If you want to attract media attention in New Haven, lay out some free pizza.
That adage worked out well for local businesses BAR and Arvinas on Wednesday, who got plenty of coverage for a new effort bringing together BAR’s pies and charity fundraising.
Workers at Arvinas, a Yale biotech spinout that is rapidly expanding its workforce, came up with the idea to fundraise through pizza at a team meeting, President and CEO John Houston said.
The employees worked with BAR to create “The Arvinas,” a red pie topped with locally sourced mozzarella and ricotta, roasted red peppers, basil and New Haven Food Terminal-made Lamberti sausage. The pie also features BAR’s signature crisp crust and crosshatched slices.
Every time someone orders The Arvinas, its namesake company will donate $2 to go toward a $5,000 gift to the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven’s Great Give. At that annual event, local nonprofits compete to raise funds that are often matched by the foundation.
“Pizza that tastes good and does good,” summarized New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker.
The Arvinas pizza promotion began this month and continues until April.
Arvinas, currently located in Science Park, will soon be expanding into the new biotech hub under construction at 101 College. Houston said that New Haven’s pizza scene is often cited by job candidates and pizza often plays a starring role at company events, he added.
Pepe’s to open first Florida pizzeria Oct. 24
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana will debut its first Florida location on Oct. 24 in Plantation, the company announced Wednesday.
The Wooster Square legend’s signature pies will be available at the Plantation Walk shopping center at 341 N. University Drive, Suite 800 in the city, west of Fort Lauderdale.
The new Pepe’s is located in a 3,072-square-foot space with 106 seats and features a 14-by-14-foot, 104,000-pound pizza oven that incorporates iron from the Wooster Square location.
General Manager Wilfredo Duran said, “South Florida has a large influx of Northeasterners, many of whom know and love our brand. We look forward to introducing the rest of the community to real New Haven apizza.”
Wooster Square newcomer scores on national list
Zeneli Pizzeria & Cucina Napoletana, a relative newcomer to Wooster Square’s pizza ranks, took the No. 2 spot in Yelp’s new “Top 100 Places to Eat in New England” list, released on Tuesday.
The dining site compiled the list by ranking restaurants in all of the New England states by total volume and ratings in reviews submitted between Jan. 1, 2017, and July 27, 2022.
Zeneli was praised for its “authentic Neapolitan-style pies, cooked over wood for a delicate, lightly burnished crust with fresh tomato sauce and house-made mozzarella,” the listing states.
A group of Albanian immigrants opened Zeneli in 2019 at 138 Wooster St., and developed a loyal following during the pandemic by creating a large outdoor dining area and offering personal-size pies.
Jayd Bun, a Chinese eatery in South Kingstown, R.I., took the top spot on Yelp’s list. A total of 21 Connecticut restaurants were included in the rankings.
Other New Haven eateries spotlighted on Yelp’s list were Andes International Gourmet Deli (ranked No.60), Pataka Vegetarian Indian Food (72) and Rawa Mediterranean Fusion (89). Mosaico Cuisine in Branford was also listed at No. 86, along with Waterbury’s Los Garcia Mexican Fusion (47) and Domenick & Pia Pizzeria (92).
View Yelp’s list of the Top 100 Places to Eat in New England here.
Contact Liese Klein at lklein@newhavenbiz.com.
