Luca’s Pizzeria and Italian Kitchen Opens in Glenville

On Thursday night local media had a chance to sample the Luca’s Pizzeria and Italian Kitchen menu in Glenville on the eve of its grand opening. Joe Criscuolo was there with his wife Donielle and father Luca, who founded Pizza Post in Cos Cob in 1972.

“Our menu has some new things and some classics inspired from my upbringing,” Joe explained, adding that when he was growing up in the Bronx, his his parents took him and his brother Matt to the Amalfi Coast in Italy every year.

“Those visits inspired a lot of the dishes here,” he said. “Even the pasta bites are inspired by that.”

Joe who grew up helping out at at Pizza Post, explained that all his cousins had opened their own pizza shops over the years, but he chose a different route, attending the Culinary Institute of America and later working with Lidia Bastianich.

Joe said he named his eatery after his father, and credits him for his support.

“Without him I wouldn’t have had the opportunity,” he said.

As for Luca’s location in the building that was for many years home to the Glenville branch of the post office, Joe said he found the location by accident.

“I had a gut feeling about it,” he said.

As for the pizza, Joe said, “I didn’t want it to be just like Pizza Post. I like to go to Sally’s in New Haven and Johnny’s in Mount Vernon so there’s a bit of that. The crust has a light, crisp and clean taste. It reminds me of the pizza in Naples except it’s crispy.”

The Luca’s menu features pizzas, pastas, sandwiches, salads, sides and Italian specialties.

We sampled the cheese pizza and the Sunday Sauce pizza. Also the Sunday Sauce Mezzi Rigatoni (Neapolitan beef and pork ragú, Pecorino and basil) was delicious.

Sunday sauce?

“Some people say gravy,” Criscuolo said. “I prefer sauce. Gravy reminds me of Thanksgiving.”

Other dishes we sampled included the Gorgonzola & Apricot Salad (arugula, radicchio, Gorgonzola, dried apricot, pistachio, red onion and balsamic vinaigrette), the Pasta Fritta-Cacio E Pepe (Fried Neapolitan pasta bites), and the Homemade Mozzarella Sticks, which come with a choice of hot honey or tomato sauce. (We loved the combination of mozzarella and hot honey!)

Luca’s Pizzeria and Italian Kitchen is located at 21 Glenville Street, Greenwich, CT 06831.

Hours:
Monday – CLOSED
Tuesday – Thursday 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
Friday & Saturday 11:00 am – 8:30 pm
Sunday 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm

See also:

Luca’s Pizzeria and Italian Kitchen to Open in Glenville