January 29, 2026
Pizza Perfection
Pizzeria Marzano Voted Litchfield’s Best
Photograph by Lisa Nichols
By Charles Dubow
People tend to have very strong opinions about pizza. Deep dish or New York-style? Is pineapple an acceptable topping? Avocado? Clams? Thick crust or thin? Well, vox populi vox dei, the readers of Litchfield Magazine made their preference very clear when they voted Pizzeria Marzano in Torrington the best in the county.
When Marzano’s owner Jonni Eucalitto opened in 2009, he knew he was offering customers something different. “At the time, pretty much every pizzeria in Litchfield County was serving Greek-style pizza,” says the Torrington native, referring to heavier pies that feature thick, soft crusts. “They hadn’t been exposed to Neapolitan-style craft pizza yet. We use a woodfired brick oven that is kept at 800 degrees.
“At first people were skeptical of black blisters and bubbles on their crust. But then they tasted it.”
Marzano’s dough is made from all-natural, non-GMO Caputo “00” heritage wheat flour imported from Italy, which imparts just the right balance of chewiness and crispness. “It’s all about the ingredients,” says Eucalitto. “What we don’t make ourselves or source from local farms is all Italian. There’s nothing jarred, nothing canned, nothing artificial.”
How did Eucalitto learn so much about pizza? “I took off from college and backpacked around Italy. When I ran out of money in Naples, a guy who owned a pizzeria let me work there, and I wound up staying and learned the craft.” In fact both Eucalitto and his uncle Chris are “pizzaioli,” trained by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, which maintains the highest standards for authentic pizza making.
“I was amazed that I could actually eat two pizzas and not feel sick afterward,” he says of eating Italian style. “That’s because the pies were so much lighter, and the ingredients were so fresh. When we first opened, I didn’t do take-out; our pies are best when they are right out of the oven. But then I gave in, and now we do take out. I just hope people don’t have to travel too far.”
On any given night, it’s clear the decision to do take-out was the right move. A steady stream of customers walks through the doors to eat in or take away. The pies, in the Neapolitan tradition, are not the massive cheesy manhole covers with which most Americans are familiar. The 13-inch pies are delicate, slightly charred yet soft in the center, and absolutely delicious. Eucalitto offers both Pizza Rossa and Pizza Bianca, including many classics such as a Margherita with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella di bufala (the traditional cheese of Naples), fresh basil, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese; and the Quattro Formaggi, with mozzarella, fontinella, gorgonzola, and Parmigiano-Reggiano, topped with fresh basil, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil.
Other favorites include The Jonni (fresh mozzarella, spicy Italian salami, prosciutto, pesto, fresh basil, and extra virgin olive oil) and The New Yorker, with scamorza (aged mozzarella), fresh mozzarella, a drizzle of tomato sauce, chopped sweet soppressata, and pepperoncini—finished with oregano, Mike’s Hot Honey and burrata cheese.
Pizzeria Marzano, 1315 E. Main St., Torrington
