Bartone's Apizza: Community Meets Great Pizza in Derby CT

On March 15, 2024, a new pizza place opened in Derby with little fanfare. No social media push, no PR blitz. They just opened.

Being a self-proclaimed pizza obsessive, I quietly noted it and planned to visit soon.

A few months later, I did. It was a simple takeout order: cheese and pepperoni. And it was fantastic.

When I picked it up, I noticed how genuine and engaged the lady was who was serving me. She made an immediate impression. I have since been back several times and recently got to sit down with her (Sheryl) and her husband Marcus, the unassuming pizza maker.

Bartone’s Apizza is their pride and joy, and it is highly worth a visit for any pizza lover with red sauce running through their veins. It’s also the kind of place that is, sadly, a dying breed. The couple simply wants to serve and support the community they grew up in—and will literally do almost anything to make you feel at home (keep reading).

An inspired journey, and a big leap

Marcus and Sheryl opened Bartone’s just after losing their youngest daughter, Sydney, to cancer…two months prior to her eighth birthday. Let that sink in. She is the inspiration and guiding light for their pizzeria.

“One of my favorites stories about Sydney is when she was six. We were at a local mall for a promotional event that was raising money for cancer research. Sydney was given a $5,000 check, but she insisted on donating the check for other kids’ treatments. She handed it over herself, and we walked away crying. That was her heart—thinking of others even while fighting her own battle. Everyone was amazed by her. She was just different, very different,” Sheryl remembers.

Marcus says Sydney was a driving force for opening their own restaurant.

“I came from management and customer service, so when I see people come in, especially during tough times, and their faces are filled with anguish, I wonder why. So many people are angry now, and I don’t think they understand why. We watched our little girl, who was seven when we lost her, never complain, never say, “Why me?” She’d tell us, “Don’t be mad at God.” After losing her, we took time to heal, but her strength gave us the courage to try something new, to bring back what’s missing—a personal touch where you’re not just a number.”

Sydney’s memory keeps Marcus grounded, and he has pictures of her up in the kitchen. “When I get overwhelmed, I just look up and I’m strengthened and refocus. I’ll be here at 2am, 3am. 4am making meatballs, because it has to be done. And I know if I don’t do it right, she’d be mad at me.” 

A buffalo, and mozzarella

Marcus’s love of pizza started when he was a kid. His good friend Anthony’s mom, Maria, used to make homemade pizzas. “She always saved me a slice, which drove Anthony crazy,” Marcus recalls. “They called me Buff, my nickname since I was four. Even our logo, with the buffalo head, comes from that.”

‘Buff,’ as you likely guessed, stands for buffalo. Marcus was a talented football player, and someone legendary in Derby sports circles. His stature, attitude and personality must have reminded people of a buffalo, and it just stuck. Everybody seems to call him Buff.

A passion fueled, and fulfilled

When he was a teen, another friend’s father opened Nolitano’s Pizza in Seymour—the first delivery place in town. Buff started washing dishes there at 16, then learned to make dough, sauce, bread, the whole shebang. “That triggered something—I loved it. I ran his kitchen for a couple of years until I had kids. Later, I helped his son open two places.”

Over the years, Buff would go on to help many families open their pizzerias, too. He’s always held a full-time job for stability and insurance, but pizza is his passion. “When this opportunity came, Sheryl said, ‘It’s your turn.’ She wanted people to see what I could really do,” Buff remembers.

It was no small feat to open the restaurant. Construction took a year and just getting the gas hooked up took six months. They were both still working their full-time jobs, coming to the site to do what needed to be done. Sheryl kept on asking, “Can you please open?” Finally, they did, and it was her birthday gift—she was born on March 13, and they opened two days later.

No corners cut, only slices

Buff says his pizza is most similar to the New Haven style but notes that “I’m very particular about the crust. It’s got to be perfect end-to-end. If it’s ugly, I throw it out and remake it. I won’t serve imperfections.” 

Being this meticulous means that the odd customer may have to wait (if something isn’t quite right), but he cares so much and wants everyone to be satisfied.

While Sheryl has been able to transition from her previous job to work at the restaurant, Buff still has his full-time job, which is why they don’t open until 4pm on Monday through Friday…because he makes every single pie that comes out of the oven.

For the dough, he uses fresh yeast and about 64% hydration. The dough goes through a three-day cold fermentation, which Buff says gives it a signature fruity flavor. “You can smell it when you lift the lid…the running joke it to send a tray to Yankee Candle® to see if they can get the scent down,” he says. They grind their own San Marzano tomatoes, dry and grind their own Pecorino romano, prepare their own garlic, get local eggs from a guy in Shelton, and so on.

They try to incorporate as many family recipes as possible, from both sides. “Look, we’re not stars. My dad was the best cook I ever knew…amazing. We have his 100-year-old recipe for meatballs, and people love them.” The same is true with the eggplant, it’s made and breaded the same way as the family recipe with which they grew up. At Bartone’s, they’re trying to keep things simple. They want the toppings to speak for themselves, and it’s the same for the sauce. “We have a nice robust sauce that has some bite but is balanced. We cook it for six, seven hours…it’s how it was done when we were kids,” Buff notes.

Seriously good apizza, and vibes

Bartone’s pizza crust is thin and crispy but still has some chew. My personal favorite is the Red Raider—basically a “tomato pie” with house tomato sauce and freshly grated Pecorino romano cheese. I also love the Baked Stuffed Shrimp, a white pie with fresh shrimp, extra virgin olive oil, and a Ritz cracker stuffing with freshly ground Pecorino romano. 

I’ve also become a fan of their specialty pie called The Cheeseburger. While it looks heavy, it doesn’t eat that way. It’s a white pie with ground beef and mozzarella topped with lettuce, tomato, pickles, red onion and ‘special sauce’ (Thousand Island-style). They note that Dolly’s Delight is also very popular. That’s a red pie with mozzarella and fresh garlic topped with mounds of Bolognese sauce and ricotta cheese. Sheryl says there’s also now a pickle pizza, which they made because the mother of one their son’s friends just really likes pickles…and it’s been a surprise hit with customers.

The salads are also a point of pride, as Sheryl is a vegetarian. The house salad is very fresh, very generous and the vinaigrette is delicious, too. Don’t sleep on the stuffed breads, either. They are indulgent but worth it.

When you order, they take down your name, and they recognize you by that—not by the number your order is assigned. They know most regulars by name, but some go beyond even that. “We have one guy who orders every Friday without fail, the same thing every time. He calls and says, ‘Rocky on Grandview’ and just hangs up. At that time, you need to put in an order for a large asap, and he will be waiting at his front door with $20.40 and a tip for his driver,” Sheryl tells me. 

For the Bartones, pizza isn’t just food, it’s a way to bring people together. In addition to caring about every customer, they also give back as much as they can, donating pizza to local churches, senior centers and community events.

Root for the underdog

It’s always tough opening a new pizza place anywhere in the orbit of New Haven. Bartone’s is no exception, as it’s sandwiched between two local, well-established favorites in Derby. Roseland Apizza, one of the most famous and historic pizzerias in the state, lies just to the west, while Tipsy Tomato Bar & Pizzeria is a little further to the east. 

These two establishments have great things to offer, but I’d encourage you to visit Bartone’s, the underdog nestled right in-between them. 

If you really like it, one day, you can just call up, leave your name, and wait for your regular to order to arrive on your doorstep. Just make sure you have the correct change.

Bartone’s A Pizza 143 Main St, Derby, CT