Stanziato's

Posted By Michael Stern on September 4, 2010 4:21 AM

Although I am a happy guy, my world view is pretty pessimistic. As I see them, culture, politics, society and the environment at large are getting worse, some things at precipitous speed. And while that is true about much of what we have the opportunity to eat (Dollar Meal, anyone?), the world of food offers a lot of conspicuous exceptions. Ice cream, potato chips, and the repertoire of cheeses all are much better than they used to be. And pizza -- soulless national chains notwithstanding -- has enjoyed a veritable renaissance.

Case in point: Stanziato's of Danbury, Connecticut. A fairly ordinary looking storefront on a drab commercial stretch of road, here is a place where the proprietor, Matt Stanczak, has set up a classic wood-fired oven and goes to the trouble to make individual pizzas with real character. I am lucky enough to live close enough that I have had the opportunity to sample white and red pies as well as wood-fired wings that are baked, not fried.

You can take a seat and relax in the dining room, but if you are a pizzaphile, it is hard to resist standing at the counter to watch Matt deftly assemble a pie and slide it into the oven. The temperature is hot enough that to watch it cook is like time-lapse cinema. Before your eyes, in less than two minutes, the collar puffs up and the cheese melts. Just before it is ready to be pulled from the oven, Matt lifts it towards the top of the dome, where the temperature is even hotter, insuring that the toppings are cooked to match the golden-brown crust. When done, Matt takes it from the oven, spritzes on a bit of olive oil and decorates it with fresh basil leaves. Magnifico!

For locavores, Stanziato's is especially noteworthy, especially in the summer, when vegetables all come from local organic farms.

Arugula Salad

Farm Egg White Pie

Bacon Pizza

Sopressata Pizza

Sausage Pizza

Baked Wings (12)

Spinach Pizza

'Shroom Pizza

Posted By Jeff Beeton on December 7, 2011 4:15 PM

The sign at the door of Stanziato's says, "Best Pizza in the Universe." I am uncertain of mushroom and caramelized onion standards on Mars or Venus and beyond, but this eclectic, modestly-sized 40-seat Italian restaurant with a full bar has a great pie.

The classic wood-fired oven is set (according to a sign) at the high temperature of 800 degrees. This temp produces the classic Connecticut, slightly blackened crust that Nutmeg State citizens savor. The wheat-floured dough comes straight from the Old Country and is permitted to ferment for two to three days before being prepared as the Universe's standard. One pie does not make or break a restaurant, but the ten-inch luncheon-sized "shroom" pizza was delectable with mozzarella, fresh mushrooms, and sweet caramelized onions atop the delicious dough base.

The waitress was pleasant and efficient. The price of the lunch-sized perfect pie with a soft drink was under $10. The brightly colored decor of the room is highlighted with the painting of a local New England artist, adding to the experience. Located near the campus of the Western CT State College campus, Stanziato's features Belgian and artisan beers, a fact that makes the students pleased, I am certain.

'Shroom Pizza