STANZIATO’S WOOD FIRED PIZZA: 35 LAKE AVENUE EXTENSION, DANBURY
I just arrived in Houston and the brick oven temperature here reminded me to finish this post.
I’d never say Danbury doesn’t have any decent pizza – after all, it’s got a Pepe’s and a few other decent places (Nico’s downtown has long been an evening staple at The News-Times). However, after months of hearing and reading about the virtues of Matt Stanczak‘s Stanziato’s Wood Fired Pizza, I finally managed to get over there last week. I can safely say I’ll be going back.
Stanziato’s serves only fresh, whole Napoletana-style pies, proudly displaying signs warning anyone who might want to buy a slice that they simply don’t sell any. The pizza is cooked in a massive wood-burning oven that looks like something a foodie Darth Vader may have commissioned for the Death Star cafeteria (see photo below). Matt is active in the kitchen, but happy to take a moment to talk about his pizza (even when a certain blogger accidentally calls him Mike).
I sampled the white spinach (goat cheese, garlic, mozzarella, spinach) and Margherita (tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil, Parmigiano-Reggiano), both of which were fantastic.
The spinach pie was my favorite of the afternoon, with the spinach and mozzarella nicely offsetting the tang from the goat cheese and garlic.
The Margherita was very good, though I found the sauce to be a bit complex for such a simple pizza. CT Bites’ Amy Kundrat described it as “herby” in her review, and I would agree. Asked about his sauce philosophy, Matt revealed that the sauce is prepared cold, never heated until it hits the dough (I’m not saying that accounts for the flavor, just throwing it out there). It’s a good sauce on a great pizza, to be sure, but my preference would be for something a little more basic.
The dough was excellent, with a good char and chewy (though slightly dry) center.
In the end, I don’t think you’ll find a better pizza in Danbury – you’ll probably need 45 minutes by car to do that. Matt and his staff clearly care about their product and customers as well.
Now I’m stuck in Texas with a craving for good pizza… Not ideal.
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Found this article again and laughed. Marks almost a year since your posts Anthony and there is a wait and packed tables at Stanziato’s just about every night. I can’t remember the last time I walked in with a party of more than two and could just sit down. Seems like the opposite of a place on the verge of closing.
Oh…and YOU were the one who started comparing USA pizza to ITALIAN….and cooking with logs is…what?? “boy scout” what the hell is that?
Whew……
Sorry anthonyb…I concer with the other guy….U R WRONG….about so many things, its not even funny.
U like Pepes better, fine…but its a HELL of a lot further from “italian” pizza, as you call it, then the pie at this Danbury place. What they try to do is a Neapolitan pizza….me myself, I ain’t crazy about that style, but its obviously a better representative of Neapolitan pizza than PEPE’S…..ANd pepes is infamous for buying cheap ingredients, but they got the name and get away with it….and I like THAT kind of pizza, meaning, flatter, crisper, more well done pizza also than Neapolitan pizza, but your post is just wrong..There IS no “ITALAIN” style pizza. You were describing Neapolitan pizza, then Pizza al metro as if its the same thing….it ain’t.
And the fact you’ll “laugh your ass off” IF and when this man goes out of business show that you are either this guys enemy or a CAFONE.
Have a bright day
Hey Alex, I’m not arguing about the style of PIZZA. READ THE ENTIRE BLOG. And your comment “adhere’s far closer to the standards of Verace(?) pizza. BS. BOTTOM LINE IS WHO HAS THE BEST PIZZA??? This may help a bit. http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-40636046
All opinion, but c’mon it’s the US!! AND, PIZZA STANDARDS? Italians would laugh at this article as it’s peasant food to begin with, not complicated, just feeds you and your family. Cooking pizza with a few logs and a brick oven, is boy scout level. I hope this blog is still here in a year. Stanziatos will be gone, and I’ll be LMAO! The place is vacant at all times, for a good reason. Bottom line is, I’m not trying to throw any expertise in the making of a pizza, just KNOW the palate of myself, and study after study of the best. And, guess what………….
I’ve been to Italy (and Naples) many times. Anthony, you are completely wrong. There is no “true” Italian pizza, as they vary by region. Pepe’s is NOT what Neopolitan pizza looks like. Go look at the margherita pizzas from the most famous pizzerias in Naples, Da Michele, Brandi,and Di Matteo. A Stanziato’s pizza is much closer to it than anything at Pepe’s. This isn’t to say Pepe’s isn’t good (I do not like it very much, however), but if you’re arguing that it’s “true Neopolitan” versus Stanziato’s, you’re completely wrong, as Stanziato’s adheres far closer to the standards of Verace Pizza Napoletana than Pepe’s does. Dismissing what kind of flour you use in a Neopolitan pizza is a sign you really don’t know what you’re talking about, as every single pizza place worth a damn in Naples uses 00 flour for pizza as outlined by the VPN.
“hard, soulless, crusts” Dude, go back to bed. The charred crust is the key. This is why it’s called Frank Pepe’s Pizza Napoletana. It’s an authentic Neopolitan pie. The use all tremendously fresh ingredients. One of their options is fresh mozz., which I think is the key for moisture. I didn’t realize that Italian flour had ANY bearing on a successful pie. FLOUR?? Just out of curiosity, why isn’t Joe Shmo, or Stanziato’s nationwide famous?
Stanziato’s is waaay closer to real Italian style pizza than any thing in the area……..Pepe’s uses cheap, dried, low moisture mootz, they don’t use an imported Italian flour…..their pies are greasy messes with hard, boring, soulless crusts…….that is not the way pizza is made in Italy, in any region….no disrespect to Pepe’s…….I’m sure when Frank Pepe was making pies it was an amazing product….now really…….what’s the difference between them and the other joe shmo pizzeria using the same garbage ingredients..?
Hey Lena, my Dad is from Sicily and have frequented pizzeria’s ALL over Italy. First of all, a TRUE Italian pizza is NOWHERE near Stanziato’s in any category, looks, crust, flavor.. Pizzas in Italy aren’t round, they are laid out long ways and you tell the individual how much of a cut you want. Second, the freshness is incomparable at Pepe’s. Have you tried the white clam…..the clams are fresh out of the shell. Or, the staple Summer Pie..WOW!!! As far as regular pies go, the key is to get fresh mozz. Not saying the regular isn’t fresh, but it does give it more moisture……………And, the “Vigilante’s” comments are dead on. The real argument would be the Wooster St. argument….Sally’s, Pepe’s, etc. Even the writer pointed that out. I understand there are other posters here stating there opinions on the places they grew up with locally, but, this is a COMPLETELY different debate. It’s like comparing a Yugo to a Lamborghini……literally!
Vigilante,
I totally agree, and wasn’t saying anything different. I’d never debate New Haven’s claim to the top of the pizza city heap. Take another look at the post, I only claim Stanziato’s is top dog in the Danbury area.
“I don’t think you’ll find a better pizza in Danbury – you’ll probably need 45 minutes by car to do that.”
It’s apparent that the author of this article hasn’t been to Wooster Street in New Haven. Whether Pepe’s or Sally’s, it doesn’t matter. They are #’s 1 & 2 in the U.S. and I’ve had pizza world over…
I think it’s funny how people think Pepe’s is the only pizza restaurant worth your time. To be honest, I’ve never tried it, and I have no intention of doing so because of the horrible things I’ve heard from many people about their pizza.
Anthony, it’s not about the fact that Pepe’s is an “institution,” because people judge on the actual QUALITY and TASTE of the pizza. And if you’ve ever been to Italy and had TRUE Italian pizza, you would know that Stanziato’s is the closest ANY pizzeria in this area will EVER come to the absolute original.
Not to mention the salads and appetizers are to die for.
Stanziato’s pizza is superb, their salads are killer, and *no one* makes a better tomato/basil/mozz sandwich. The beer selection is a great surprise, too. Sadly, they don’t pay for reviews. If they did, I’d be grabbing lunch there tomorrow. NOM.
Ben,
Haven’t tried Per Tutti’s myself. I’ll check it out, thanks.
I’ve been to Pepe’s in Fairfield and I was in the Danbury location yesterday for lunch and I really don’t understand the fuss! It’s good pizza but it isn’t the best.
I would much rather eat at Per Tutti’s in Bethel then go back to Pepe’s.
If you haven’t tried Per Tutti’s you are missing out.
Al,
Is that related to the First & Last in Middletown? I’ve been to that location, though I must confess I’ve never tried the pizza. Will have to check it out.
Anthony,
We’ll have to agree to disagree on this one. The Danbury Pepe’s is a shadow of the New Haven original, and the New Haven original isn’t even in my top three New Haven pizza joints. Of course, we’re all talking about darn good pizza at any of these locations, so I can’t complain about any of it, especially down here in Houston where Domino’s is king…
How much did you get paid to write this article, seriously? There is NO comparison to Pepe’s in this area, never mind Danbury. It is arguably the best pizza in the COUNTRY, that’s a fact. Stanziato’s, which I’ve been to, is a really basic wood fired pizza. I’m not knocking it, but come on. Frank Pepe’s is an institution that opened its doors in 1925, and has lines out the door on a daily basis. Are the people frequenting the 5 locations wrong? Stanziato’s and First and Last…………REALLY?????
You have to try First & Last on Padanaram Road in Danbury. Next to Johnny’s Pizza in Mt. Vernon, it is the best around!
For my money, Stanziato’s is tough to beat in the area. The dough flavor is killer and the puffy charred crust is one of my favorite attributes. I also dig his special pies which change frequently.