For those living under a rock (or those too preoccupied with actual news), there’s a new pizza in town and it’s rattling some cages. At the helm of Rico’s kitchen are two former employees of Stamford’s iconic dive, Colony Grill, and they’ve (allegedly) brought the pizza with them. Normally, we like to give new places time to settle in so that the inconsistencies, growing pains, and stupid waits normally associated with new places have a chance to die down. This time, Stamford’s newest rivalry didn’t afford us that luxury.

Establishment. Plainly put, Rico’s is a takeout/delivery joint with a few tables in it. At best, they’re a counter service pizzeria with a 45 minute wait (partially due to the buzz surrounding the “illegal” use of Colony’s recipes, partially due to the curiosity that comes with having a new pizza in town to try). We tried to call ahead four or five times to place our order before we got there but the phones kicked us straight to voicemail despite them being manned by at least two people at any given time. Nonetheless, were were taken care of by a friendly staff without having to look at creepy painted wood cutouts while delivery orders went flying out the door in the interim. While we’re talking about differences between this place and another place, it certainly bears mentioning that Rico’s menu includes calzones, empanadas, wedges, wraps, and salad offerings in addition to the contentious little pizzas that brought us there.

Pizza. The minute these pizzas hit the table, we were thinking the same thing that you are looking at these pictures, “Boy, that pie looks familiar…” Upon further investigation, it also tastes familiar. Rico’s crust is super thin with crispy edges, a hearty crunch, and a surprisingly chewy bite that you wouldn’t expect from a cracker-thin pie (unless, of course, you’ve had some exposure to pizzas like this…) that contributes chiefly to the overall flavor. Rico’s sauce and cheese meld together in an intricate lace that yields a big texture and a not-so-special flavor. While adding a stringy, satisfying snap, the cheese seems like an afterthought with its flavor. Moreover, the sauce is noticeably underseasoned and carries an unnatural sweetness beyond what we’d naturally expect from tomatoes. Couple that with the breakneck speed at which the pizza cools and you have a recipe for a pie that doesn’t hold up very well after it’s been out of the oven for 10-15 minutes.

At it’s heart, Rico’s Pizza is about the toppings. With small, cookie-sized pizzas (okay, admittedly a big cookie), it naturally follows that they become customized to the individual with ingredients that fill the gaps left open by the lackluster sauce and cheese elements. We ordered a hot oil and stingers (hot peppers) pie and one with sausage. The hot oil was bold, spicy, and most importantly, used in moderation to complement the peppers for a considerably less greasy texture than an oil topping would lead you to think (in fact, all of the pizzas were considerably less greasy). Additionally, the sausage added much needed heartiness and saltiness to the pie that it was generously strewn across. Rico’s enters the Stamford pizza scene as a solid competitor to other thin crust bar pies, with subtle improvements that set it apart, albeit slightly.

Bottom line. Rico’s is the quintessential bar pie without the bar. If you’re looking for a good, traditional pizza, there are other places to go, but if you’ve got a Colony addiction, Rico’s is a viable substitute.

Establishment: 16/30
Pizza: 21/30
Hits the Spot: 7/10 
Large cheese: $8.50 (13")

A few months ago, self-proclaimed “fancy metrosexual” and friend of the Tour, JR from Streets of Stamford brought to our attention this Alan Richman (GQ) article detailing “the 25 best pizzas you’ll ever eat.” Among the pies in the surrounding areas are Pepe’s and Sally’s in New Haven, as well as Iron Chef (and documented blogger hater) Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich’s newly acquired (and 100+ year old) Tarry Lodge in Port Chester, NY.

Establishment. Tarry Lodge is as white tablecloth a restaurant as they come, all the way down to the white tablecloths. A unique, rustic labyrinth of eating nooks, finished wood, and water closets, Tarry Lodge balances elegance and comfort with warm decor in its saloon-style bar, tucked away dining rooms, and private party rooms. Our waiters (we had about seven of them) were extremely attentive, personable, and quick, especially considering our meal consisted of little more than free focaccia and water (with innumerable refills) and a few personal pizzas off of an otherwise well-rounded and complete menu. Tarry Lodge offers elegant, modern, mouthwatering twists on classic Italian fare and a seemingly endless wine list in addition to some rather unique pizzas.

Pizza. Richman’s article talks up Tarry Lodge’s sauceless white clam pie (pictured right), so we were eager to try it in addition to their traditional margherita pizza as well as a more modern meatball and jalapeño concoction. Each pie sat atop a light but dense, chewy crust and was absolutely scorched to a crisp in their wonderful wood-burning oven, giving the crust a unique texture, a muted smokiness, and a metric ton of slightly bitter char. The sauce (where applicable) was fresh-tasting and bright, albeit a bit watery and thin for our tastes, both in terms of flavor and texture. Tarry Lodge uses incredibly flavorful, creamy, and delicious cheeses on their pies. That being said, it’s less of a letdown when the thin, personal pie cools and the cheese congeals rather quickly. A letdown, yes, just less of one.The marghertia pie (pictured above) was as expected, highlighting quality staple ingredients and the clean flavors of garlic and basil by allowing them to play off one another and remaining simple but delicious.

Conversely, the meatball and jalapeño (and tomato and fontina) pizza (pictured below) combined two very different flavors in a rather haphazard fashion. While the meatballs were plump, tender, and extremely well-seasoned, the addition of jalapeño peppers detracted from the pie as a whole and overpowered the subtleties of the fresh tomato and fontina cheese.The white clam pie was unlike anything we’ve ever tried (even Pepe’s white clam pie), featuring fresh, salty in-the-shell clams and healthy amounts of garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes in a buttery, briny explosion of flavor. After removing each tiny, delicious clam from its shell and assembling a slice, the first bite is nothing short of mind-blowing in all of its spicy/clammy/salty/garlicky glory. Unfortunately, once that clam was gone, there was little to the pizza itself and the dry, chewy crust and the numbing jaw soreness that would ensue really drove that point home.

The pizza at Tarry Lodge was not bad by any means, but for all the pageantry surrounding it—a wood-burning oven, world-renowned owners and chefs, a menu without decimal places—we somehow were expecting more.

The bottom line. Tarry Lodge does not make the best pizza we’ve ever had, but it’s far from the worst if you can somehow convince yourself not to order pasta or an entree.

Establishment: 26/30
Pizza: 19/30
Hits the Spot: 5.7/10
Large Cheese: $10.00 (12")

Located on Wall St. in Norwalk, Fat Cat Pie Co. is a newcomer to Norwalk’s anemic pizza scene with a bit of a following. Priding itself on an extensive wine list, a vast artisanal cheese selection, and super thin crust pizzas incorporating fresh organic ingredients, Fat Cat Pizza Co. is certainly different from many, if not all, of the pizzerias we’ve reviewed until now.

Establishment. We were met at Fat Cat Pie Co. by sprawling, minimalist bar and dining areas, decked out with hardwood floors, dark painted ceilings, IKEA-esque furnishings and extremely dim lighting bordering on uncomfortable darkness. The decor is rather stark and generally nonexistent, giving the restaurant a very clean, antiseptic feel and the look of an expensive loft of someone without the time to unpack. Needless to say, there’s a lot of wall for all sorts of dining sounds to bounce off of, and while even we were having some trouble hearing our otherwise attentive and helpful waiter on a not-so-crowded evening, we can only imagine how impossible conversation is when the place is hopping on a Friday night. Fat Cat’s menu was predictably bare (we’re sensing a theme here), consisting of pizzas and salads as well as cheese plate appetizers, mildly enticing deserts (like cookies with whipped cream; exorbitantly priced, but probably still delicious), and a reasonably priced, very unique beer and wine selection.

Pizza. Our pizzas of choice were a plain cheese pie (don’t do this), one topped with house-made sausage, and one with eggplant and fresh, chopped red onions. It’s rather interesting that this restaurant calls itself Fat Cat, as this was the thinnest freaking pizza we’ve ever eaten with a crust no thicker than a Mission tortilla and barely half the flavor. Cooked to a crisp, cracker-like consistency, Fat Cat’s crust is laughingly brittle and would easily shatter if dropped. The sauce—likely a conservative splash of crushed organic tomatoes and not much else—was about as bland as the decor, with little to no distinguishable taste and barely enough of it on any given pie to even lend itself to the overall texture. Fortunately, the cheese was a more-than-passable fresh, organic mozzarella with a satisfying snap and almost smoky notes that was disappointingly underportioned on two of our pizzas (one of them being the plain cheese pie).

However, Fat Cat Pie Co. really came through on the topping front, as both the house-made (!) sausage and eggplant toppings added much-needed flavors to pizzas that were essentially built as vehicles for these additions (as such, the plain cheese pie was an abomination). Also worth mentioning are the spice caddies that follow each pie to the table, complete with the basics (black pepper, red pepper, chili powder) and some less traditional toppers (Turkish and Bangkok seasonings) that, while unique, only hammers home the point that Fat Cat is more about gimmicky toppings and spices than a quality by-the-book pizza.

The bottom line. Fat Cat Pie Co. makes a super-thin, underflavored, overpriced, gimmicky edible plate of a pizza that is only as good as the toppings offered and made us stare longingly at the conversely huge salads (which doesn’t ever happen).

Establishment: 22/30
Pizza: 14/30
Hits the Spot: 3/10
Large Cheese: $9.00 (13")

Just when it seemed like we were finished, we got a request for this little gem that slipped past us despite having been around Stamford for 17 years. Impossible to visit during normal Pizza Tour hours, we had to make a special Monday afternoon excursion down to Canal St. for this one.

Establishment. Catering to the office lunch crowd, Vinny's Dock House (not to be confused with Vinny's Backyard) is primarily a deli and is open accordingly ("Daily, In Season from 7:30 am," for what it's worth). Located dockside (no surprise there), Vinny's has a very unique ambiance, clean indoor and outdoor tables, and a view of the water that you can't get elsewhere (save for Paradise Bar & Grill). The service was what one would expect of a deli: quick, businesslike counter service that was less than personable, but personable enough. Vinny's menu includes breakfast options, salads, hot and cold deli sandwiches served on Arthur Avenue breads, hot special entrees (meatloaf, chicken, pork chops, fresh fish on Fridays), pastas, and thin crust personal pizza à la "The Colony."

Pizza. Modeled after "The Colony's" iconic bar pie, the pizza at Vinny's Dock House evolved from a traditional Italian-style pizza "in the pan" to its current, derivative product upon customer requests over Vinny's time in Stamford. The whole wheat crust (which was admittedly a secondary option as they'd run out of their primary white crust) was extremely thin, making up for a prominent lack of flavor with an overabundance of crunch and char. The cheese tasted average at best with its weak flavors and rather salty notes in addition to being very dry and congealing fast (not unlike Colony, after all). The sauce was a relative highlight of this pizza, tasting of fresh tomatoes with a light, clean, simple bitterness and little else. That said, this underseasoning did not impress everyone. Our topping of choice, homemade meatballs, made this pie much more palatable due to both their abundance and immense flavor. Nonetheless, this aspect was unable to pull Vinny's pizza from its role as nothing more than a mediocre bar pie imitation of one of the most overrated pizzas in Stamford.

The bottom line. While we're sure Vinny's Dock House is a fine deli, their pizza is a lackluster imitation of admittedly better pies in town, with flashes of meatball brilliance that left us wondering what this pizza would be like if it would just be itself (that's the moral of the story, kids).

Establishment: 17/30
Pizza: 16/30
Hits the Spot: 5.3/10
Large Cheese: $7.50 (12")

A relative newcomer to the Stamford bar scene, Tracks is located on Hope Street, filling some of the void that the defunct Fireside Restaurant left behind as both a bar and restaurant.

Establishment. Tracks Bar & Restaurant is, by and large, the friendliest bar we've been to on the Tour. We were welcomed, as if to a home, by everyone working there at some point throughout the evening, including a playful, profanity-laced conversation with Tracks' Irish-brogued owner, Jimmy. The establishment is clearly split into bar and restaurant sections, with a fully stocked bar and well-dressed dining area signifying each, respectively, all appearing relatively clean (especially considering the number that the Stamford High softball team did on the dining room before we got there). As we've mentioned, the service was overwhelmingly personable and attentive, going so far as to adjust the air conditioner return that was blowing in our faces. Tracks' lunch/dinner menu consists of Italian-style appetizers and entrees, soups, salads, and of course, pizza with some select items available on a bar-style menu (including some Irish fare) at all times.

Pizza. Tracks' pizza is a step above the average bar pie, competing with traditional pizzerias in terms of both size and taste. The crust, made in house, is thin and crunchy with a slightly darker-than-golden "shell" (quite honestly bordering on overcooked) and delicious, chewy innards. The cheese was exceptional with a delightfully gooey texture, fresh tasting (albeit somewhat muted and bland) flavors, and the temperature retention of a cast iron skillet. However, Tracks' sauce is what really brought their pie together with an immense amount of flavor caked on rather thick. While borderline overpowering, this homemade sauce elevated a cookie-cutter bar pie through our often held glass ceiling of bar pies, shattering any preconceptions we may have had. The sausage, our topping of choice, was very light in color and carried a unique, much appreciated flavor while giving the pie further dimension despite its striking resemblance to deer turds. As we've mentioned, this bar pizza remained white hot throughout our meal, framing a surprisingly good pizza experience.

The bottom line. Tracks is a charming Irish pub worth visiting if only for its delightfully plucky and friendly staff; they also put together a solid, restaurant-style bar pie that isn't the best in town, but certainly won't disappoint.

Establishment: 23/30
Pizza: 21/30
Hits the Spot: 7.0/10
Large Cheese: $9.99 (14")

AWARDS WON:

2009 – Best Mother@#$%ing Waitstaff

Located dockside at Stamford Landing Marina, Paradise Bar & Grille is traditionally a summer destination because of its ambiance, happy hour, and relative seclusion on the waterfront. While specializing primarily in overpriced seafood and bar fare, they also have pizza.

Establishment. Paradise Bar & Grille is a beautiful, spacious, reasonably clean establishment that truly lives up to it's name with a unique, open air dining room overlooking the Sound marina and the fleet of private boats docked within. The breeze off the water is conveniently squelched by strategically placed propane heaters, making for a very comfortable outdoor dining experience regardless of the weather. Paradise makes up for lost patio space in the wintertime with a large, indoor fireplace, although waterside dining is far less charming when it's 17 degrees outside. In any event, the service was quick and relatively personable, but inattentive and more characteristic of the restaurant's full bar than of a table service restaurant. Paradise's (exceedingly pricey) menu consists primarily of seafood with some salad and sandwich options as well as a comparatively limited selection of specialty and traditional pizzas.

Pizza. The pizza at Paradise Bar & Grille didn't really wow us, but it still wasn't half bad. The crust was rather tasty, with a hearty, yeasty bite, but really disappointed in the texture department as it was lifelessly devoid of crispness and felt undercooked. However, the cheese seemed to be cooked to perfection with a wonderful golden brown color and above average flavor. We were less than enthusiastic about this pie's sauce as it was about average quality with an interestingly tangy, well-seasoned flavor, but appeared in such excess on the pizza that it was overwhelming. This mass of sauce made for a pie that fell apart quite easily, the cheese sliding clear off the crust at every opportunity. Our topping of choice, sausage, was also interesting and rather divisive amongst our judges, with some of us deeming it weird and borderline inedible due to the overpowering taste of fennel seeds, and some of us appreciating its uniqueness. Overall, this pizza was about on par with the bar pies we've had with some extra touches that could go either way as a matter of preference.

The bottom line. Paradise Bar & Grill is a great place to eat out if you've got some money to burn, especially during the summer, but its pizza is just about average at best, albeit interesting and somewhat unique.

Establishment: 25/30
Pizza: 18/30
Hits the Spot: 6.0/10
Large Cheese: $9.95 (12")

Located just outside the heart of Stamford's downtown, 122 Pizza Bistro bills itself as a "hot spot" and pushes its "nuovo" martini bar and wine list a lot harder than it does its pizza. Regardless, 122 Pizza Bistro stands out with an alluring presence in an otherwise dead stretch of town.

Establishment. 122 Pizza Bistro has all the makings of a trendy contemporary pizzeria except for the requisite hipster/foodie following (or any real following, for that matter) and the lack of decimal places on the menu. We walked into a low lit dining room to find ample, comfortable, (and in places, velveteen) seating separated quite effectively from Bistro's full bar. Dotted with eclectic fixtures, decor, and unidentifiable breadlike appetizers, this incredibly glorified pizzeria feels very lively and modern, especially given its location on a rather dull stretch of Broad St. The service here was insanely quick, but rather brusque and businesslike as, evidently, a trade-off. 122 Pizza Bistro offers a relatively broad menu including dressed up iterations of traditional Italian appetizers, salads, pastas, and gourmet entrees as well as a unique selection of specialty pizzas including the likes of "California Club" and "Tri-Color Salad" variations in addition to traditional offerings.

Pizza. Despite Bistro's gussied-up-pizzeria-of-the-new-millennium facade, they too serve a bar pie (but it comes on a fancy wooden peel). The crust was moderately flavorful despite being very thin, but it was spongy and less crisp than we would have preferred. The sauce was extremely flavorful, so much that that it overwhelmed the rest of the pie with a veritable spice rack of bold spices and seasonings. However, the overall pie managed to break through this flavor avalanche with a delicious, equally bold medley of Italian cheeses complemented very well by our topping of choice, sweet Italian sausage. The wooden peel, while extremely gimmicky, insulated the super thin pizza very nicely, keeping it piping hot for as long as we needed to eat it. All in all, this pizza was extraordinarily flavorful, but its boldness was divisive amongst our judges, coming across too strong for some and just plain weird to others (not at all helped by its lackluster texture). It was a unique, moderately good bar pie with some strong flavors that not everyone will love.

The bottom line. 122 Pizza Bistro is a intimate, trendy restaurant on the cusp of downtown that serves an alright bar pie with a very unique taste.

Establishment: 23/30
Pizza: 19/30
Hits the Spot: 7.3/10
Large Cheese: $9.45 (12")

AWARDS WON:

2009 – Best Seat

Located at E. Gaynor Brennan Golf Course, Zody's 19th Hole has lineage dating back to the original 19th Hole, which closed in 2004, reopened with new owners after a city-mandated $1.3 million renovation as the pluckily named Fore Seasons, later changed names to Fore, then again to the Clubhouse Grill, before fizzling, dying, and rising from its own ashes as the aforementioned Zody's. After a five-year sabbatical, the original owners have returned triumphantly to their loyal fans as well as tired, sweaty golfers.

Establishment. Catering to a unique demographic, Zody's is accommodating to just about everyone with its separate dining room and lounge areas, outdoor seating, and full bar, thus drawing far more business than the abysmally designed parking lot can handle. The dining room is spacious and offers excellent views of the course while the lounge has more of a bar feel as it's a bit more cramped, often loud and rambunctious, and always crowded. While we can't speak for the service in the dining room, the lounge service was very quick, but not very personable or attentive. Zody's offers a diverse menu including pastas, sandwiches (as well as their Italian counterpart, the panini), wraps, salads, mouthwatering entrees, and of course, pizza.

Pizza. Zody's offers a 12" bar pie, which is convenient because anything larger wouldn't have fit on our tiny table in the lounge. Nevertheless, the crust was exceptionally good, being crispy, slightly chewy, and very flavorful with the perfect amount of char. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the sauce and cheese, as they fall rather disappointingly into the bar pie mold. The sauce was rather bland and in short supply atop this pizza, while the cheese, although somewhat flavorful, was nothing to write home about. However, this pie came to the table screaming hot and stayed as such through most of the meal while remaining perfectly intact, thus enabling us to suck it down in under 10 minutes, so there's something to be said about that. Our topping of choice, grilled chicken, added an interesting complementary texture (especially given the perfectly cooked and charred crust) but little flavor (it is chicken, after all). Overall, Zody's fits the mold of a bar pie and will satisfy an appetite, but it certainly doesn't stand out in a city so full of them.

The bottom line. Zody's is a very nice establishment with a respectable bar pie and a diverse, tempting menu that will almost certainly convince you to order something else.

Establishment: 21/30
Pizza: 19/30
Hits the Spot: 5.8/10
Large Cheese: $9.99 (12")

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

Owned by famed baseball player, manager, self-proclaimed creator of the wrap sandwich, and Stamford's own Bobby Valentine, Bobby V's has been located down the street from Pappa's in the heart of downtown since 1980.

Establishment. Operating primarily as a sports bar, Bobby V's is covered from wall to wall in baseball memorabilia highlighting the success of amateur, professional, and international ball clubs as well as the borderline mediocrity of the New York Mess Mets. Bobby's can sit large parties with ease at its priceless baseball card encrusted tables, but the shear mass of televisions and the constant streaming of sporting events can tend to draw large crowds and cramp up even the most comfortable of sports bars. The service is usually hit-or-miss, but on our visit it was both personable and prompt, making us feel more at home in a loud, rowdy bar than we've felt at some restaurants (you know who you are). The menu is very diverse and includes standard pub fare, sandwiches, wrap sandwiches, Mexican-inspired specials, pastas, and full-on dinner entrees in addition to pizza.

Pizza. Bobby V's is the smallest pizza we've seen yet, but it's certainly packed with flavors, namely that of salt. This little greaseball pie is founded on a airy, breadlike crust, shining with butter and oil that would be insubstantial if not for density of cholesterol therein. Not to be outdone, the perfectly browned cheese adds its share of lipids to the mix while carrying a unique salty flavor and oozy consistency with a tendency of slipping off the pizza altogether. The sauce was a bit underwhelming, tasting chiefly of crushed tomato with little seasoning and being rather conservatively underproportioned. Unfortunately, the sausage topping of choice amplified the greasy, salty nature of this tiny pie but was rather flavorful nonetheless. Regardless, we couldn't get past the overwhelming urge to pop a Lipitor or three after consuming this mediocre-at-best, cookie-cutter bar pie.

The bottom line. While Bobby V's inviting atmosphere is as good as the 1986 Mets, our experience with the pizza was as hilariously disappointing as the 2007 team. Order wings.

Establishment: 20/30
Pizza: 16/30
Hits the Spot: 5.0/10
Large Cheese: $7.25 (10")

Located on Bedford Street, Capriccio Cafe has made a considerable impact on the downtown landscape in its few years of existence. Expanding from its humble beginnings onto the sidewalk and (almost unforgivably) into the hull of what was once Pat's, Capriccio is easily one of the trendiest eateries around, billing itself as "Stamford's Italian cafe that speaks European."

Establishment. Capriccio is so European, it hurts. Its dining rooms are decked out with bright colors, tiled bars (fully stocked), shiny plastic furniture, contemporary lighting, and kitchen utensils bolted to the walls. Not a stranger to huge crowds, this establishment is well equipped to serve hoards of trendy young locals with indoor and outdoor seating, a full bar, expensive imported water, and the worst music you'll ever hear. This atmosphere is rather divisive at times, as it's either hopelessly charming or really freaking annoying. A ciascuno il suo. Regardless, Capriccio's menu is an exhaustive selection of countless Italian specialties ranging from light appetizers and salads to an arsenal of paninis, piadines, and toasts, as well as heavier pastas, traditional entrees, and a mouthwatering laundry list of desserts. Also, pizza.

Pizza. Capriccio's pizza is pretty good, but it's not what we were expecting. The crust was extraordinarily thin and crispy with not much substance or flavor to speak of, acting solely as a crunchy vehicle for cheese and sauce. The cheese was very fresh and not too greasy, but was also rather underwhelming in the flavor department as a result. However, Capriccio's sauce was tremendously flavorful and well seasoned, but it was much heavier than we'd expected, especially given the air of the restaurant itself. Coupled with the very thin crust and relatively neutral cheese, this sauce became an overwhelming centerpiece to a good, but rather one-dimensional pie. Fortunately, our "topping" of choice, sopressada, was safely nestled beneath the cheese and supplemented the pizza very, very well, adding some complexity to the overall product. Still, we weren't blown away by this pie and were left feeling as if pizza isn't necessarily what Capriccio does best.

The bottom line. Capriccio is a unique Italian cafe with a comprehensive, enticing menu, and good pizza that is probably the least of what they have to offer.

Establishment: 19/30
Pizza: 19/30
Hits the Spot: 6.7/10
Large Cheese: $7.00 (12")

Located closer to the New York state line than to the heart of Stamford and specializing in pub food and fancy entrees on menus without decimal places, you might wonder how Long Ridge Tavern ended up on the Stamford Pizza Tour. Here's why: they serve pizza and they're not Domino's (but they might as well be).

Establishment. Long Ridge Tavern is not a pizzeria by any stretch of the imagination, it's a pub and restaurant that happens to serve pizza. We entered Long Ridge Tavern's authentically old-timey, rustic establishment through a quaint garden walkway and into the intoxicating aroma of a wood burning stove. Dark and intimately lit, the Tavern is tastefully decorated with local antiques and tools that may or may not have been used to shoe horses in the 1700s. However, the service and management were hardly reflective of the restaurant's inherent charm, as our waiter was rather cold, inattentive, and borderline rude. The menu also leaves something to be desired, as it consists of no more than a page of overpriced entrees, pub fare, and an infuriating $2 tax on shared items that smacks of smug, North Stamford arrogance. Of course, this menu also includes a $12 dollar personal pizza.

Pizza. Long Ridge Tavern's pizza is just plain forgettable. The crust was bland and tasteless with the bready consistency of a Domino's pie and barely half the flavor. The cheese was of very high quality and nearly greaseless, but it was flavorless just the same. Long Ridge Tavern's sauce showed a glint of hope, as it was fresh, light, and sparingly seasoned, but there was hardly any of it on our pie so its quality was almost irrelevant. Both the lack of sauce and the aforementioned airy crust contributed negatively to the overall texture of the pie and made it feel pretty unsubstantial. However, this cheese bread hit the table smoking hot and stayed as such for the duration of our meal, so there's something. Our hoity-toity topping of choice, fried calamari, was also very good, but not so much a choice, as this particular pizza was more or less a special at the time and we had very few options otherwise. When we left the restaurant, we forgot the slices we had wrapped up to-go on the table. Enough said.

The bottom line. If you like the smell of burning wood, being treated like dirt, have money to burn, and don't necessarily want pizza, go here (or to Cracker Barrel).

Establishment: 24/30
Pizza: 19/30
Hits the Spot: 5.3/10
Large Cheese: $12.00 (12")

AWARDS WON:

2009 – Closest to Teitelbaum

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 the Cove, Fiddler's Green faces pretty stiff local competition from many local pizzerias nearby. That said, they offer quite a different product from the average restaurant as well as a pub atmosphere serving pizza and similar bar foods up until last call.

Establishment. Fiddler's is a bar and a pretty well kept bar at that. Comfortable (albeit somewhat limited) seating in Fiddler's dining room and bar frames exactly what one would expect from a bustling pub atmosphere: a place to drink. Pool tables, dart boards, wall-mounted televisions, and various arcade cabinets employing trackballs provide more than enough activities for the average drunkard, and the place is pretty clean for the more discriminating sober folk that may somehow find their way in here. The service is more than hospitable (and pretty quick for a bar) and the decor is both charming and overwhelmingly Irish. Fiddler's menu consists of the usual pub fare (sandwiches, burgers, salads) as well as Irish specials and personal 12" bar pies.

Pizza. The thing about bar pizzas is that they're made under the impression that the eventual consumer will probably be on their way to a drunken stupor. That said, Fiddler's pie is about on par with the other bar pizzas we've had and certainly isn't terrible. This pizza's crust is thin, crispy, and surprisingly flavorful with a generous amount of char. The cheese is considerably less so, with the consistency and blandness of any inexpensive bagged cheese you'd buy at the Grade-A (which is rather conspicuously located right across the street...). The sauce on this pizza, however, tasted fresh and relatively well-seasoned. The pie's texture left something to be desired, as it was cooked to a cracker like consistency and often detracted from both the overall flavor and the pizza's ability to stay intact. Our topping, Irish sausage, tasted like what we'd assume is a traditional Irish banger with the snap of a natural casing and the taste of a meat we'd prefer not to guess on seasoned with whatever the hell constitutes Irish seasoning, winning points for originality and uniqueness if nothing else. As a bar snack, Fiddler's Green serves an about average pie that would Irish jig itself into a less savory realm at any other location.

The bottom line. If you're going out for drinks and little pizzas, Fiddler's is the a place to go.

Establishment: 20/30
Pizza: 17/30
Hits the Spot: 5/10
Large Cheese: $8.00 (12")

This place is very fun. Vinny's Backyard Restaurant has a lot of character and offers a unique product at the very least. Located off the beaten path in Springdale amidst embroidery and custom signs shops, Vinny's offers the best of both worlds with a full, spacious bar equipped with TVs in the round as well as a conventional sit-down area with table service.

Establishment. Vinny's has a playful atmosphere unlike anything we've seen thus far, resembling (unsurprisingly) a backyard barbecue. Never to be shorted on wall trinkets, both the bar and dining room are loaded to the ceiling with a collection that would put the Applebee's to shame. The menu is very diverse, offering 12" bar pizzas, wings, ribs in the style of the defunct Fireside Restaurant, and daily specials. The wait staff was quick and attentive (also quick to charge for refills and not so quick to deliver the check...I had to slip that in) and tables were bussed at a lightning quick pace. We weren't too happy with the proximity of tables to one another or to entering customers but all in all, Vinny's establishment has been far and away our favorite.

Pizza. To be blunt, Vinny's isn't going to win any awards for their pizza. The crust is extremely thin and crackeresque and serves only as a vehicle for cheese and sauce, neither of which is anything to write home about. If a cracker crust is what you're looking for, you've come to the right place, otherwise, you'll be disappointed with the texture as well. It came as no surprise to us when our paper thin pizza cooled to room temperature on its tumultuous journey from the oven to the table. On the upside, this made for a very high resistance to the dreaded ingredient slip.

The bottom line. Vinny's is an excellent bar and grill with a bold, local flair and and an unparalleled dining room experience (also, they happen to serve pizza).

Establishment: 26/30
Pizza: 17/30
Hits the Spot: 7/10
Large Cheese: $8.00 (12")

AWARDS WON:

2009 – Most Fun