GREENWICH, Conn. — There's a new entrant to the Greenwich food scene called Luca's Pizzeria and Italian Kitchen, which will officially open at 11 a.m. Friday, April 12.
The restaurant, located in the Glenville Shopping Center at 21 Glenville Street, is owned by Joe Criscuolo and named after his father, Luca, who founded Pizza Post in Greenwich more than 50 years ago.
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Pizza is at the heart of Luca's, and the menu is influenced by Criscuolo's upbringing in the Bronx, pizza experiences in Connecticut, and annual family trips to Italy's Amalfi Coast.
“I wanted to integrate these three places. This really reflects how I grew up,” Criscuolo said.
The pizza dough is thin and crispy, with a slightly burnt feel. Criscuolo said he adds a pinch of salt to his tomato sauce.
“I wanted to do something light and take inspiration from my favorite places,” he says, pointing to New Haven and New York-style pizza.
Luca's offers a variety of toppings as well as specialty pies such as the Killer Bee with pepperoni, hot honey, Calabrian chile, basil and Grana Padano.
The menu also includes a variety of classic pasta dishes, Italian sandwiches, salads and Italian specialties, some with a modern twist.
There's also Tagliatelle Bolognese with traditional beef meat sauce. Serve homemade mozzarella sticks with warm honey or sauce. Grilled pizza bread is served with whipped ricotta cheese and comes with your choice of hot honey, mortadella or prosciutto. There's also cacio e pepe fried Neapolitan.
“My father taught me how to make pizza. My mother taught me how to cook,” said Criscuolo, a Culinary Institute of America graduate. “The Sunday sauce is inspired by her Sunday sauce. It's not exactly like hers, but it's pretty close.”
The sauce is included in Sunday sauce pizza or rigatoni.
Another Criscuolo favorite is the Garlic Monkey Bread.
“Everyone has garlic bread, everyone has garlic knots. I thought, 'How can I merge those two ideas?' Monkey bread seemed like a logical way to do that. ”
Mix bread with garlic, butter, and cheese and toast in a small frying pan.
“The whole outside will be super crunchy and the inside will be nice and soft. So you just enjoy pulling it apart,” Criscuolo said.
Criscuolo made pizza and Italian food at various pizzerias in Fairfield County and helped operate Pizza Post for many years. He also worked with Emmy Award-winning television host, best-selling cookbook author, and restaurateur Lidia Bastianich.
Of course, Luke's inspiration came from his father.
“If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have had the inspiration to do this,” Criscuolo said.
Luca said he was “really surprised” to learn that his son had named the pizzeria after him.
“I love it. I'll never forget it,” Luca said. “That's very nice.”
When asked if he had any advice for his son, Luca said Joe didn't need any.
“I'm so proud of him because he really carried on the family tradition,” Luca said.
On Friday, April 12th, the first 50 customers will receive a free Garlic Monkey Bread with their purchase.
Additionally, a portion of the proceeds from opening day will go to Abilis, a Greenwich-based nonprofit organization that supports more than 800 special needs individuals and their families in lower Fairfield County. will be donated to.
Luca's is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday, with plans to expand its hours in the future.
Customers can grab a bite to eat at the pizzeria or order for pickup or delivery. Luca's also offers catering services.
Click here for more information and to view the full menu.
