pizzeria may have ended at this point if not for the intervention of John’s daughter, Lina Lucarelli. While only a teenager at the time, Lina used her unique entrepreneurial talents over the next seventy-plus years, lovingly guiding Roseland as its irreplaceable heart and soul. Born in Montebello, Italy, Lina emigrated to the U.S. at the age of seven to escape Mussolini’s Italy, and she eventually worked beside her husband, Nazzareno “Bocci” Lucarelli, at Roseland until his passing in 1980. When Lina passed in 2016, Roseland shared this touching and simple tribute, “She had the insight to turn a simple bakery into a beloved hometown pizza establishment at just the age of 15. Through five generations, our family has continued to push out pies and will continue to do so for generations to come.” To this day, Roseland is still family-run, a Derby institution and a proud pillar of Connecticut’s apizza heritage for nearly a century. An incredible story of dedication, perseverance and a matriarch like none other.

When we arrived around 4:45 p.m., the parking lot was already full, and even street parking was getting tight. Inside the unassuming front entrance, a whiteboard handled the seating process. Each group added their name and party size to the bottom of the list, and one by one, names were crossed off as smiling groups are escorted to their table. We added our name to the bottom of the list and settled in for the customary wait, in our case, about fifty minutes.

Roseland’s interior is classic and cozy, two rooms, a main dining area with booths and tables, plus a smaller side room to handle the larger groups. A giant chalkboard spans the back wall, listing daily specials, beer options, and, of course, Foxon Park sodas. Every other square inch of the walls is dedicated to the loving memories of the Lucarelli family, its extended family, and the friends who have enjoyed thousands of pizzas that have emerged from the 90+ year-old coal-fired ovens.

Once we slid into our booth, we were instantly transported back to a simpler time, when families spent Saturday evenings enjoying a relaxed meal at their local dining spots. We watched as friends greeted each other with hugs, and everyone seemed to know everyone else’s family news, it was the place where good conversation and great food took center stage. Our server brought over the essentials, the plastic-encased menus, napkins, silverware, and, in the tradition of Roseland, four mismatched melamine dinner plates, all part of the charm. The menu offerings were simple and classic Italian, one side of the menu included appetizers, grinders, salads, and pasta and parm dinners, while the other side was entirely dedicated to pizza. Interestingly, about three-quarters of the pizza section featured white pies (no sauce), loaded with seafood, chicken, or vegetables. The smaller top section listed the classic red pie, simple and straightforward.

We ordered two pies, a classic apizza with light garlic, and a half-and-half pie, cheese on one half, with sausage and pepperoni on the other. Naturally, we paired them with bottles of Foxon Park sodas.

When the server arrived carrying the metal pizza stands, the energy in our booth shifted, excitement building like kids on Christmas morning. First came the apizza, followed closely by the more heavily topped pie. The traditional apizza glistened, its sauce shimmering under the light, with just a dusting of cheese, luscious in its simplicity. The combo pie was a bolder display, one half bubbling with melted cheese, the other loaded with hearty toppings. At Roseland, generosity is standard.

Half of the apizza was immediately relocated to the individual plates, and from my first bite, my long-held belief was reaffirmed, Roseland belongs in the conversation for best in the state. Describing the taste is difficult, every bite burst with freshness, the sweet, rich tomato sauce beautifully balanced by the crisp yet tender crust. Then came that subtle hit of grated cheese that tied it all together. Pure heaven.

How would the combo-pie compare, same base, entirely different expectations? First, the cheese slice. The melted cheese added a creamy richness that transformed the flavor profile without overwhelming it. Again, perfection. Could the meat-laden slice compare? Chunks of sausage covered nearly every inch, with the thin pepperoni slices peeking out around the edges. The sausage was classic Italian, a medium spice, a smidgen of fennel and wonderfully hearty, while the pepperoni sneakily added just a touch of additional spiciness. The first bite also confirmed that Roseland’s pizzas were beyond fantastic, they were flawless compositions.

Overall, two pies, three flavors, one conclusion, Roseland Apizza is not only great pizza, it is also a significant part of Connecticut’s rich pizza history. It’s not flashy nor trendy, just pure, time-honored craftsmanship and a genuine sense of community. Every pie has been perfected over generations, reminding everyone why Connecticut’s pizza heritage is second to none.

One visit and you’ll also understand why Roseland’s fans keep coming back decade after decade.

350 Hawthorne Ave.

Derby, CT 06418

(203) 735-0494

Roseland Apizza: Pizza Restaurant in Derby, CT