January 9th, 2016
Waterbury, CT
You’ve probably heard us talk a lot about New Haven pizza, but not so much about other pizzas in Connecticut. Other Connecticut pizzerias on the list by the Daily Meal include Colony Grill in Stamford, and a pizzeria in Waterbury, CT. Waterbury, for those who don’t know (we didn’t) is located north of New Haven, right off I-84. Domenick & Pia Pizzeria makes pizzas to sell by the slice, New York style, although they also make whole pies. You won’t find a menu, since they don’t have a website.
We got to the pizzeria around lunchtime on a weekend afternoon, and we were very hungry. This was in part because Eric took us off the wrong exit and we ended up driving around Connecticut for a good extra half hour. So, instead of just ordering slices, we decided to get an entire pie, topped with broccoli and onion. Gotta get those veggies in when we are eating so (much pizza!)
The pizza had a thick crust, did not skimp on the cheese and grease, and had a sweet sauce. It was one of the heavier pizzas that we’ve had. Domenick and Pia DeRosa have kept the same pizza recipe for over 50 years!
The couple still works in the restaurant making pizzas, even though they are into their 90’s now. #relationshipgoals
So while we didn’t love the pizza here and probably wouldn’t head up to Waterbury again for it (especially with New Haven only an hour or so south), we love the story of the DeRosas, who got married in Italy and then moved to the US and have been making pizza ever since. We did like the “mom and pop” feel of the pizzeria, and it definitely has the reputation of a neighborhood staple.
I’ll end this post with some classic “Eric eating pizza” pictures. We were so hungry that we couldn’t even wait for the slices to cool down before trying them!
To visit:
Domenick & Pia
3 Brook Street
Waterbury, CT 06702