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.
With the opening of the new Whole Foods on the northeast corner of Hagen Ranch and Boynton Beach, the other storefronts are beginning to open. One of these stores is Mister 01. This location is one of 22 opened or planned Mister 01 pizzerias in Florida, with another two in the Atlanta metro area and five in Texas. The brainchild of Chef Renato Viola, Mister 01 delivers artisanal pizza, made mostly from ingredients that are either locally sourced or imported from Italy. Viola started his pizza apprenticeship at the age of eleven and won numerous awards in Italy and Europe. After settling in Miami Beach (using a 01 Visa category), Viola opened his first pizza restaurant and has been expanding rapidly.
The location in Boynton Beach is furnished with several tables sitting alongside the long counter. The menu includes pizzas, calzones, burrata plates and salads. The pizza can be ordered in one of two sizes, a personal 8” and a larger 13”. As a solo diner, I ordered an 8” with pepperoni and sausage (half-half not an option). In hindsight, I should have ordered the 13”, not thinking that an 8” pizza can fit on a sheet of paper. When it was delivered, I knew it was a snack versus a meal, but hey a great snack is better than a lousy meal.
The crust was super paper thin and crispy, a true cracker crust. It was topped with just a touch of sauce and cheese and topped with a good amount of ‘roni and less than desired sausage. The flavors were great. I really liked the sausage/cheese/sauce combination, but the sausage took a backseat to all these vibrant flavors. The sauce was a good complement to the meats. After eating the entire pizza, I kicked myself again for not ordering a larger version, but this will not be my last trip to Mister 01.
Overall, I give the pizza I ate at Mister 01 a good solid 8.5.
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 love discovering places that get very little fanfare, are the heart and soul of the owner(s), and absolutely kill it. Papa’s Pizza in Milford is one of those places and is the epitome of a hole in the wall on the side of the road that deserves recognition for some killer pizza.
The original Papa’s Pizza is located closer to Walnut Beach versus downtown Milford (where Papa’s Pizza II is located), and I was getting a little nervous as the soccer ball at the end of the purple line on Waze was quickly approaching, and there was no sign of Papa’s. On my right there was a bakery, a breakfast joint and a parking lot. As I slowed to a crawl and stared into the lot (my apologies again to the people in the car behind me), the far section of the white building had two red words above a small window, “Papa’s Pizza.” Success. I pulled into a parking spot and slowly walked to the window. Was I in the right place…this was literally a hole in the wall on the side of a nondescript white building at the end of a small parking lot. When I peered through the open window, I saw no one on the other side. Fortunately, there was a bell on the counter and immediately after I rang, someone came from the back room to take my order.
“Can I have a small pie, half pepperoni, half sausage?” The reply, “Give me fifteen.” Game on.
Locals know there are two Papa’s Pizzas in Milford. The original on Naugatuck Avenue (which I visited) opened in 1986, and Papa’s Pizza II, on Bridgeport Ave. opened twenty-two years later in 2008. Papa’s Pizza is overseen by Russ Pietrini, Dylan Bruno, Jamie Cavallo and named after Russ’ grandfather, Peter Lasse (a.k.a. Papa). If the name Lasse sounds familiar, it should. Papa Lasse and his wife Mabel opened The Maples, a restaurant on Naugatuck Avenue, in the 1940s (sold in 1959 and renamed). In addition to the two Papa Pizzas, the third generation oversees Lasse’s restaurant, which has been a landmark since 1964.
While Papa’s focuses on pizza, there are a few other options. The menu is taped to another closed window and offers pasta options (Naugatuck location only), one garden salad and five “cone” grinders, whatever they are. They specialize in New Haven Pizza, with more than a dozen different toppings, or you can choose from one of twenty-five pre-determined combinations. (Disclaimer – The newest addition is A ‘Pizza Di Jeff, and I had absolutely nothing to do with it, although it sounds pretty good.)
As I waited in my car (there are no tables outside other than a waiting bench for 3-4 people), and no nuthin’ on the inside), several regulars pulled into the lot and owner yelled “Hey Johnnie, here’s your order,” followed by a “thank you” and a hand-off, this was definitely a place where people are loyal and return on a regular basis. Almost to the second, my pie was ready in fifteen minutes, nestled in a to-go box and, like the others, handed through the window with a warm “thank you.” With no place to sit, I was left to my own devices to photo and eat…it was not the first time the hood of my car doubled as a dining table.
I opened the box, and my lips started to extend into a smile, this pie looked really good. The balance of ingredients looked perfect, the charring along the edge was just the right level and there were bubbles in the dough-edges; it should have a nice, soft feel. Checking the underside, the kitchen cooked it to perfection, just a few light char-spots. I grabbed a bit of sausage and tasted; it was a 10, still moist, fennel-accented with a little spice (I later discovered it was Lamberti’s Italian sweet sausage from New Haven). Next, a quick taste of the pepperoni and like the sausage, it was delicious, a medium level of spiciness and just a tad of crispiness. It was still too hot to try a full bite, so I waited…and it was almost excruciating.
I finally took a deep breath, and I lifted a slice of the pepperoni side…the crust held, no flop. And then a little bite from the tip to save the roof of my mouth. Wow!!! The flavors were unbelievable. Now a full bite and the cheese stretched, the sauce and the ‘ronis held pat and it was delicious. Everything worked together, the crispy crust, the rich tomatoes, the creaminess of the cheese and the spiciness of the pepperoni. It was close to perfection. My smile grew wider. Could the sausage side compete? The really good news was that it was even better since the sausage was some of the best around. This slice was in Zuppardi’s league as one of the best sausage slices in CT. My smile was in competition with the Cheshire Cat, ear to ear. This is what Connecticut pizza is all about…sheer perfection.
Finding that off-the-beaten-path perfection has become an obsession. These unheralded chefs know how to cook, know how to satisfy loyal and new customers and do so for the sheer pleasure of their love of the food adventure. When I find a place like Papa’s Pizza, enjoy some of the best pizza in CT, read about the three generations of food people, I must tell everyone who would never stop if they drove by Papa’s…YOU MUST STOP!!!
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.
All pizza enthusiasts in this part of Connecticut know the Three Kings of Pizza, three brothers who each own one of the most highly-regarded pizzerias stretching from Wallingford to Cheshire to Naugatuck. A couple of months ago I visited Fuoco in Cheshire and scheduling a visit to one of the other places has been on my to-do list. I finally made it to Luna in Naugatuck, and I am extremely glad I did.
Like many of its pizza-brethren in this part of CT, Luna is situated in a residential neighborhood, just off northbound exit 28 (Prospect Street) of Interstate 8. While there are numerous Luna Pizzas in CT, the others have no association with this location nor the three brothers. When you enter the non-descript building you immediately understand that Luna caters to the takeaway crowd, the teeny dining area offers only four small tables, two high-tops that each seat four and another two regular height tables for another two guests each. Most of the space is dedicated to the pre-made 250 pizza boxes and the 20-foot-long pile of split wood ready to enter the wood-fired oven. There is also one refrigerator that carries an array of 1-liter bottles of Foxon Park sodas, and a few bottles of Poland Springs hidden on the bottom, next to a couple of pre-cut slices of dessert.
While the menu includes salads, burgers, pasta, a calzone, wings and a few head-scratching options, I was there for the pizza.
I ordered a 12” pie, half sausage and half pepperoni, and wandered to an empty table to wait. The server brought the pizza, and I was immediately impressed. The edges had a minor level of char, not too much, not too little. There was minimal, if any, poofiness to the edges, just a few bubbles, indicating a crispy dough. There was a good amount of toppings (more condensed on the pepperoni side) and the balance among cheese, sauce and meats looked pretty good, and I was grateful that the sausage was chunks, my favorite. I next pulled a slice from the pie to check the underside. There were dots of char intermingled in a nicely tanned bottom. The was just a little flop at the point of the slice, maybe just a tad too much. So far I was very impressed.
Onto the taste test.
Per my tradition, I started with a slice from the sausage half. I first peeled a little dollop of sausage from the pie, always looking for the fennel backnotes that I love. Excellent sausage, the sausage had the right amount of fennel and the time in the oven maintained a good juiciness without drying out the meat. The first slice-bite was very good, and the balance and flavors were excellent. I waited for it to cool slightly for bite #2. Bite #2 was even better, and we finally approached my real litmus test…bite #3, when the pie has cooled just enough, and the flavors are fully melded. And it was pretty close to perfect. The three major components combined nicely and there was just a hint of flavor from the dough.
Now onto the pepperoni side. Again, first a taste of pepperoni by itself. There was a good crunchiness and then the spice kicked in and grew. There was a bit of a time lag before it peaked. I would call it a 4 out of 10 level of spiciness and there was a very long tail. A bite of the entire slice, which was already at the right temperature, confirmed my foreshadowing that this would also be a great slice, and it was. The balance of the sauce, cheese and pepperoni was even better than the sausage side with the added kick from the pepperoni.
After I savored a few more slices, it was time to stop and reflect. If there was one slight negative to the pie, it would be the dough, I would have liked a little more flavor. Other than that, Luna is a solid 9.2.
I have been pretty lucky finding some great New Haven-style pies in Waterbury and its surrounding suburbs, and Luna is definitely in the elite class of New Haven style in this neck of the woods.
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.
I’ve been looking for some great burger and pizza places in “the Valley,” and noticed a few references to a pizza place in Waterbury, Vincenzo’s Pizzeria. Looking at their website, I thought it would be like numerous other local Italian restaurants, where I could order a pie, maybe a Parm, sit at one of their tables, and enjoy a quiet lunch.
Fast forward to my visit. Vincenzo’s is located about a mile south of I-84’s Chase Parkway exit in Waterbury. As I left the Interstate, I drove through a neighborhood that reminded me of where I grew up, two-story houses, not a lot of commerce, and a sense of community. As my waze went under a quarter of a mile until I arrived at Vincenzo’s, things began to change slightly, I noticed several patio dining areas with white tablecloths jutting from white-painted two-storied restaurants named La Tavola and D’Amelios Italian Eatery, it reminded me of several great neighborhood Italian restaurants from my youth.
I slowed as I approached one of Waterbury’s firehouses, looking for another white tableclothed restaurant. But there across the street, on the corner of Highland and Fairfield Avenues was a single-story, red-painted structure, with a couple of weather-worn signs. I had arrived at Vincenzo’s Pizzeria. Vincenzo’s also has a front patio, but at the time of my visit a few weeks before Memorial Day, there were no tablecloths, and it did not appear to be open. I looked for the parking area and saw a small lot behind the building that probably held six cars, one reserved for the delivery vehicle.
I entered through the rear and found myself in a teeny-tiny ordering area, probably six feet by eight feet, with a couple of folding chairs, one blocking the door to the dining room with a hand-written sign that read “Dining Area open Friday and Saturday nights.” At the far end was an ordering counter that doubled as the window to the kitchen, and seated on a bridge chair on the other side of the plexiglass was a sweet, elderly lady, who wrote all the orders on a pad to hand to the kitchen staff.
I ordered a small pizza, half sausage, and half pepperoni. She wrote “roni” and I smiled. I waited in my car for the suggested 15 minutes and returned as my pie was vacating the oven and into the traditional red & white box. It was now showtime.
When I opened the box, I was impressed, Vincenzo’s does not skimp on the amount of toppings, every millimeter was occupied by one of my two requested toppings. I first noticed the sausage, it was the crumbled variety, different from my preferred chunks, but better than slices. The ‘roni was slightly cupping, not a full-out cup-with-oil, but a medium cup and, yes, there was some oil in the cup.
The edges look perfectly browned and when I checked the underside, it was likewise a beautiful darkish tan. I tasted the edge crust, and it was light, airy, and great flavor. The first lift of the sausage slice was, again, impressive. It held together with just a little tilt at the inner point. Now for the test and the bites. The first bite produced a slight crunch of the crust, and the sausage delivered light to medium spice, and the proportion of sausage to cheese to sauce was slightly leaning toward the sausage. This first bite was great. I waited for the cooling effect and then my normal Third Bite Test, it passed with flying colors. This was a really good slice of pie.
Now onto the ‘roni side. The slice was equally delicious, the pepperoni was slightly spicy at first and then the spiciness sorta lingered and intensified. This side also passed the Third Bite Test with flying colors. In fact, the proportions were slightly better than the sausage side, which allowed the sauce and cheese to play a more dominant role in the flavors.
Overall, Vincenso’s is a great off-the-beaten-path stop for a great pie and I will definitely return and try some of the other items on the menu.
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 