Fun, Affordable, Delicious: Crust Issues in Norwalk Debuts Saturday Tastings

Sometimes you might see something that’s on the daily menu, because let’s face it, garlic knots are necessary.

Almost a year ago, I covered Crust Issues, brought to you by longtime restaurant guy, John Nealon. I’ve since gotten addicted to several of his pizzeria’s signature grub, namely the outside the box, but creative rectangular, crispy, cheesy, garlic buttery pizzas and the pounded out crunchy coated cutlets—especially the spicy chicken scarp.

It doesn’t help (or maybe it does) that it’s a flat one-mile drive away to get my fix.

Loaded mashed potatoes au gratin, and that cutlet in the back is chicken scarp meets chicken Francese.

Double the mushroom, double the marsala. Breaded, fried Seacoast mushrooms, marsala sauce.

Nealon has some cool ideas for the evolution of Crust Issues, one that I’ve consistently bothered and pressured him about (I’ll keep it a secret unless it actually happens), and he’s recently mentioned installing a bar for future cocktail program.

But there’s a weekly tasting he’s been doing every Saturday from 7:30 – 9 p.m. that’s a super casual, fun, tasty, incredibly reasonably priced (it’s $40 per person including beer, wine, soda, or water), and you’ll leave happy, fat, and ready for bed.

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So far, Nealon, one of his chefs, Michael Stramandinoli, and the rest of the small crew have served up some wild stuff like a shout out to The Bear with Italian beef pizza, carbonara slices, marsala marsala (breaded and fried Seacoast mushrooms, like they would a cutlet, with marsala sauce), a chicken parm-scarp mashup, birria ziti, spaghetti fritta with vodka sauce, and fun desserts like funfetti tres leches cake and fried dough with Nutella, marshmallow, and Luxardo cherries.

Nealon poses with his son, Jack, who you might see wiping down tables some Saturday nights. Start ‘em young!

Italian beef pizza

Birria ziti

Each tasting Saturday at Crust Issue also doubles as R+D, so it’s common for Nealon to ask those in attendance what they thought of certain dishes because there’s a possibility that they’ll make the menu for a limited time or even permanently. One of those recent additions was a take on the chopped Italian combo trend, only Crust Issues kept the bread—only their bread is their pizza dough, folded over, with melted cheese and sesame seeds on top of the “bun,” and the chopped cold cuts, cheese (and more melted cheese on the inside), spicy pickled peppers, and lettuce on the inside.

Keep your powdered sugar pizza fritta. How about Nutella, marshmallow, and Luxardo cherries instead?

What you’ll get on any given Saturday usually isn’t revealed until a few days prior, but rest assured, your table will get a solid six courses, some of it served family style.

Reservations for the tastings are pretty easy. All you have to do is send a DM on Instagram @crustissues203 to snag a seat.

And don’t worry. If tastings aren’t your thing, their regular menu is still available for takeout during the special dinner hours.

60 Connecticut Avenue, Norwalk
203.939.7171, Instagram: @crustissues203