Joe Criscuolo Opens Luca’s Pizzeria in Greenwich's Glenville Section

When trying to come up with the “what is it?” as it pertains to his new pizzeria in Greenwich’s Glenville section, Joe Criscuolo uttered the phrase, “it’s the evolution of the neighborhood slice shop, without the slices.”

That’s exactly what Luca’s Pizzeria—named after Joe’s father, who founded the legendary Pizza Post in Cos Cob back in 1972—is all about.

You won’t find doughy pizza that sits in your stomach like a brick. No wilted, colorless salads either. The cheesesteak, served on pizza bread? It’s not as dry as cardboard.

And to think, Criscuolo, who you don’t only know from his family’s Pizza Post, but Meatball & Co. in Darien, almost didn’t open anything. The reality is, he almost left the state, and country, altogether.

I bet your local takeout pizza spot doesn’t have anything this bright! Marinated, roasted beets with balsamic vinegar, whipped ricotta, crushed pistachios, and basil is something that’s different from your local pizzeria, and that’s the idea here.

Mozz sticks and honey?! Don’t knock it until you try it. Plus, they won’t be upset if you’d rather dunk your sticks in red sauce.

“Since Meatball & Co., after I sold it, my intention was to move to Italy because I have dual citizenship,” he says. “I wanted out of here, but I got stuck here due to COVID. My brother, Matt, runs Pizza Post now, so I helped out there the whole time.”

Personally, Criscuolo ended up meeting his now wife, Donielle. He also knew that now that he was sticking around, that he wanted to open up another place, but it had to be different from what Pizza Post was and still is.

Cacio e pepe pasta fritta

A cheesesteak, consisting of fresh ribeye, onions, mushrooms, peppers, and a house made cheese sauce blend of parmesan, pecorino, American, and provolone on pizza bread. Luca’s also has parm sandwiches (meatball, chicken, and eggplant), a caprese, mortadella and burrata, and a pizza steak—a red sauced cheesesteak—round out the handhelds. And if, by chance, you are dining in at one of the few tables at Luca’s, you are welcome to BYOB!

“As much as I love my family’s place, there are other spots I love, too, like Sally’s, Di Fara, and Johnny’s in Mount Vernon,” Criscuolo says. “I found this place by accident. I wanted another one, but my realtor said I wouldn’t be able to cook in it, so she had this one available and I took it.”

Located in the Glenville Shopping Center, Luca’s Pizzeria officially opened to the public on April 12.

And while slices aren’t a thing here, bright, vibrant salads are, as are pastas like spaghetti al limone, cacio e pepe pasta fritta, and even homemade mozzarella sticks with…clover honey—or red sauce if you’d prefer.

Rigatoni w/Sunday sauce when you need some soul food.

Tale of two Francese dishes. It’s your choice. Chicken or shrimp.

“We’re making almost everything from scratch,” Criscuolo says. “And I’m trying to push certain things like the pasta fritta, that’s true Neapolitan, and I’m trying to push people to have mozzarella sticks with honey. Right now, it’s on the menu with Mike’s Hot Honey, but I’m gonna change it to regular honey. Cheese and honey is a classic combination. When I went on my honeymoon to Greece, we had honey all the time with feta. Terra Gaucha in Stamford does cheese and honey. It’s on cheese boards like that. It’s a no-brainer, fried cheese and honey.”

Regulars to Criscuolo’s Meatball & Co. (I was one!) should recognize a few sauces in a beef-based Bolognese and a take on his family’s Sunday sauce with plenty of shredded beef and pork throughout.

But what about the pizza, you ask?

Think of it as artisan. It’s crispy, free of flop, and super light. What Criscuolo didn’t want it to be is Neapolitan, despite having a tribute to Roberta’s Bee Sting in his Killer Bee (Ezzo pepperoni, Calabrian chilis, basil, Grana Padano, hot honey) on Luca’s menu.

“What I don’t love about Neapolitan pizza is it’s not crispy and you’ll never get it crispy because it doesn’t cook at a lower temperature,” Criscuolo says. “Even our sauce, I wanted a clean tomato flavor. A lot of New York places put oregano and stuff in it. I just use a good quality tomato and a little salt. That’s it. It’s Neapolitan-inspired, but not quite. Our Margherita is basically the Di Fara cheese pizza.”

He also explained that the lack of kitchen space made it difficult when coming up with his dough. It’s not sourdough or naturally leavened. And while happy with the results of the trial and error, Criscuolo is still tinkering with little things as it relates to the dough.

White Forest - sauceless with roasted mushrooms, garlic, and chives.

“It’s King Arthur Sir Lancealot, a high gluten flour, and if I could put extra gluten in it somehow, I would,” he says. “It’s 62 percent hydration. The more it stays, the better it is, but our place is small so I had to figure it out. I ended up with something light and crispy. No flop, not overly topped. I could eat a large by myself. I’m not using whole milk, but rather an East Coast blend (half whole, half part skim). Whole milk is great if you eat it right out of the oven, but what happens with fat when it gets cold? It congeals. I want it to maintain a crispy crust if you get it for takeout. I didn’t want it to be greasy. I had to think about all these things.”

As of now, Luca’s is seeing a lot of repeat customers from the neighborhood. To meet a positive response, by the time you read this, Criscuolo will open Tuesday through Sunday, and there are already whispers of some menu additions, including a smash burger on a pizza dough bun once chef settles on one he’s cool with serving.

21 Glenville Street, Greenwich
203.202.8333, lucaspizzact.com