Submitted by Ancient_Belt_1291 t3_117bjb3 in Connecticut
I realized that a good majority of the pizza I ate growing up was actually made by Greeks - there was a place in the TriTown plaza in Colchester back in the late 70s early 80s. In Bristol, Max's pizza and Bristol pizza. Is this a thing or am I just no remembering things correctly.
Yep - Across the state, either Greek, Albanian, or Sicilian. Gotta love it when the pizza joint is like walking into a time capsule too.
Grew up in mass my home town pizza place was Greek
My family are Greek immigrants - they’ve owned 7 pizza restaurants in CT over the past 50 years. Vernon, Colchester, New London, Rocky Hill, Manchester, and 2 others.
Can one of you please move to OK and open a pizza place :D
In OK.. grew up in CT and second this. I miss Greek pizza spots. Literally my fave.
In Naugatuck they had union city pizza and it was really good. I often like these kinds of places than marque
OMG i lived in Tulsa for ten years and the best freakin pizza was papa freakin johns 🤢
Nice dude! My buddy’s family has a couple places in MA. Last call on the Cape is wicked early so we used to go back to the pizza place and drink more beers and make sandwiches. It’s pretty great having buddies like you!
My favorite will always be Village Pizza in Easthampton, MA. It is as close to pizza perfection I've ever had; wife insists we make the hour each way drive at least once a month for it. Unfortunately, this pizza does NOT reheat well (could be the unbrominated flour mix they use); it is by far the best fresh and hot.
The same Greek family also owned A-1 Pizza and Florence Pizza in Northampton, and there used to be a Parthenon Pizza up in Greenfield but I believe that closed a very long time ago.
Used to live in Easthampton and would get a large pepperoni from Village every Saturday night for like 6 years. Great pizza. Florence Pizza was also excellent. Great memories.
Village Pizza in Easthampton is a very solid pizza. I'm glad to see they've still survived the gentrification of what used to be such a nice small town.
You say A1(in Chicopee) is owned by the same people? I haven't had great success in Chicopee finding a good Pizza and A1 is one of the spots I still haven't tried. Everything has been hit or miss.
No, A-1 in Florence not Chicopee.
As teens we used to hang out at Village all the time while growing up there (80s-90s). That was back when Gus was still running it. Now it's his son John's place.
those were the days. Thanks for the info. I might have to make a trip over Mt Tom tonight for a pie.
We moved to western MA in Oct, and we keep encountering pizza from nearby pizza places that have fresh garlic in them.
Is this part of the Greek pizza thing (thin slices or chunks of raw garlic under the cheese)? We like garlic, but I guess we prefer it cooked.
Any chance Paul’s pizza in Vernon was your family’s? That was always my favorite Greek pizza place growing up.
My family is close with the owner’s of Paul’s, but ours is Bianca’s Pizza in Rockville.
> Bianca’s Pizza in Rockville.
Bianca's or Bianna's?
*Bianna’s
Oh my God, no way!! Pete is the man, and Biannas has been my go to spot since I moved to Tolland. My son loves going in with me because Pete always is excited to see him and gives him a bag of chips.
Had Bianna's tonight. Wife called it her new second favorite after Village.
Hey another paul's pizza lover. They're so underrated. Still my parents' favorite spot
What’s the name of the New London place I’ll review it 😂I’ve probably eaten there 5 times.
It’s the pizza place next to the Blue Star car wash. They sold it a number of years ago though.
Shot in the dark: Does your family operate West Side Pizza?
How profitable are they?
I wouldn’t know - it’s all extended family that own them.
Don’t forget about the Albanians
Oh yea?? Interesting. Could you give an example of an Albanian pizza place? I’d love to try it - maybe I already have!!
Stella’s in Wethersfield off Silas Deane is great
Noted! Thanks Freddy! CT has such a great pizza culture.
Our Go-To!
Idk about Albanian pizza, (as a style) is that a thing? but Haddam pizza was owned and the pizza made by Albanians of that's what they're asking
Terryville pizza in terryville
Pizza House in Bristol
Been forever since I’ve been, but Hometown Pizza in Prospect was my favorite pizza for a while. It was Albanian (although they still decorated Italian…)
Best pizza place in Anchorage, AK was an Albanian place.
NO its a big thing in MA.
My theory (Growing up in NY vs going to college in Boston).
In NY the majority of diners are Greek owned. Greek immigrants who wanted to open a restaurant defaulted to diners while Italian immigrants went the Pizza route.
In Boston that diner culture just doesn't exist, so all the Greek immigrants defaulted to opening pizza places.
Not sure in CT as much. The pizza places we tend to frequent in stamford aren't greek owned but there are plenty
There’s a lot of greek owned diners in CT as well.
Yup. The Athenian group for one, obviously. Cromwell Diner was as well at one point.
I was thinking about the Athenians specifically but also Colony Diner. I think most diners, at least in CT are Greek owned tbh. Maybe even outside of CT but I can’t really speak on that, I don’t usually eat at diners if I travel out of state.
Colony too, yes. Absolutely.
I’m a 1st generation American of Greek parents. They owned a Pizza shop in the Boston area from 1970-2007. They sold it to an Albanian couple and they still operate it to this day. Most of my Parents friends and relatives also owned pizza joints.
Nemo’s?
A lot in Mass
Lots of Greeks opened pizza shops throughout Vermont too. Thank god, because that was literally all there was my entire childhood. There would have been no pizza without them.
My grandparents lived in colchester, I used to love going to papa z's pizza i belive it was called. Then head over to tritown auctions for shopping.
It was originally called Zisi's, I believe. Until the original owner either died or left and then they changed the name at that point. My dad's parents were in Colchester, I remember eating pizza from that restaurant back in the 1980s.
Awesome, that's when I went back in the 80s.
I can't remember the timing exactly of the change, but it was in the mid 90s I think. They also expanded the menu a little bit, but not a ton. My dad's mom passed about 15 years ago, so I haven't been in a long time, but I'm glad to hear elsewhere that it's still there. Colchester likes to keep stuff around.
It’s a New England thing that started in New London, read this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_pizza
Bristol Pizzq is Polish style Greek pizza
kielbasy pizza?
Lot of Albanians making pizza in NY, so this makes sense as well.
Lots of Albanians making pizza in Italy too lol
Ran into that a lot more in Massachusetts.
Growing up in the 80s it was all Greek pie. It’s a CT & Western Mass thing. It’s my total comfort food.
The pizza joint we went to growing up, Marlborough Pizza in CT, was Greek. There's a place 5 min from my house, Georgia's, that's Greek. Definitely a New England region thing for sure. My family lives down south and, while the pizza generally is trash down there, they've never ever heard of Greek pizza.
To me it's the taste of my childhood and generally is always good.
Ha, I was wondering if I was going to see Marlborough Pizza mentioned here. It was my first job 30 years ago.
I grew up on Marlborough pizza. So good.
Oh, and Angies in hebron. (Hello fellow rham grad.)
Loved both marlborough pizza and angies.
Hello! Class of 99 here lol. My buddy rented a house in Andover and I'd grab Andover Pizza on 85 and head over his place after work. That was good too.
I grew up in MA and at least half the pizza joints were Greek
Family Pizza, Colchester pizza, & Papa Z's are still around in Colchester owned/operated by Greeks Grew up there & this is my favorite type of pizza still
That’s the pizza I grew up on.
Thats cuz we grew up together!!!!😁
Adjacent trend, a high number of Indian restaurants in CT are owned and operated by Nepali and Bengali people.
my first job in high school was a greek pizza place in Western MA.
I love Crown Pizza in Waterford it is my go to but now i have a list of places to try. Greek Pizza is my favorite, dare i say i love it more than New Haven style.
I lived in Syracuse and worked at a Greek pizza place that was two buildings down from another Greek pizza place. Definitely not just a CT thing.
Greek pizza is good tbh. Especially bristol ct stuff
Pizza, hot dogs and diners.
I kind of consider Greek it’s own style of pizza at this point. All of the places o have ever been to that are Greek owned, or even Albanian owned to be honest, are always very similar with a relatively rigid underside and a crispy but smooth crust. It’s very good. I love that I have access to 3 different types and they are all fantastic. New Haven, New York, and “Greek”.
Jersey as well. Jersey is better for greek pizza.
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I love Greek pizza!!
All my favorite pizza is Greek pizza
Former Long Islander here... also of Greek ancestry. No.
If there’s no Zorba flyer in the window, keep walking. The best pizza places have Zorba flyers.
Detroit's Greektown had this when I was there a few years back
Greek style is my favorite and one of my go to’s just closed (Athens Greenfield Ma), any of you guys know any good Greek pizza spots near spfld/agawam/Westfield?
I think the Parthenon closed but that was my go to. Red Rose obviously but that’s not Greek. I think there is a great Greek place in Enfield on the border of Westfield. I’ll try to find the name. I’m a western mass to Fairfield county now in London, England. London England has awful pizza btw. Just awful. Papa johns is the best I can do over here.
I've had Greek pizza in NY
Yup and the best one is JGs in East Granby.
These places don't really advertise as Greek right?
How does one tell the difference??
I remember someone telling me when I was at UConn that husky Pizza was Greek and that's why that person didn't like it.
Greek pizza is normally cooked in a greased pan. It kind of has a distinctive looking crust that is a bit more rounded and crispier than other styles.
I don't know if it's a widespread Greek pizza thing, but most (if not all) of the Greek pizza I've had from the northeast has their large pizzas cut into squares rather than wedges/slices.
I know two places in the central ct area, people's choice and George's pizza in Unionville, that cut it in squares...I found it wierd and not a huge fan tbh
A lot of Greek pizza places square cut their pizzas. I'm a fan of the center "crustless" pieces.
Hope I don’t get down voted here, but I’m Italian and do not like Greek pizza at all. Most of them put the tipping UNDER the cheese, and burn the cheese, and the crust (and sauce) have no salt. Just my opinion. And my old neighbor owned a pizza place by UCONN. never liked his pizza.
I guess I'm just saying is there a "Greek style" or just pizzerias owned by people of Greek descent?
Like I probably had it and just thought it wasn't great pizza. I liked husky Pizza I think but it has been a decade
Not many pizza places I would say I dislike. (Georges /olive bar is the only one it comes to mind that I think is overrated)
There is defiantly a "Greek style" pizza. It's a pan baked pizza and it's a little thicker than "New Haven" or "NY" style pizza. It's also not "charred" like brick oven pizzas.
To answer your question it is both.
Been here a year in April and didn’t know this. Until last week, talking to a stranger stuck in pep boys from out of state pointed it out lmao
Cut on the diagonal.
It’s Mediterranean food. Look at a map!
George’s in Unionville is Greek. I wouldn’t go to a Greek pizza place for NY (real) pizza but there’s plenty of room for variety in the pizza game esp in CT
NH has its share of Greek pizza places too.
Albanians make tons of pizza too in The Bronx. I dunno, it has no ethnicity now
Pizza house in New Haven. Yummy
A lot of the famous deep dish pizza places in Chicago were started by Greeks.
I realized this recently when I moved from New London to Stamford. The pizza I grew up with is (IMO) significantly inferior to the New Haven Neapolitan / Apizza style made by Italians in SE CT and elsewhere in New England. It’s slowly starting to spread out. There’s an Apizza place in Niantic now. Greek pizza will always have a special appeal for me, like really greasy Chinese food.
I love max pizza in Bristol when I got visit my good friend. I don’t care who makes the pizza as long as it’s delicious.
I think it's just that in most places where pizza is just pizza there is no distinction.
I hear they sometimes do it in Greece as well...
When I was a young child in the 1970s, my grandmother took us out for the most delicious pizza in West Hartford. I remember her saying it was Greek.
I remember that place. The Colchester place.
I loved ABC’s in Cromwell
I grew up by ABC’s on Main St in Cromwell and it was as the bomb, at least until they sold it to a Polish Family.
It’s a Rhode Island thing as well. It’s good pizza.
New London style pizza
Mainly northeastern and CT thing yes
Definitely a Rhode Island thing as well!
RI got gas station Pizza Strips 🔥😂😂
I know a few good Greek pizza joints in upstate NY, Syracuse specifically. The are GOOD!
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Georges Pizza in Hartford and Elmwood Pizza in West Hartford are some GOAT Greek Pies.
Used to love Zachary’s Pizza in Waterbury as a kid…hands down one of the best…shut down a few years ago…amazing Greek style pan pizza!
For sure we had a couple in my home town on the west side of ct
Yup. Spartan in Waterbury was always my go to spot
beverly pizza in black rock is my favorite greek style
Scamozza!
Greek pizza is the best pizza
It's a thing, east side in wallingford is great greek pizza.
"Greek Pizza" is a distinctive style of pizza. It was invented in the USA, not Greece; actually, in CT. It's mostly found in New England and bordering areas.
There's literally an Athens Pizza in every new england county
My Italian neighbor says that he refuses to eat Greek-made Italian food because they ruin it with too many spices and herbs. He says that true Italian food uses ingredients that are white, red and green—just like their flag. Anything beyond that is over-complicating the dish and makes it taste bad.
Yes. If its made in a pan then it's Greek.
So 70s and 80s there was quite a pizza desert going on in this area, I think people were happy with a certain quality, and crave it as that's what they grew up with. Heck even middletown back then had really bad pizza (from what old timers tell me regarding type and style). Is this the plaza at the top of 16 and 149?
Maria's Pizza? It's Greek. Owned by a Greek family in Colchester. No shade on Greek pizza but It's No Italian. Sauce is very tomato paste, no fresh basil, no fresh veggies mostly canned ie) mushrooms, cheap black olives.
I think Maria is down a few hundred yards...I was curious if that's the area OP was thinking of. Seems like nothing lasts in that plaza anymore
Papa Z's is the place across from the large Plaza, and Maria's is up the hill on the other side of the gas sstation. I've been pretty happy with the places in Moodus.
There was no pizza place in Tri-Town plaza in the 80's.
I want to say it was in the spot Dianes was - Dianes took over when they went out of business - my dad knew the owner (Side note: I dont know if Dianes is even in that spot anymore)
You talking Tri-town in the ceter of town or our in Westchester? I don't remember a Diane's 🤔
Westchester - before getting into Colchester - we moved there in 76 and Dianes came in I want to say around 82/83
Hmmmm🤔 was there from 75-89 ...
Ya - google 493 Westchester road - that used to be TriTown Plaza
Yes,Town Auction was there & Papa Z's before they moved across the street!! Westchester Market has some great grinders for a good price!!
I’m a big fan of New Haven, but every once in a while, I get a craving for Greek pizza. It’s trash, but sometimes I want trash.
I grew up in central mass. And most of the corner pizza shops were owned by Greek families. But at least they didn’t ruin their pie’s by cutting them into little freakin squares!
Best pizza in the state comes from Greek owned restaurants. It is very much a north eastern thing, as well as in Chicago, parts of Florida and a few other pockets of the country were Greek immigrants settled in the late 60s and into the 80s. A lot of them opened restaurants back then because they didn't have any marketable skills and few spoke English well. Some of those places have been taken over by their children and kept within the family, while other places have been sold to Albanians, Russians and even Turks while still carrying certain Greek themes.
Nope. I would say that “Boston style” pizza is actually Greek pizza - little bit of a thicker crust, heavy on the sauce. My favorite is the Steve’s Special from Steve’s on Main St in Falmouth MA
Similar to some Boston area pizza shops owned/operated by Italians employing staff from the Balkans now, some Greek joints used to employ more than a few Armenians. Never really liked much Boston-area pizza, Italian, Greek, whatevuh
So tired of greek pizza. So glad brick oven style is starting to pop up in more towns
You could always get pizza somewhere else? I mean, not every pizza here is greek made. Stop eating Greek pizza so much if you're tired of it
Well, its more the over saturation. There's like 50 greek pizza joints within 10 minutes, but I would have to go like 35 mins to get something else that wasnt greek style
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Too simplistic. Greek Pizza is cooked in a pan in an oven, not in a coal or wood style pizza oven such as NH style Apizza.
🙄 idiotic comment
oy, true
Yum, canned mushrooms /s.
Don't tell Joel!
topsheetisamust t1_j9avtr1 wrote
The majority of MA pizza places (at least where my parents live) are Greek owned.