I’ve added another satisfying notch to my pizza belt and one more stop checked off the CT Pizza Trail.

Tipsy Tomato sits tucked in the corner of a strip mall along Route 34, halfway between Routes 8 and 15. I know that sounds a bit vague, but once you find the right plaza (think Big Y), the next challenge is locating the entrance, which is slightly hidden from view, two nondescript doors next to the pet store. When you approach, you might wonder if the interior is too small to seat adventurous pizza addicts, but step inside and your worries will immediately vanish. There’s an “S” shaped bar immediately to the left with a dozen stools, tables for another two dozen guests, and in the rear is a spacious dining room that seats dozens more. Anchoring it all is “pizza central,” an open kitchen where you can watch the stretch-top-bake ballet unfold right before your eyes.

I ordered a pizza, they delivered an apizza, and they called it ah-beetz.

Pizza lovers in Connecticut know exactly what the word apizza means, and they also know that one of the best (if not the best) versions in the entire state is found at Roseland Apizza in Derby. On a recent Saturday night, we joined some friends and made the pilgrimage to the neighborhood that has had the privilege of protecting this pizza icon. We sampled three distinct combinations, each with three distinct personalities and three different tastes, all sharing one undeniable theme: perfection.

Before diving into our visit, it’s worth appreciating Roseland's roots. The story begins in 1935, when Giovanni “John” Scatolini, an Italian immigrant, opened a bakery and grocery store in neighboring Ansonia. He originally baked bread in a coal-fired oven in his backyard; a tradition he carried with him when he moved the business to Derby in 1938. World War II brought a family tragedy to the Scatolini family, when John’s son, Reno, was killed in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944.