Who Knew? And Then, There Was Pizza

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‘Who Knew?’ is sponsored by Walter Stewart’s Market. The worst pizza I ever had was in a former Eastern Bloc country where I was shooting a TV commercial. A miscommunication (my fault) with the friendly set caterer meant that my slice arrived with no sauce, a greasy slick of Edam cheese, and a single, uncut, lurid red hot dog.  It was undercooked, visually startling, and, if I’m being honest, not that bad. 

Even bad pizza is still pizza, which is, by definition, good. 

But, for a concept so patently indestructible, pizza is also subject to some 900-degree opinions. Variables in its production, like geography, water source, flour type, leavening, canned tomato brand, olive oil, mozzarella provenance, and oven fuel, each engender some intense debate, and millions upon millions of food journalism column inches have been dedicated to their impact. I’m not necessarily here to add more, as I’ve had pizza of all stripes, thicknesses, and levels of purism that have done the pizza trick at the right time.

Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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New Canaan Public Schools as of Monday night had 273 kindergarten sign-ups for the fall, compared to 231 at the same time last year, district officials said during this week’s Board of Education meeting. ***

The company hired by the town last summer to address the rat problem behind The Playhouse on Elm Street, Stamford-based Aavon Pest Control Inc., charged New Canaan $145 per month for three months to tend its “rodent safety bait stations” and inspect for “rodent burrowing activity,” according to the agreement. ***

The Rotary Club of New Canaan is now taking applications for its 2019 Grant program. Applications will be taken from registered nonprofit organizations in New Canaan and neighboring areas in two categories only: “Health and Wellness” and “Education and Literacy.” The deadline for applications is April 5, and full details can be found by clicking on “Rotary Grant Application” under the “Club Documents” tab on the left side of the Rotary Club of New Canaan website. ***

Congratulations to New Canaan’s Jaime Sneddon and The Sneddon Team on earning recognition from William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty as the company’s top producing agent and top producing team, based on total closed volume for the year 2018.

Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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Police and wildlife officials helped free a fawn that had become trapped last week between the metal poles of a fence in a Ramhorne Road yard. The New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section at 10:29 a.m. on July 17 responded to a report that an injured fawn was stuck inside a pool area at a residence there. The young deer clearly had been injured in some way and its hair could be seen on the poles of the fence, between which it had squeezed through to enter the yard, according to Officer Allyson Halm. When a landscaping professional showed up and frightened the animal, it became stuck again trying to get out. The fawn likely had entered the yard when it was younger and smaller, and tried to get back in by habit.

Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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A building permit application has been filed for a new, 8,600-square-foot home planned for 386 Weed St.—part of a large-scale project for a combined 7-acre parcel that had drawn some criticism from neighbors and originally included a 15,000-square-foot manmade pond that since has been withdrawn from the plan. The new home will include 40 rooms and will cost about $2.4 million to build, according to a building permit application filed May 15. The contractor on the project is Westport-based Coastal Construction and architect is Christian Rae Studio LLC of Easton. ***

Animal Control officers fined a Weed Street woman $90 for allowing her dog to roam after they saw her let a golden retriever off leash at Irwin Park at about 12:19 p.m. on May 22. The officers were in an unmarked car and watched the woman waiting for them to leave, which they did and then looped around to the far side of the park where they assessed the ticket for allowing a dog to roam (which now includes an additional $46 fine).

Business

New Canaan’s Locali: Good Things Come in Small Packages

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If you haven’t been to Locali yet, go now. Immediately. With a good percentage of New Canaanites headed back from vacation in the next week or so, expect an influx of diners lining up to sample the latest offerings from one of the smallest, yet most popular dining destinations in town. Locali has room for a little over 50 patrons, with half of those seats located on their outdoor patio at the corner of Locust Avenue and Forest Street, at the foot of Restaurant Row. The small size coupled with unprecedented popularity can lead to some pretty long waits for a table—a wait that is well worth it.