Filtering by Tag: Van Leeuwen Ice Cream,Pizza

Rizzuto’s Italian Kitchen in Stamford

Restaurant Pizza Stamford Lunch Kid Friendly

Amy Kundrat

Rizzuto’s Italian Kitchen opened in Stamford this past November as the fourth location in Bill Rizzuto's casual Italian dining concept. With restaurants already in Bethel, Westport and West Hartford, tireless and engaging owner Bill Rizzuto chose the Stamford spot (near the Greenwich border) embracing the open space with tri-level dining, a formidable bar and a central beamy oven. Interested to see how they adapted to their Stamford address and eager to try our hand at making our own pizza, we dropped by for a behind-the-scenes look at their kitchen, the new gas-powered pizza oven and what objects of our affection that oven could create for us hungry souls.


Hope Pizza in Stamford: Best Greek Pizza in Western CT?

Restaurant Delicious Dives Pizza Stamford Comfort Food Lunch Kid Friendly

Lou Gorfain

"Gooey," that's what my late great mother craved in her pizza, and this woman loved food more than any person I've ever known. ("Don't talk to me," she would admonish. "I'm eating."}

Well, Mom would have devoured the pizza at Stamford's Hope Pizza, maybe the best of the thirty some Greek pizzerias hidden throughout Fairfield County. What makes Greek pizza gooey is what distinguishes it from the more heralded Connecticut Italian pizzas. Bearing no New Haven char, Colony heat, Batali chic, much less any passionate defenders or detractors in the food press or blogosphere, Greek Pizza flourishes under the radar, boasting few fancy frills, though, admittedly, more oil.


ReNapoli: An Education in Pizza in Old Greenwich

Restaurant Greenwich Pizza Lunch Kid Friendly

Amy Kundrat

What can pizza be? ReNapoli in Old Greenwich answers with one kitchen, two ovens, and three distinct pizza styles. Dining at ReNapoli isn’t just a meal, it's the equivalent of a three-credit course in pizza.

Owner and pizzaoilo Bruno DiFabio has been making pizza for thirty years. A fact made more interesting when you consider he is only 42.  A first generation Italian American, DiFabio was already working the lead sauté station at age 16 in his grandfather's restaurant kitchen. Fast forward a few decades, several restaurants, five World Pizza Championship titles and stints at the famed ovens of Spacca Napoli, Da Michele and Trianon in Naples, and you have the genesis of ReNapoli. 


Rizzuto’s To Open in Stamford Early November

Restaurant Pizza Stamford Lunch Kid Friendly

Amy Kundrat

Stamford seems to be getting all the attention lately. The latest outpost to open in the "City That Works" is the fourth installment of Rizzuto's, a popular casual Italian spot with outposts already humming in Bethel, West Hartford and Westport.

Rizzuto's Stamford will be located at 1980 West Main Street on the Greenwich/Stamford border, and is slated to open in early November. The new restaurant will feature three-level dining with room for 160 and features such as a California pre-fab pizza oven, custom stone and tile work, and a signature granite antipasto bar and counter seating.


Taking Sides in the Stamford Pizza War

Restaurant Pizza Stamford Take Out

Amy Kundrat

The first hint of a Stamford pizza scandal came from a casual tip from a friend who knows how we obsess over pizza here at CTbites. “Have you heard about this new place called Rico’s?” he asked. “It’s just like Colony and some say it’s better.”

Rumors, speculation, and then the recent ad taken out by Colony Pizza in the Stamford Advocate on July 22 had piqued all of our interest. The ad read, “There is no other restaurant in Fairfield County that is authorized to use our name or our recipes.”

This not-so-thinly veiled threat was direct taking aim at the new Selleck Street pizzeria Rico’s, opened by former employees of Colony Pizza, the epicenter of the traditional bar-style pizza with it’s cracker-like crust and rivers of grease


Past & Present Pizza Memories at Sonny’s

Restaurant Norwalk Pizza

Andrew Dominick

We have all had fond memories as a child. One of mine starts with my dad not being around much. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “That doesn’t sound so fond.” Still, once a week, my father would come pick me up and take me out for pizza at Sonny’s in Norwalk.

Every Friday I would know that dinner meant pizza with my dad. He would pull up in his car and I would run out and hop in the passenger seat. The ride was a quick one over to West Avenue. I remember always being excited to pull up anticipating thin-crust goodness.


10 Questions w/ Matt Stanczak of Stanziato's in Danbury

Interview Restaurant Chef Talk Danbury Pizza

Amy Kundrat

Matt Stanczak is chef and owner of Danbury's two-year-old Stanziato's Wood-fired pizza. Trained at the Culinary Institute of America, he has worked for the last decade as both a private chef and for restaurants in New York City and Westchester but now, and thankfully for us, he calls Danbury home.

Stanczak’s contemporary take on on the classic Neopolitan pizza is one of the most outstanding in the state. His puffy charred crusts, devotion to local ingredients and seasonality as well as his nightly specials with their intuitive pairings have made me literally pound the table in delight.

1. If you had unexpected guests arriving at your home for dinner in one hour, what would you whip up?

This time of year I'm definitely thinking a fresh Guacamole....Avacodos from my favorite Latino bodega, Lots of freshly squeezed Lime Juice, Onion, maybe a chopped up jalapeno, sea salt, and lots and lots of cilantro! Simple, Fresh, Delicious.

2. What is the last dish you cooked for yourself?


Mario Batali's Tarry Lodge Opens in Westport July 19th!!

Restaurant Pizza Westport Lunch

Amy Kundrat and Stephanie Webster

Tarry Lodge Enoteca and Pizzeria opens tomorrow in Westport at 30 Charles Street. For more on this, read our recent interview with Joe Bastianich and check out a few photos and our take from our visit during a Saturday night preview, below.

Very similar to Tarry Lodge, slightly more informal. Pizza and antipasto will be a major component. Lighter style and more grilled items.  We'll adapt our food purveyors so its also done locally. The pizza will also be a focus. Our pizzaioli is Mario LaPosta who will be there full time, he's very talented. 

 --Joe Bastianich 

A quick preview of the Tarry Lodge Enoteca menu reads as Tarry Lodge light. Think greatest hits of its Port Chester location.

An heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad, Tuna Tartare, Grilled Octopus, Porcini Arancini, Baccala "Livornese," and Soft Shell Crabs with lemon aoili are a few of the "Insalate" and "Fritti" offerings. The pastas and proteins look formidable and familiar, a Brown Butter and Sage Gnocchi, Fettucini Carbonara and Goat Cheese Agnolotti with Fennel Pollen are three of the eight pasta dishes and a Whole Branzino, Ribeye (with pepper almond pesto) and Rock Hen Al Matone are just three of eight "Secondi." It seems a fitting, if cautious menu for the launch. The wine list, similar to the menu, is a curated list of Port Chester classics, with the Bastianich label front and center.

Mario LaPosta, Tarry Lodge pizzaiolo


Pizzeria Rosso in Norwalk

Features Restaurant Bridgeport Delivery Service Norwalk Pizza

Amy Kundrat

At Pizzeria Rosso, it’s a family affair. As chef and partner of Norwalk’s newest take-out pizzeria, Pasquale Pascarella is the driving force behind this old world meets new world approach to pizza. His cousin handles the dough, his mother arrives each morning at 7 a.m. to make the sauce, and Dad shuttles the pies from oven to destinations in Norwalk and just beyond.
  
A veteran chef of Stamford’s Old Saltwater Grille where he remains a partner, Pasquale decided that a take-out pizza business would help him shift his focus and gain control back to what he loves about cooking, both Italian-inspired dishes and traditional Neapolitan pies (he cites San Francisco’s A16 as inspiration) would be a great muse for this transition.

Crossing the River: Jordan's Restaurant in Westport

Restaurant Greek Home Delivery Pizza Westport Lunch Kid Friendly

Sarah Green

There is a powerfully moving gospel song about crossing the River Jordan, but the fact that Jordan's of Norwalk recently crossed the River Saugatuck into Westport is what makes my wayward soul call out "Hallelujah!" Jordan's Restaurant and Pizza is a tried and true Greek/Italian establishment with FAMILY RUN written all over it. Pappa Nikos (Nick) and Mama Haroula (Carol) Ouzounidis came from their tiny town of Agios Loukas in Greece to Connecticut in the 70's and bought the original Jordan's at 369 Westport Ave in Norwalk. Now, with three locations to oversee, the three Ouzounidis children are taking over at the helm to keep things running smoothly, And with that honor, there is a dish named for each child - there's John's (Ionnis) Bread (with ricotta, melted mozzerella and marinara sauce), Lazaros (Larry) Chicken (sauteed with tomato, feta and garlic), and my drug of choice, the Kitsa Pella Salad (which you can read about in detail in my Colossal Salad review from last year.)


Where to Find Corned Beef & Cabbage on St. Patricks Day

Restaurant Holiday Pizza

Amy Kundrat

It's almost St. Patricks Day and chances are good that if you plan on venturing out, your beer will be green and you'll be ordering a plate full corned beef and cabbage, that quintessential dish that March 17th can't seem to shake. So let's embrace it.

Maggie over at the Lunch Break Chronicles has compiled this short and beefy list of places she is planning to get her corned beef fix which includes Tigin in Stamford as well as O'Neills in SoNo.

In addition to this list, I'd recommend checking out Colony Grill in both the Fairfield and Stamford locations. Word is they'll be offering a special Corned Beef pizza for the holiday. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Yup. A hot oil with corned beef may be my a new annual tradition. 


Kids Make Pizza Every Sunday @ Coalhouse in Stamford

Kids Bites Restaurant Pizza Stamford kids activity kids cooking party Kid Friendly

Liz Rueven

Sundays are pizza making days for kids at Coalhouse Pizza in Stamford.  First rule co-owner, Gerard Robertson, puts out there?  DON’T BE AFRAID TO MAKE A MESS!  Better his place than yours, and a lot more fun, for sure.  If one too many rainy days has given your clan cabin fever, this is a great way to get out, make your own pizza and learn something too.

Robertson invites kids of all ages to pull up a stool and gently work a ball of dough on the long stretch of white marble that wraps around the pizza prep area and the enormous coal oven.


Behind the Net Pizza @ The Darien Ice Rink

Restaurant Darien Pizza

Amy Kundrat

An affinity for hockey or a hot tip was the only way you’d discover Behind the Net, a concession stand in Darien’s ice rink that is serving up slices of New Haven style apizza heaven—until now.

Behind the Net opened on September 1, 2010 in the concession space adjacent to the busy suburban ice rink just beyond Darien’s Post Road.  Home to dozens of youth hockey games and practices, the rink also welcomes open skate nights and is teeming with families, practically guaranteeing a hungry audience. Thankfully for us, word soon spread that mere steps from the ice was purportedly some real-deal New Haven pizzaa pizza style characterized by an adherence to a thin crispy crust, decent charring from a super hot oven, fresh San Marzano tomato-based sauce, and mozzarella.

Savor Pizza: Norwalk's Healthier Pizza (& Gluten-Free)

Restaurant Norwalk Organic Pizza Special Dietary Needs healthy Kid Friendly

Liz Rueven

Pizza is easy to love.  Who doesn’t relish gooey mounds of cheese over even the most basic sauces and crusts? But for diners concerned with their health,  it is no secret that most pizza is loaded with fat and sodium.  For those with gluten allergies or intolerance,  pizza parlor pizza is off limits.

SAVOR PIZZA in Norwalk is a dream come true for pizza lovers with gluten sensitivities and diners who are mindful of eating lower fat, less salt and organic ingredients. For those with gluten intolerance, it may become your go-to spot for take out pizza, the meal you thought you would never be able to eat again.


Cava Wine Bar in New Canaan

Restaurant Italian Pizza New Canaan

jfood

Cava Wine Bar is a welcoming entrance to New Canaan’s Restaurant Row on Forest Street where it has firmly taken its position as one of New Canaan’s best restaurants. The pasta dishes all feature in-house made varieties with an extremely light texture, the pizza offers traditional Neapolitan styles, and the entrées include several excellent fish, meat and poultry options. 

Cava opened in 2004 and was the first of three Fairfield County restaurants operated by the Siguenza family. Vicente oversees the wine selections, Kleber personally chooses all the fish purchases and their sister Chef Nube Rivera is the head chef of Cava’s kitchen.


Breakfast @ Fat Cat Pie Co.

Restaurant Coffee Norwalk Pizza Tea And Coffee Breakfast Kid Friendly

Stephanie Webster

Did your mother ever scold you as you reached into the fridge in the wee hours to grab a slice of leftover pizza? Bread, cheese, tomatoes…breakfast of champions, right?  Fat Cat Pie Co. which is well known for their wafer thin crusted pizzas laden with decadent toppings (see our pizza shout out), has validated this college craving by mastering the fine art of pizza for breakfast. Yes, it is a little known fact. Fat Cat opens its doors in the am serving a casual breakfast and lunch daily from 8am to 2pm.  You may not find a hash brown to speak of on this diminutive menu, but you will find more interesting fare including breakfast "pies" with local organic eggs, sandwiches boasting the culinarily renown Bloodroot bread, as well as a selection of home made baked goods and granola. It is a laid back affair with top notch coffee and a barista who cares (note the latte art). For a diner seeking something beyond the "diner," Fat Cat is a breath of fresh air...and fresh ingredients.