September | 2026 | Jfood Eats

My visits to the Connecticut Pizza Trail’s Top 100 continue with another stop in Torrington. I never would have guessed that this tranquil, quaint town would grab two of the spots. On this visit, I went to Pizzeria Marzano, which is located outside the historic downtown area. Pizzeria Marzano has received numerous accolades over the years, and I was excited to see for myself whether I agreed.

Jonni Eucalitto opened Pizzeria Marzano in 2009, turning his passion for Neapolitan pizza into a lifelong pursuit he’s never wavered from. Born and raised in Torrington, he took a sabbatical from college to backpack throughout Italy, eventually arriving in Florence, where he fell in love with the pizza. Deciding pizza was his calling, he approached the owner, changed his plans for a quick return to the US, and stayed in Florence to learn the art of Neapolitan pizza-making.

The Neapolitan style, which originated in Naples, has a few key elements. The crust presents two different experiences. Along the edges, it is airy, light and poofy, with the toppings kept at least an inch in, and the airiness allows for a nice charring if baked in a high-temperature oven. The crust at the center is much different. It is stretched thin and may not firm up in the baking process. With the sauce and cheese atop, this may leave the middle of the pie “soupy,” requiring a knife and fork. The color of the under-crust could range from a golden tan, no char, to a mix of darker tan with medium charring. Each pie is unique.

Eucalitto returned to the US with the vision to open his own pizzeria, but he was a little apprehensive about how Neapolitan pizza would be accepted in his hometown. The residents of Torrington leaned heavily towards the Greek style of pizza. His goal was to follow his instincts and love of the Neapolitan style and recreate the pizzas of Florence, where the crust blistered from the intense heat of the oven, but still maintained a soft, chewy texture. He immediately imported a large, hand-made, bright red Luca Capri wood-fired pizza oven from southern Italy, which could reach an internal temperature of 800 degrees. After almost 20 years of accolades, his concern about Torrington residents loving his pizza has been answered. And this love extended throughout Litchfield County, where the readers of Litchfield Magazine voted Pizzeria Marzano the best pizza in the county. That is quite an accomplishment.

When I arrived, I walked through the rear patio that probably seats 50 and into the entrance. I immediately saw the bright red wood-fired pizza oven to my left behind the large counter. At the far end I noticed there were several people lined up at the register. I peered into the dining area and noticed stanchions on the already occupied tables with a playing card attached at the top. There were probably tables for another 50-75 guests.

Pizzeria Marzano’s menu is extremely focused on its award-winning pizza. Guests can choose either Pizza Rossa or Pizza Bianco, essentially with or without sauce. The menu also includes a few salads, several paninis and a handful of calzones. But at the heart and soul of Pizzeria Marzano is the Neapolitan pizza. There are eight pre-set Rossa combinations and eight Biancos. The Rossas stay very traditional, limiting the toppings to fresh or grated Mozzarella, Mozzarella di Bufala, Scarmoza (aged Mozzarella), Parmigiano-Reggiano, Soppressata and olives. The Pizza Biancos get more creative, with toppings including Buffalo chicken, Frank’s hot sauce, gorgonzola, fontinella, cherry tomatoes, clams, prosciutto, spicy salami, pesto, artichokes, arugula, meatballs and ricotta. I assume guests are free to mix and match to create their combination.

I ordered the Margherita DOC, described as tomatoes, fresh Mozzarella di Bufala (the traditional cheese of Naples), fresh basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano. It’s been a while since I’ve seen “DOC” on a menu. It stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata (“Controlled Designation of Origin”) and refers to high-quality ingredients, including fresh Mozzarella di Bufala and DOP-certified San Marzano tomatoes. This could be a great visit.

When the pizza arrived, it looked every bit the product of Eucalitto’s Italian training. The crust was picture-perfect, light, airy, and had a good amount of charring, with one side slightly more charred than the other. The cheese looked perfectly melted, and sitting proudly in the center of the pie was something I have never seen, a small mozzarella ball. A few basil leaves also adorned the top, some charred from the trip to the blazing hot oven, others barely touched.

I tore off a little piece of the crust and tasted. It was fantastic. It had great texture, delicious flavor and a little snap and crunch to offset the soft interior. It was one of the top crusts anywhere, and a great start. I next peered underneath, and it was very light, borderline tan with little, if any, charring.

I pulled the first slice and true to its heritage, the center was a little soupy, I needed to reach for my knife and fork. I cut my first taste from the tip. The sauce was fantastic, and the cheese was just as delicious. This was a great combination. I slowed the pace to enjoy each piece. On each bite, the sauce was full of sweet richness, the cheese full of flavor, and when paired with the crispy, charred edges, it was a wonderful pizza.

Overall, I wholeheartedly agree that Pizzeria Marzano serves authentic and excellent Neapolitan pizza. The crust was fantastic, and when paired with great sauce and cheese, it created visions of open aired pizzerias in Florence’s Piazza del Duomo. The Margherita DOC was outstanding, and I wish I would have ordered another variety to further see Eucalitto’s vision come to life. Pizzeria Marzano deserves its spot on the CT Pizza Trail, it is ranked high on my list as well.

1315 E Main St.

Torrington, CT 06790

(860) 618-0875

pizzeriamarzano.com

FN – I went unannounced, without an invitation, and paid for my meal like any customer. Nobody was aware that I’d be writing about the visit or the food. This is my honest opinion on a normal visit, nothing special or comped.

The Connecticut coastline is a haven for great food, from fresh fish, fried clams, lobster rolls, and oysters shucked to order, to a mix of American, Italian, Asian, and French influences up and down the shore. Located a few towns east of New Haven, Madison is one of my favorite small towns along the shoreline, and I absolutely love small French bistros. When good friends invited us to join them for a mid-week dinner at Bar Bouchée, a spot that’s been on my radar for years, I jumped at the opportunity.

Bar Bouchée opened in 2010 as Bar Bouchon, founded by Jean-Pierre Vuillermet, the chef-owner of New Haven’s legendary Union League Café. The original name reflected the heritage of the small neighborhood restaurants of Lyon, France, known as “bouchons.” As the restaurant’s reputation grew within Connecticut’s culinary community, it caught the attention of none other than Thomas Keller, the uber-Chef of The French Laundry and Per Se, who owned the rights to the word “bouchon.” Vuillermet ultimately decided to rename the restaurant Bar Bouchée.

The restaurant is currently under the careful and thoughtful eyes of Executive Chef Guillaume Traversaz and General Manager/Sommelier Romain Turpault.

Chef Traversaz graduated from ETH Thonon-les-Bains in France before fine-tuning his culinary expertise under Chef Vuillermet, a fellow native of the same village in the French Alps. He subsequently sharpened his skills in Australia and England, returning to New Haven in 2017 to take the helm of the kitchen at the Union League Café. His cooking philosophy centers on local, seasonal ingredients, shaped by the traditions of his French upbringing and training.

Romain Turpault, also French, holds a diploma in Economics plus Culinary Arts/Service Management. He worked in London alongside award-winning chefs before arriving at the Union League Café in 2013 under General Manager Jean-Michel Gammariello. After earning his sommelier diploma in Bordeaux, he remained in France to manage Angelina at the Palace of Versailles, then returned to the Union League Café in 2017 before joining Bar Bouchée a couple of years later.

The kitchen is currently under the tutelage of Chef Erik Erlichson, who brings more than four decades of culinary experience leading French, Mediterranean, and American kitchens and previously owned Chez Vous Bistro in Stamford. Together, the team has kept tradition, vision, and quality at the heart of the restaurant.

On a beautiful summer evening, we made our way to the eastern end of “downtown” Madison, turned down a quiet side street, and spotted a simple wooden sign with mirror-imaged “B”s, a yellow awning shading a small front porch, and an unassuming “Bar Bouchée” sign. A few outdoor tables were still open, so after checking in, we settled outside to enjoy the weather along with what we hoped would be great food.

I’d read a lot about the interior of Bar Bouchée, described on the restaurant’s website as “an intimate, cozy, and lively interior modeled after a classic 19th-century French bistro.” It was that and more. Just inside the entrance sits the restaurant’s centerpiece, a stunning zinc-topped bar shipped over in one piece from France, seating up to ten guests. To the right and continuing to the back, banquettes and tables stretch along the right wall, while the kitchen occupies the left side, just behind the bar.

Back at our patio table, we looked over the regular menu along with the daily chalkboard specials. I’d had my heart set on the duck confit, but a chalkboard item caught my eye, a Duroc pork chop, described as lightly brined, pan-roasted, and served with creamy mashed potatoes and a seasonal garnish of fresh peas and asparagus. To get things started, I also ordered the fried zucchini blossoms, stuffed with Serrano ham, bacon, vegetables, and herbs.

These blossoms were a departure from the simple ricotta-filled versions I’ve enjoyed elsewhere. Chef Erlichson stuffs the locally sourced blossoms (from Barberry Hill Farm, just a few miles away) then dips them in a tempura batter before frying. They arrived over a classic San Marzano tomato sauce simply made with tomatoes, onions, garlic, basil, olive oil, and fresh herbs. The result was slightly denser than the ricotta-filled blossoms, inspired by the rustic countryside of southern France. The tomato sauce was a beautiful addition and brought a wonderful sweetness to the dish.

The Duroc pork chop arrived next, and it was bistro cooking at its finest. After its light citrus brine, the chop was pan-roasted and plated alongside creamy mashed potatoes, topped with a garnish of fresh peas and asparagus, and finished with a light Piquillo pepper beurre Nantais, a classic French butter sauce. My first bite was just pork by itself, and it was outstanding, among the best I’ve had anywhere. It was soft, succulent, and I could not wait to pair it with the pea-and-asparagus combination. That next bite was even better. The earthiness of the peas and asparagus melded beautifully with the pork, and then a touch of the sauce added just the right notes of fruit and spice. It’s a combination I won’t soon forget. The mashed potatoes were very good as well, though I would have liked just a touch less salt.

Overall, my first visit to Bar Bouchée was memorable. The food was true to its roots, thoughtful and beautifully executed, the setting warm and inviting, and the pacing unhurried in the best bistro tradition. Add to that the magnificent zinc bar shipped over from France, the rotating chalkboard specials, and a kitchen steeped in classic French technique, and Bar Bouchée delivered a true bistro experience. I’ll certainly be back.

8 Scotland Ave.

Madison, CT 06443

(203) 318-8004

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Monthly Archives: September 2026

Pizzeria Marzano Brings Authentic Neapolitan Pizza to Torrington

Bar Bouchée: Over a Decade of French Bistro Tradition in Madison