The last time we visited this place, a “pizzeria” it was not. Then known as Speedy Pizza, the restaurant was a literal hole in the wall, with little separating it from what we think a pizza place might look like in the Third World. There were so few good things about Speedy Pizza that we went as far as to say:

Canadians (honest to God, Canadians) would not find this pizza anywhere near appetizing and may God have mercy on the souls of those keeping this scourge of the earth in business.

Ouch. But that was then. Since then, the restaurant has been rechristened “Speedy’s Pizzeria.” Along with the name change (albeit slight) comes new management and a much needed overhaul of just about everything, from the staff to the food, to the waiting-room-in-the-kitchen motif. The new owner has even offered up a free small cheese pie to the countless patrons that Speedy Pizza and its horrid review scared away. We took him up on it.

Establishment. Speedy’s Pizzeria has walls and a counter and floors that aren’t covered in glue from ripped up linoleum; already a pretty monumental upgrade. Also falling into the upgrade column is the repurposing of Speedy Pizza’s hardly-working, gas-fired monstrosity of an oven as box/delivery bag storage while what we initially referred to as “a non-working oven” (and what was actually a Domino’s-style conveyor oven) has been resurrected into use. They’ve decked the place out with framed prints, a flat screen TV, even some tables and a restroom. Swanky.

While the place probably won’t seat more than 2-3 parties, it’s comparatively comfortable and has much less of the seedy, backroom vibe that put us off so effectively last year. Service was also pretty personable and energetic. Speedy’s menu includes salads, appetizers (both standard American ones like wings and fries, as well as Mexican antojitos like arepas and salchipapas), wraps, subs, calzones, and of course, a selection of traditional and specialty pizzas.

Pizza. In order to stay true to our original Pizza Tour benchmark, we ordered the very same pizza that prompted our damning original review: a large pie, half plain cheese, half sausage.

And there it is. A departure from our last visit, the pizza’s sauce and cheese were no longer of questionable quality and origin: the sauce was bright and tangy, while the cheese had a nice snap despite being a bit oily and gummy by the time we got it home (Speedy Pizza, for reference, topped their pies with some sort of candle wax). The crust had an alright flavor as well, but the conveyor oven does the pie’s texture no favors at all. The pizza lacked the crispness that all good pies absolutely need; it was bready and floppy and more reminiscent of a pita than a pizza. It was baked rather than cooked. The texture brought this pie to a screeching halt.

You might gather from the photo that we weren’t super impressed with the sausage either (you might pick up on that gigantic, doughy blister, too). It was in short supply and it tasted like a canned breakfast sausage rather than the Italian sausage it was billed as. Some things never change. All things considered, though, we were able to finish this pie, which is something we wouldn’t dream of doing with an old Speedy Pizza.

Bottom line. Speedy’s Pizzeria is not Speedy Pizza by any means; it’s clean, friendly, and slightly more speedy with a product that was something that we can’t pin Most Improvement Needed on anymore (that’s now Michelina’s).

Establishment: 13/30
Pizza: 14/30
Hits the Spot: 4.0/10 
Large cheese: $12.99

With our merry band of pizza tour brethren missing an integral member since we wrapped up our Pizza Tournament last summer, we don’t often get to judge Stamford pizzerias through the same lens as before. I say this, of course, because for but a brief moment last week, the Pizza Tour rode again into Vigilante’s Deli, the new pizza in town, that fights crime on its own terms! (HT – JR of Streets of Stamford).

Establishment. While technically one of the newer pizzas in town, Vigilante’s has been around in deli form for five or so years, offering up hot and cold sandwiches and other typical deli fare along with Italian dinner specialties. As is the case with most delis, Vigilante’s isn’t particularly large, but it’s close quarters and small, personable staff make each visit feel comfortable and homey. Seating is pretty limited in the cooler months, but we found ourselves to be very comfortable outside on one of their huge picnic tables on a temperate, summer evening.

Since delving into the pizza scene, Vigilante’s has added calzones and Stromboli to their menu in addition to a broad selection of traditionally topped and specialty pies ranging from The Vigilante to the “Vig”etable (get it?).

Pizza. Our pizzas of choice were the aforementioned Vigilante (sausage, sautéed broccoli rabe, fried Italian hot peppers) and a traditional margarita (so, we didn’t judge this place through exactly the same lens as before with our strict “plain cheese + one topping” criteria…).

Here’s The Vigilante on a picnic table, our photographer failed to shoot the margarita pie, yet again…

As far as crusts go, Vigilante’s was pretty bready and puffy, appearing relatively colorless and packing a bit of a yeasty punch without much of the chewiness we were looking for. The crust didn’t hold up well to the load of toppings offered, lending to the pizzas’ floppy, undercooked texture. All around, the cheese was very good (The Vigilante’s shredded mozzarella, and the margarita’s fresh slices of it), holding up well for a fresh and stringy bite.

The sauce was another story entirely; it was difficult to differentiate the sauce’s taste from the overpowering flavors of the specialty pie, but the clean flavors present in the margarita pizza made it pretty clear that this sauce was downright bland. Perhaps diluted by the inherent moisture of the fresh mozzarella and sliced tomatoes, this otherwise light and fresh sauce came across as being grossly underseasoned.

As we touched on before, the toppings had a tendency to overpower the pizza as a whole. However, they were quite tasty. The salty, savory flavors of the sausage combined nicely with the natural, concentrated bitterness of the broccoli rabe and the slow, spicy burn of the fried peppers for a particularly unique flavor profile.

Bottom line. Vigilante’s comes through as a deli should, with a personable, knowledgeable staff, quality base ingredients, and great flavor combinations, but the execution of our pizzas just felt off.

Establishment: 16/30
Pizza: 15/30
Hits the Spot: 5.6/10 
Large cheese: $12.95 (18")

Nonna’s has been taunting us for months to the point that we even tried to hold off on the Stamford Pizza Tournament back in July until they opened, but to no avail. While they may have not made our summer deadline, Nonna’s is now open and serving pizza. And where there is pizza to be eaten, so too is the Stamford Pizza Tour.

Establishment. Nonna’s is a pretty by-the-book pizzeria, sporting a takeout counter, a display case full of specialty heat-to-order slices, and a pretty sizeable dining area for eat-in parties as well. The atmosphere is a bit hackneyed and confusing, melding the otherwise unfamiliar themes of classy Italian plates and artwork hanging from the walls and Hewey Lewis and the News blaring out of the speakers above them, but we were comfortable nonetheless.

Seating was ample and almost excessively private due to the cubicle-styled divider splitting the dining room in half. As a result, we felt just short of neglected, staring into our empty drink glasses as our waitress went sprinting by, stopping only to take our order (she dropped the bill in full stride). Nonna’s menu is very broad, featuring Italian specialties, pasta specials, dinner specials (countless iterations of chicken, eggplant, veal, and seafood dishes), soups, salads, sandwiches and wraps. Interestingly enough, conspicuously absent from the first menu we received was pizza, but rest assured, Nonna’s carries it in the form of traditional, gourmet, and Sicilian-style pies complemented by a charming offering of calzones and other dough-rolled, pizza-like delicacies.

Pizza. For all the knocks we had on this establishment, the pizza itself is pretty good. Our pies of choice, a plain pizza and a gourmet spicy chicken (sauceless, topped with chicken breast and sautéed hot cherry peppers) came out screaming hot (albeit not at the same time…which was weird) and were considerably larger than advertised.

The crust was dense, chewy, and flavorful with an excellent crispy bite and surprisingly faint brick oven char. We were pretty split on the sauce, as it had the clean natural sweetness and tang we’ve come to expect and was portioned almost perfectly, but it was starkly underseasoned and couldn’t exactly wow us with its bright subtleties. As advertised on the door, Nonna’s uses a healthy amount of Grande brand mozzarella cheese which, with its a creamy flavor and stringy snap, complemented this pie very well.

Nonna’s really sets itself apart with its dedication to freakishly overtopping its pizzas with excellent gourmet toppings to the point that it’s almost comical but still greatly appreciated. Every square inch of our spicy chicken pie was covered with chicken and red peppers, and was packed to the brim with amazing flavor for a slow, spicy burn in conjunction with the smooth, creamy cheese. All in all, a very good pie.

The bottom line. If you can get past the inherent strangeness of the service atmosphere as a whole, Nonna’s certainly delivers with a very big, very good pizza, and very flavorful gourmet topping options.

Establishment: 19/30
Pizza: 23/30
Hits the Spot: 7.8/10
Large Cheese: $12.95

Flying their unmistakable neon banner over Bull’s Head, Coalhouse Pizza is one of the newest pizza establishments in Stamford and the subject of many, many requests; some glowing recommendations, some just out of curiosity.

The Pizza Tour returned to Stamford with a vengeance on our excursion to Coalhouse, toting along an absurd number of guest judges including fellow Stamford bloggers, JR of Streets of Stamford and Kate of Stamford Notes, as well as about six other disciples of the Tour clawing themselves back onto the bandwagon.

Establishment. Coalhouse Pizza sports a snazzy blues- and jazz-inspired feel that, once you get over how wildly out of place it is in Stamford, is rather unique and charming, albeit approaching obnoxious levels of trendiness. Prints of blues and jazz icons dot the walls and cover the tables while their sounds flood the warmly lit restaurant for some top-notch ambiance. Unfortunately for us (and fortunately for them) the place was absolutely jam-packed, so we had to wait outside in the Arctic tundra and take what we could get table-wise (which is mostly our fault for not realizing that the triumphant return of the Stamford Pizza Tour would draw such a crowd of guest judges). That said, Coalhouse is set up well enough for moderately large crowds and was very accommodating to our stupidly large party, equipped with a couple outdoor propane heaters and serving us rather quickly once we got inside. The menu at Coalhouse includes hearty salads, a limited selection of pasta dishes and sandwiches, and a conversely extensive selection of ribs and chicken wings in addition to a very wide spectrum of specialty pizza offerings and high-quality, gourmet topping options.

Pizza. Once we got settled, we ordered a large Blue Skies (marinara, mozzarella, basil, olive oil—a margarita pie) and a large Freight Train (margarita + crumbled sweet Italian sausage, onions, and mixed peppers).

As expected, the pies were extremely thin and unfortunately, considerably smaller than their 16" billing would lead us to believe. The crust had a distinct yeasty flavor, a surprisingly slight char, and very little bite relative to the coal-fired pies we’ve sampled in New Haven. The sauce was in rather short supply on such a delicate pizza, but had the natural tang and sweetness of crushed tomatoes and was very well-seasoned. As for the cheese: what cheese? While Coalhouse prides itself on their use of “preservative-free, fior di latte mozzarella” (cow mozzarella for us laymen), and while it tasted very fresh and delicious, there wasn’t nearly enough of it on any of our pies to make a difference. The biggest knock we could find on this pie (and it’s pretty big) was the texture. This pizza was pretty floppy and insubstantial, especially for a coal-fired pie, lacking the characteristic crispness and char that we’ve come to expect from such pizzas.

As such, this pizza absolutely needs toppings, but boy do they deliver with some top-shelf ingredients. We were very happy with our sausage, pepper, and onion number featuring delicious, bright, and fresh flavors that set this pie (and to an extent, this restaurant) apart from other, less ingredient-conscious ones.

The bottom line. Coalhouse Pizza, the trendy new kid in town, clearly has the best of intentions with its use of quality ingredients and close attention to detail, but has yet to work out all of the kinks and live up to its neon-soaked hype.

Establishment: 22/30
Pizza: 19/30
Hits the Spot: 5.4/10
Large Cheese: $12.75

Located in Shippan, Brennan's is nestled away in an otherwise quiet, residential neighborhood. With a block party mentality, Brennan's has become an iconic hangout after Fourth of July fireworks (save for 2007) and truly embraces a small town relationship with The City that Works year round.

Establishment. Brennan's has all the makings of a neighborhood bar, from its secluded location to its old-fashioned charm and welcoming atmosphere equipped with TVs, darts, and plenty of regulars. Brennan's normally offers both indoor and outdoor seating, however, the smallish dining room was far from sufficient for our large party of six and while the patio was very comfortable, it still felt like an afterthought, furnished with cheap nesting PVC tables and chairs. Nonetheless, the service was as personable as one would expect of such an intimate locale, albeit a bit on the inattentive side at times. Brennan's menu is severely limited to regular bar fare including wings, burgers, salads, sandwiches, personal pizzas and little else.

Pizza. Having sampled many bar pies by now, we found this pizza particularly refreshing as it actually tasted good and might be the first grilled pie we've tried. Brennan's crust was thin and chewy, with a uniquely strong flavor imparted by the grill. This paired very, very well with the cheese, which was phenomenally gooey and absolutely delicious. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the sauce, which was proportioned so sparingly that we could barely taste it, let alone rate it. The grill also afforded this pizza a unique consistency: charred and cracker-like on the bottom with an otherwise light, airy consistency throughout. Unique wasn't necessarily better, as it seemed to detract from the overall quality of this pie. Our toppings of "choice," bacon and hamburger, weren't bad, but they certainly weren't anything special (Brennan's ran out of our actual choice toppings, sausage and pepperoni). Overall, we were impressed with this pizza despite its shortcomings and damning "bar pie" identity.

The bottom line. While not the easiest restaurant to find, Brennan's is a homey (albeit cramped) neighborhood pub with one of the best bar pies in town.

Establishment: 18/30
Pizza: 20/30
Hits the Spot: 7.8/10
Large Cheese: $6.00 (10")

AWARDS WON:

2009 – Surprisingly Good

When we first started the Pizza Tour, many of this restaurant's rabid, obnoxious fans assured us that Colony Grill was the uncrowned champion and that we were wasting our time searching for Stamford's second-best. We've been told for months that we were unfit to judge any places in Stamford without having been to this cathedral of hot oil and cold beer, for Colony is the measuring stick with which to judge not only pizza, but ethics, morals, and the sins of man. While that's all up for question, there's no denying that Colony Grill is a veritable icon of Stamford, CT, and we're here to find out why.

Establishment. Colony Grill is a glorified dive bar and anyone who tells you different is an outright liar. In its heyday, Colony forced its patrons to stakeout their would-be tables in a cutthroat war for the next available booth, refused to distribute restaurant necessities such as menus and plates, proudly let the phone ring when they were just too damn busy to bother answering it, and took no less than 45 minutes to complete an order, no matter how big or small it was. They did all of this with the warmth and friendliness of Timothy McVeigh. While Colony has evolved ever so slightly from its bizarre, unfriendly (and oddly charming) beginnings, they're more or less the same. Sure, the renovated bathroom/waiting room area no longer resembles something out of Saw IV, and sure, their new waiting list no longer perpetuates the free-for-all sprint for a table, and sure, menus (if you can call a list of toppings and a bunch of drinks a menu) are now generously located at all of the tables, but Colony still screams, "dive!" Now, this can all be either interpreted as fascinating local charm or as repulsive, off-putting, local dickery. We are inclined to think the latter of Colony Grill.

Pizza. Fortunately for Colony, this is where they get away with being as annoying and unbecoming a "restaurant" as they are. The pizza's good. Colony's crust is so thin that you'll be baffled as to why it takes so damn long to hit the table. Regardless, this crust is dense, chewy, crispy (try and explain those last two), and the main contributor to the unique Colony flavor that you have to taste to understand. However, Colony's sauce and cheese are nothing short of boring. While cooked to perfection and very well proportioned, the cheese is largely flavorless, as is the sauce. However, no self-respecting Stamforder (Stamfordian? Stamfordite?) will ever recommend a plain pizza from Colony, as their toppings truly stand out. Our toppings of choice were Colony's famed hot oil and sausage and while there were only but six hearty chunks of local Deyulio's sausage topping a pie pockmarked with hot oil bubbles boiling up through the cheese, they absolutely made this pie. This should be no surprise, but Colony's ultra thin pizza loses its magic when it cools down and being as thin as it is, it sure cools fast and really caters to voracious thin crust lovers that can house a pie in ten minutes or so. If you're one of those people, Colony won't disappoint.

The bottom line. For thin crust bar pies, Colony is the place to go despite having a less than welcoming environment and literally nothing else to offer. However, there are better pizzas in Stamford.

Establishment: 18/30
Pizza: 21/30
Hits the Spot: 8.3/10
Large Cheese: $8.00

AWARDS WON:

2009 – Tournament Finalist (6th place)

Located in Stamford's Bull's Head shopping center, Liz Sue Bagels is known primarily for its long line of loyal customers and delectable bagel selection. This unorthodox stop on the Pizza Tour was the result of many emails suggesting their inclusion and Liz Sue's window decal advertising "PIZZA" to the masses.

Establishment. This is a bagel shop. Plain and simple. We don't know that they're bending over backwards to conform to the pizzeria model that we use to judge these places, nor do we really expect them to. There are a few little tables inside and outside what can only be loosely described as a dining room, as it actually serves to house the part of Liz Sue's line that doesn't spill outside and wrap around the building. Being as screamingly popular as they are, the counter service is as personable and lightning quick as is fitting of a local bagelry. Their menu consists primarily of bagels (surprise!) and various flavored cream cheeses, breakfast sandwiches, and puzzlingly enough: pizza.

Pizza. Liz Sue's pizza is only sold by-the-slice and is cut from an unprecedentedly massive 24" pie. It's made in batches and kept in a pastry refrigerator until it's ordered, at which point its reheated in their massive bagel oven, wrapped in tin foil, and packed to go. While highly unconventional (and in blatant violation of our "once it goes cold, it stays cold" maxim), there's no denying that this pizza is downright filling if nothing else. The crust is the centerpiece of this entire pie; founded on Liz Sue's delicious bagel dough, it was chewy and uniquely dense, thus giving our jaws quite the workout and going together rather well with cream cheese. Their sauce tastes canned (and probably is, all things considered) and their cheese is nothing special. Being premade, Liz Sue's pizza is also devoid of toppings, so we were naturally unable to rate them. Overall, this pizza was unique, filling, and good for a quick lunch, but nothing spectacular in terms of flavor.

The bottom line. Liz Sue sells bagels, but if you're in the mood for a comically huge slice of a unique bagel pizza hybrid for $2.50, this is the only place to go.

Establishment: 14/30
Pizza: 17/30
Hits the Spot: 6.5/10
Large Cheese: $2.50 (slice)

AWARDS WON:

2009 – Bageliest Pizza

Established in 2006, Remo's has quickly made a name for itself in a city where many pizzerias boast a 40+ year history. They offer a casual sit-down dining experience in the heart of downtown Stamford with the unique distinction of having been in a DeNiro film.

Establishment. Remo's boasts a beautiful interior with ample seating, tin ceilings, and an overall warm atmosphere approved by Robert DeNiro (eat your heart out, Joey Styles). Unfortunately, the restaurant can be a pain to get into sometimes, as free parking in the area is scarce and on busy nights, so is paid parking. Service was friendly, prompt, and came complete with crusty Italian bread and extra virgin olive oil. The lack of a pepper boy was rather conspicuous but otherwise, we were duly satisfied. Remo's menu is as comprehensive as they come, complete with traditional Italian appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and pastas as well as both New York and Neapolitan style pies. All else aside, Remo's is one pizza place you can confidently bring your date.

Pizza. Cooked in a wonderful brick oven, Remo's pizza is nothing short of excellent. Founded on a perfectly executed and delectible thin crust with just the right amount of char, Remo's pizza incorporates very fresh ingredients to achieve incredible flavors. Remo offers both traditional grated mozzarella (on their New York pie) and fresh sliced mozzarella (on their Neapolitan pie) of pretty high quality. Their sauce is just short of perfect, combining the slight sweetness of fresh crushed tomatoes and robust (but not overpowering) seasoning to make one of the best sauces we've had yet. Their topping selection is endless, including unique choices of artichokes and prosciutto di parma. We did however question, and get a good laugh out of, their rather arrogant classification of chicken as a "fancy topping." Our topping, roasted eggplant, was a relative weakness as was the temperature retention of such a thin crust pie. That said, Remo's has put together one of the tastiest pizzas we've come across so far on the Pizza Tour.

The bottom line. A relative newcomer to Stamford's pizza landscape, Remo's provides an inviting, comfortable atmosphere as well as one of the best, most flavorful pizzas in town.

Establishment: 25/30
Pizza: 24/30
Hits the Spot: 7.8/10
Large Cheese: $12.95

AWARDS WON:

2009 – Best of Downtown

2009 – Tournament Finalist (2nd place)

Across the street from Vinny's, Springdale Pizza offers a unique alternative to both their atmosphere and product. A family owned and operated restaurant, Springdale offers a simple menu featuring Italian dishes, salads, wedges, and both traditional and Sicilian pizza.

Establishment. Springdale Pizza offers the environment one would expect of a local pizzeria. Family owned, Springdale's father/son outfit makes for a charming and friendly experience. Obviously not too concerned with frills, Springdale is decorated mostly with vendor swag and a handsome rug picturing a plucky Italian chef (incidentally, the rug also tripped a kid and sent his pizza flying...). Their moderately sized dining room was very comfortable for our party of four, and our table was meticulously set with admittedly gaudy ceramic plates right before our pizza hit the table. We suspect they knew that they were being rated, as other patrons in the restaurant seemed to be eating off fine paper goods.

Pizza. Its a good thing that we were eating off of regular plates, because this pizza would have turned the paper ones translucent. Aside from the divisive greasiness factor however, Springdale makes an excellent pizza. What stood out most were the incredible flavors present in their sauce. Well seasoned, fresh, and tasting of fresh crushed tomatoes, Springdale's sauce is some of the best we've come across so far. Their thin crust was baked to a fluffy and breadlike consistency while the cheese remained warm and gooey throughout the meal. The sausage topping we ordered was very generous albeit a bit lacking in flavor and came in the form of large, meaty chunks. Texture did suffer a bit, as the airy crust began to soak up some of the aforementioned grease by the second slice, but overall, we were very happy with this pie.

The bottom line. Springdale offers a traditional father/son pizzeria experience, making up for minor gaudiness with an excellent pizza.

Establishment: 18/30
Pizza: 23/30
Hits the Spot: 8.5/10
Large Cheese: $11.50

AWARDS WON:

2009 – Tournament Finalist (8th place)

Atlantic Pizza was once a takeout-only pizzeria located in the heart of downtown Stamford. Fortunately, their brand new dining room was more than hospitable to our large party of five.

Establishment. The beautiful new dining area was spacious and accommodating, but if Michael's parking was nothing short of abysmal, Atlantic's parking was simply nonexistent. Otherwise, Atlantic Pizza is a fine establishment with good service, ample seating, and a phenomenal menu. However, the restaurant atmosphere seemed a bit manufactured and antiseptic, without the soul of a true small town pizzeria.

Pizza. We all agree that Atlantic Pizza House has a good product. Unfortunately, there was no clear consensus on what made it good. Crust, cheese, and sauce received good to excellent marks across the board while texture was almost unanimously derided. We'd venture to say that this may have something to do with the asinine practice of cutting a circular pizza pie into squares rather than conventional slices (like, you know, a pie), but the jury's still out. This haphazard cutting technique has a tendency to provoke considerable ingredient slip as well, so yeah...don't do that.

The bottom line. Atlantic Pizza is a Stamford mainstay, but meddling little details get in the way of what is an otherwise good product.

Establishment: 20/30
Pizza: 21/30
Hits the Spot: 5/10
Large Cheese: $10.75

None of our five (five!) participating reviewers had ever been to Michael's before The Tour, so we had no idea what to expect after pulling it from the hat. You'll find that we were pleasantly surprised with both the establishment and the pizza that Michael's had to offer.

Establishment. The restaurant was spacious enough to accommodate our relatively large party however, it was quite a difficult task to make our way into the restaurant as parking was nothing short of abysmal. All other aspects of this establishment were easily above average, from the warm table service to the atmosphere as a whole.

Pizza. Michael's product is very good. The crust was crispy and flavorful, the cheese was above average and the pie remained piping hot throughout the meal. The sauce was overly abundant and left something to be desired in the flavor department as well. Texture suffered accordingly and the toppings (sausage) were sub-par at best but overall, the basic elements of good pizza were executed very well.

The bottom line. Michael's was a pleasant surprise all around but the parking situation might not win over anyone without a moped.

Establishment: 22/30
Pizza: 22/30
Hits the Spot: 9/10
Large Cheese: $11.50