The Boynton Beach and Delray Beach areas have a large population of transplants and Snowbirds from the Northeast and Midwest, and I assumed that there would be a lot of great pizza choices. While I have found a few that are noteworthy, some try hard with good intentions, but cannot get the full experience to “delicious.”
After a few people recommended Domenic’s on North Congress in Boynton Beach, FL, it finally got to the top of my go-to list and I ventured for a quick lunch. Upon entering I approached the front counter and ordered a slice of pepperoni and a slice of sausage. I waited in the dining area, only one other table was occupied.
When the plate arrived, all I could do was stare. Neither side looked like they had spent any time in the oven, there was no color, no visible crispiness and the sausage and pepperoni were haphazardly thrown on the slice, care was not a word I would use. To ensure they were actually hot, I touched the tops of the meats, they were heated, but I would not categorize them as “hot.”
I first tasted the pepperoni, and I was impressed, a good level of spice and the pieces that dangled over the edge had a little crispiness, but no cupping of any of the ‘roni. I next tasted one of the sausage slices (which is served in pre-cooked rounds versus chunks) and it had no flavor, no texture, no nuthin’ other than occupying space, and the consistency was more emulsified bologna versus sausage.
The crust had a nice crunch, good flavor, and was nicely prepped. The sauce had a little spiciness, and you could also taste a good amount of oregano. The cheese was pretty basic cheese, with that little tang screaming that it was pre-shredded and processed.
Overall, the pepperoni slice was pretty good, all the spices played well together, and the crunch from the crust added some fun to the eating. The sausage slice on the other hand was pretty bad. After two bites I decided to throw the white flag and just remove the sausage, it was detracting versus adding to the enjoyment. The now-plain slice was better with a little spiciness from the sauce, but I was still not a fan of the cheese.
I will give the pepperoni slice a 7.2 and the sausage slice a 4, and after removing the sausage, the plain slice receives a 6.0. The sauce, dough and pepperoni were very good, but the cheese was pedestrian and the sausage was a complete wash-out.
I finally made it to Christos Restaurant & Bar in Wallingford, the third pizzeria of Connecticut’s self-proclaimed Three Kings of Pizza. While the three brother-owners may share common DNA, the pizzas at each show a very different view of what pizza should entail.
When I arrived, I was pleased to see that Christos offers a fair amount of parking in its own parking lot. To avoid the usual snaking lines out the door, I timed my visit to coincide with the less crowded lunchtime. The interior is divided into three rooms, the pick-up / waiting area, the dining room and the bar. In total, there are 60-65 table seats for guests plus another ten chairs at the bar. The décor consists of natural woods and colors, and it is a very relaxing environment, whether seated at a table or in one of the booths.
The menu offers more than its legendary pizzas, including shareables, burgers, burritos, sandwiches, rice bowls and pastas, quite an eclectic array of options. But I was laser-focused on the pizza.
I ordered a small pie, half with sausage and the other half with pepperoni.
When the pizza arrived, the first thing I noticed was the high level of char. Not only was the crust overly charred in places, more than half of the cupped pepperoni circles were significantly darkened by the hot, wood-fired oven. The other item I noticed was the abundance of toppings, a lot of sauce and cheese, plus decent portions of pepperoni and sausage.
Pizzerias have several choices for the type of sausage they use, from crumbled to sliced to chunks, and I was pleased that Christo chose larger chunks; in my opinion, chunks give the best flavor and texture. I first removed and tried a piece of the sausage, and it was delicious, with noticeable fennel back notes. I next tasted one of the pepperoni slices and it delivered a nice level of spiciness. Both these meats were excellent, and I highly recommend. I next pulled a little smidgen of crust from the pie, and while several areas were heavily charred, the crust was really tasty.
After the pie cooled a bit (a big thank you to the server), I pulled a sausage slice away from the pie to check the underside, expecting more char to mimic the upper crust. I was surprised that it was dark tan color with minimal char marks. As I looked further towards the interior tip, I saw the unfortunate result of too much sauce and cheese, the crispness disappeared; there was no way it was going to withstand a lift and eat.
As much as I tried, it was impossible to lift (even by flopping the tip over), so it was onto plan B, cutting with my knife and fork. While the crust in the center was a little soggy, it still delivered great flavor, but there was a little too much sauce for my taste. With bite #2, I could now carefully lift the slice. While the sausage was able to handle the level of sauciness, the cheese took a serious back seat to the other two toppings. But my Bite #3 litmus test awaited, and by this time the slice had properly cooled. Result…the flavors melded much better and since we moved towards the outer crust the overall balance of the toppings was in better unison. It was a pretty good sausage slice. If I were to allocate the ingredients, I would say the sauce was sauce (50%), sausage (25%), cheese (15%) and the crust (10%), much too sauce-leaning.
Onto the other half. I was impressed with the cupping of the pepperoni (other than those that were burnt) and there was just a smidgen of oil in each. Even with the lighter weight of the pepperoni, it was impossible to lift the slice, and again I resorted to the fork and knife for bite #1. I liked the flavor balance with the spiciness of the pepperoni. The pepperoni side was better since the thin slices of pepperoni were bolder than the sausage. While the distribution of ingredients was similar to the sausage side, the pepperoni’s spiciness definitely created a more balanced taste; sauce (40%), sausage (35%), cheese (15%) and the crust (10%), better but still a little too sauce focused.
Overall, the basic tenets of the pizza at Christos were amazing, the crust, sauce, toppings were all delicious. While the kitchen tried to balance the crispiness of the crust and the charred edges with the level of toppings, they got a little ahead of themselves with too much sauce in the center of the pie. They also might have placed the pizza on the wrong spot in the oven (where a pizza was recently removed), which did not allow the crust to crisp properly in the center.
With the first visits to Connecticut’s self-proclaimed Three Kings of Pizza in the record book, I would rank them Luna (a 9.3), Christos (an 8.4), and Fuoco (a 7.5).
I have been a fan of John Nealon for years. As one of the original co-founders of Fortina, he brought one of my all-time pizzas to the forefront, the Luigi Bianco, now The LB. Fast forward ten years and several stops in between, John and his wife, Morgan, embarked on creating a newly devised structure to the mega-century old pizza. While Nutmeggers are blessed with tons of options to enjoy perfect styles of pizza, on my visit to Crust Issues on Connecticut Ave in Norwalk, I was introduced to a slightly different version, one that grabs elements from Neelon’s past, as well as non-apizza styles.
If you blink you will miss the parking area for Crust Issues on Connecticut Avenue in Norwalk, CT. On a cloudy afternoon I found myself with a little time and was able to venture to Crust Issues to see and taste for myself John’s vision. The interior is somewhat unique, there is a self-service mini-bar with cocktails, sodas and water and a counter to order. The menu includes a few smaller dishes, from meatballs, garlic knots, sandwiches and salads, a couple of entrees, and sandwiches and then the main event…the pizza.
On my visit I ordered a half-pepperoni and half sausage, grabbed a bottle of water and sat at a table watching one of two extra-large TVs.
The pizza arrived nestled in a rectangular rimmed sheet pan. The construction was sorta a combination of pan, Detroit, and thin, and it stretched completely to the edges of the pan. The first noticeable visual were the edges, they had significant charring, not from charred crust but charred cheese. I was not sure how this was going to play with the other flavors. Sitting atop the crust was the sauce, cheese and then my toppings. The next item I noticed was the shapes of both the sausage and pepperoni. The were quarter-circles, I have never seen this ever. The last item I noticed was the thickness of the crust. It was about ¼” thick and extremely rigid, more a crunchy toast versus a pizza crust.
The first order of business was the meats. I tasted a piece of the sausage, and it was great, next, a piece of the pepperoni and again, great. As I lifted one of the corner pieces to check the bottom, I saw another surprise; some of the cheese had seeped under the crust and melted along the bottom edge and the cheese-charring was very present along the bottom edge. But the real test is in the eating. I grabbed a slice from the pepperoni side, and it was fantastic. The flavors were in perfect balance, a little spiciness in the sauce, creaminess in the cheese and then a little more kick from the pepperoni. Could the sausage side compare? Yes it could; the sausage slice was equal in every aspect of the flavor, spiciness and balance. The toppings were perfect in every way.
Now my take on the crust, and I agree with the name of the restaurant. I had crust issues. I was not a fan of this attempt to create a new type of crust, it was too hard for my taste and definitely detracted from the greatness on top. Others may really like the extra-crispiness, but not for me as much.
Overall, I loved Crust Issues, the flavors and balance were perfect, just not a fan of the over-crunchiness of the crust. I give the toppings a 10, but the harshness of the crust brings the overall score to a 9.0, still pretty freakin’ great.
In my continued search for worthy off-the-beaten-path haunts in “the Valley” I kept seeing a few great reviews of yet another pizza place just southeast of Waterbury, Fuoco in Cheshire. Between the enormous billboard on the interstate touted by a pizza app and other recommendations on my social media feeds, it quickly moved up my gotta-try list. As the summer months began to wane, I decided to head to Fuoco and see if the hype was justified.
Located three-and-a-half miles south of I84 from exit 26, Fuoco invites patrons into its white-faced, single-story building with a sign emblazoned with “Fuoco Coal Fired Apizza.” The sign beckons the palate with “coal fired” and “apizza.”
The single dining area consists of a long banquette along the entire right wall, with seating for twenty-five guests. The ordering and cooking areas are behind the walls to the left. Parking and a rear entrance make for an easy visit, whether dining in or for a take-away. In the warmer months, there are four tables on the front patio.
The menu is primarily pizza, with a few wings, salads, sharables and a calzone mixed in. On my visit, I was completely focused on the pizzas, which can be ordered in pre-determined combinations, with or without red sauce, plus you can “design it yourself” with almost two dozen toppings. I ordered a small (12”) red pie with pepperoni on one half and sausage and peppers on the other. She asked me if I wanted green or red roasted peppers, and I chose the latter.
When the pie was delivered, it showed a nicely charred finish, a few blackened bubbles indicated good heat in the ovens. When I lifted to see the undercarriage, I was also impressed with the amount of char. The one item that made me a little nervous was the level of toppings, this was a much more heavily laden pie than a traditional New Haven style.
Onto the real test.
Let’s start with the good news, the half with the pepperoni. There was a medium to high level of cheese and when I pulled the first slice, a few cheese strands needed a little more coaxing to leave the pie. I first tasted the crust. It was good, not as great as some of the others I have eaten over the last few months, but very much above average. The pepperoni rings were slightly cupped, but instead of the traditional oil in the cups, there was some melted mozzarella. I pulled a few pepperonis to taste. The edges were slightly crisped, and there was a medium to medium-high level of spiciness, they were delicious. The amount of sauce and cheese could have been somewhat less, but the bite of the pepperoni side brought a smile to my face. It was a great combination, with the pepperoni carrying the entire slice to the finish line. The balance was pepperoni (40%), sauce (30%), cheese (25%), and crust (5%). This was definitely a great slice of pepperoni pizza.
I was hoping for the same from the sausage half. The sausage chunks (my favorite way to serve sausage pizza) were in various sizes, and the weight caused a bit of a flop at the point, but overall, the crust held pretty well. I first tried a large chunk of the sausage. It had a decent fennel flavor, but could definitely use additional seasoning. My guess was the roasted red peppers were not roasted on-premises (too bad with a coal oven) as they gave that vinegary jar flavor. Now for the first bite. There was a lot of delicious, sweet-flavored tomato sauce and a little too much cheese and they sorta overpowered the sausage and peppers. The balance definitely went to the sauce (40%), cheese (30%), peppers (15%), sausage (10%), crust (5%). Unfortunately, it was not as great as the pepperoni slices.
Overall, it was a tale of two sides. I really liked the pepperoni slices; the pepperoni had great flavor and spiciness, and both could handle the abundance of the sweet sauce and the amount of cheese Fuoco placed on the pie. The sausage and pepper side was not in the same category. I was hoping for more flavor in the sausage and a deeper sweetness from the red peppers. Likewise, with a coal-fired oven, I expected a more flavorful crust. In Connecticut, when you use the words “coal fired apizza,” you are competing at an Olympic-like level, and each ingredient needs to be fantastic. While I would definitely recommend Fuoco, it could be even better with a few adjustments.
The year was 1888. The Civil War was twenty-three years in the past and the Model A was fifteen years in the future, the Statue of Liberty and Washington Monuments were recently dedicated, the US population stood at 50 million, the Standard Oil Company and AT&T were new companies, the Brooklyn Bridge was opened, and newly created Coca Cola was the talk of the south.
In the small town of Matteawan, NY, overlooking the Hudson River, Oven Number 312 was manufactured by the Dutchess Tool Company and sold to F Duhrkop of Meriden, CT. Until the late 1930s, the oven-baked bread at the Pratt Street location, and in 1938 the Verdolini family, forced to relocate its downtown business to Pratt Street, started baking pizza. In 1946, the business was sold to Tony Pascucci who changed the name to the Little Rendezvous. Over seventy-five years later, under the tutelage of its seventh owner, Steve Chehotsky, the Little Rendezvous is now producing one of the best, if not the best, pizza in CT, in one of the state’s longest, continuous-running coal ovens.
Little Rendezvous is still located on Pratt Street in Meriden, a very cute town southeast of Waterbury off Route 691. The small, white building is remarkably quaint, with two large 3 over 3 paned windows, a single center door a large sign above the door with “120 year old coal-fired brick oven” and a second sign “Brick Oven Pizza.” They are very proud of their heritage and the oven.
Little Rendezvous is probably the least heralded pizza restaurant in Connecticut, yet at times, the wait can be over three hours, yes, over three hours from order to delivery. The regulars, who have enjoyed these pies for decades, understand that if they do not follow the “Pro Tips,” they will miss the chance of grabbing one of the more than 100 pies created daily.
I wanted to time my arrival before the lunch rush, and I felt comfortable when I arrived at 1145 with only two cars parked in front. My hopes were heightened when I entered and there were only two people in the dining room. Then I saw the first sign, “FUN FACT #32 AN EMPTY DINING ROOM DOES NOT MEAN WE ARE SLOW!!!” Now I was a little nervous. I approached the ordering counter and was greeted with, “Did you call ahead?” Oh no, did I screw up? When I asked how long, I was happily told that it would be a 35 to 40-minute wait, whew, not a big deal at all. I ordered a small half sausage, half pepperoni. Now to relax and wait.
Little Rendezvous has three rooms. The front area includes a long bench attached to the wall behind four 4-tops, with basic folding chairs facing the wall, a single round table that seats an additional three guests, and a shelf table with two chairs. The middle room is a connecting hallway (put in place to connect the two buildings in 1938) with shelves stocked with hundreds of pizza boxes. The back room is the epicenter. There is an ordering counter with one person manning the phones, taking face-to-face orders, slicing the pizza, bringing pizza to the dining area, and settling the bills. His ordering system consists of a spiral notebook divided into 15-minute increments. When an order is received, he places it in the outbound time slot. Upon my order at 1150, I was assigned the 1230 box.
Behind the ordering counter is where the magic is made. Steve, the owner-pizzaiola-master, calmly creates one pie at a time. First, he stretches the dough very thin, then he carefully swirls two ladles of sauce, a few pinches of grated Parmesan cheese, and a couple of handfuls of shredded cheese. He carefully finishes the pie with layers of the requested toppings atop the shredded cheese and into the oven for 10-12 minutes.
The oven is cavernous, at least 10-12 feet deep. On the floor in front of the oven is a pile of coal. The coal chamber sits to the right and when they opened it for me it was blazing hot with a mound of burning coal.
I waited in the dining area, and promptly as promised the pizza arrived. It looked great. I waited a few minutes to allow the pie to cool a bit. I decided to first try a sausage slice. I slowly slid one to check the bottom. With the edges charred, I thought I would see lots of black below. Nope, it was a consistent, dark beige. Now the lift. It held perfectly with a slight droop at the edge, and all the toppings stayed intact. Excellent construction.
My first bite was teeny-weeny out of respect for the roof of my mouth. Even with the tiniest of bites, I was impressed. Steve mentioned that he spends a lot of time with the sausage, and it showed. There was an enormous amount of flavor, not too spicy, just enough to take notice and the spiciness lingered after the bite. As the slice cooled and my bites became larger, I was more and more impressed. The balance definitely leaned towards sausage, if I were to divide, it would be 60% sausage, 15% sauce, 15% cheese, and 10% crust. As I have mentioned before, I am a chunk versus crumbled person, but I absolutely loved this slice.
With the sausage side in the record book, I moved to the pepperoni. The slices of pepperoni were 50% cupped, with just a dollop of oil in each, this is what I always look for, and this was the proper amount. My first bite was a full try since the pizza was now cooled. Wow, this was another great slice of pizza. The pepperoni was on the same spice profile as the sausage, just a nice level that kicked in and then trailed off. Different from the full coverage of sausage, the amount of pepperoni was more genteel, it allowed the cheese and sauce to participate more. The balance was perfect. The taste divide was 40% pepperoni, 25% cheese, 25% sauce and 10% crust. It was a slice of cheese pizza with pepperoni versus a slice of sausage pizza.
After enjoying my lunch, I spent a little time with Steve as he filled other orders. He started as a 15-year-old in the late 1980s and purchased the business about fifteen years ago. While he would not tell me the exact number of pies produced daily, he alluded to more than 100 and less than 200. The dough and sauce are made in-house, and he takes great pain in preparing the sausage. He was super friendly, and not only do you feel great about eating his great pizza, but he is the kind of friendly and customer-focused business owner that you want to give your hard-earned money to.
Overall, this is one of the best pizzas of my life. I do not want to get into the comparisons with other great pizzas in CT, we are all really lucky to have great options. Suffice it to say, Little Rendezvous definitely occupies one of my five fingers in the best of the best.
In the old days, you would have packed lunch, dinner, and possibly an overnight bag. Now, you make an appointment online, show up, check-in, bam, boom, out in under 30 minutes, total. So when I recently scheduled my visit, I chose a lunchtime appointment so I could combine it with seeking out a hidden gem in Waterbury. And this time I finally found one…Domenick & Pia Downtown Pizzeria.
Domenick and Pia is located at 3 Brook St. around the corner from the Palace Theatre and the University of Connecticut (Waterbury) and has served pizza to the local community for over 50 years. Any place that successfully thrived and survived through those economic swings of Waterbury has something to offer. To say Domenick and Pia is a hole in the wall would be an understatement. While the exterior reflects the recent gentrification of this small part of Waterbury, walk through the doors and whoosh, back to the 1970s. The general ambiance of the interior is probably reflecting its grand opening with Formica-topped and wood-trimmed tables, push-on prices reminiscent of the side-of-the-road hamburger stands, red plastic trays to carry your pick-up order to the table, the whole nine yards. My guess is the original pie-price was under $2, with a 25-cent slice-price. There is no glamour, no TVs, no beer, just good old-fashioned pizza, a couple of hot oven grinders, a ton of drink options, and one of the most pleasant staff imaginable. To succeed with this formula, the pizza better be really good. Mission accomplished.
I ordered two slices from the young lady, one sausage and the other pepperoni…”let me throw those in the oven to make them perfect again.” Over my right shoulder I heard, “Throw a second sausage on that tray.” Obviously a regular and normal SOP, very cool.
She collected my $5 for the two slices, placed the plastic tray on the counter added a few napkins and I waited for my hot slices to…emerge…received…a little walk to a cleared table and a few photos. The slices looked very good, and my next step was to look at the underside. It was really well done, a nice brown with no burns, and it felt a little crunchy.
Now the test, and that first bite sets the stage, and the third bite is the litmus test (yes it is the third, NOT the first bite of a pizza slice that counts). I went with the pepperoni (it was closer) and the first bite brought a smile. The price may be 10X from when Domenick and Pia opened, but the pizza immediately transported me to those childhood days of eating pizza. The crust was crisp, had some great tomato sauce (probably housemade), the cheese was just the right flavor and amount, and the pepperoni gave a nice kick without too much spiciness. Major pass on bite #1. After two more bites, this slice passed all the tests, it was great.
Onto the sausage slice. My preference is for chunks of sausage versus slices, Domenick and Pia chose the latter. Bite #1 on the sausage side was also a pleasant surprise. The sausage was very good, not perfect but really, really good. I like a little more fennel and chunks, but for sliced sausage, it was almost perfect. And given the crust, sauce, and cheese combo, it was a great slice.
As I was leaving I decided to return and thank the person behind the counter who I thought was the owner. When I complimented him and the pizza, he called for his mother from the back and said this was all her doing. So there I was thanking the founder/matriarch and the son who has kept this Waterbury tradition alive for over fifty years. My hat’s off to the founder, the son, the staff, and the pizza. It was a great find for some incredible slices.
Jfood Eats 