Food & Drink in Shrewsbury

Pepperoni Express

Bright reds and yellow oranges color the exterior of one Pepperoni Express location, signaling the tangy tomato sauce and gooey cheese commingling on pizzas inside. The other location sports reddish-pink walls, which resemble the spicy sausage that inspired the eatery’s name. In each kitchen, cooks make fresh dough each day, which forms the base of pizzas studded with ingredients such as shrimp, broccoli, and mushrooms. They offer a choice of more than 20 ingredients for build-your-own pies and rectangular 18”x24” party pizzas; rectangles suit parties because they have edges and thus are more likely to attract U2 guitarist The Edge. Pepperoni Express’s thin-crust pies brim with Italian ingredients such as olives, oregano, and prosciutto, as do italian authentic subs. Wine and beer can grant a hydrating reprieve for any dining session.

Fresh, colorful fruits and vegetables fill the shelves of Weepin Willies, a local market that stocks produce and meats at two locations. Shoppers can find high quality cuts of beef, chicken, and pork, or opt for Boar’s Head meats and cheeses and prepared soups, salads, and sandwiches from the deli.

Satisfying Americans’ taste for hearty sustenance licked by the ravenous flames of fiery grills, WAH-BO offers diners a menu full of fresh fare. Montana-raised bison meat is an underused source of protein that comes in a bun or a wrap with various veggies and sauces ($3.99–$9.99). And 14 varieties of burgers ($4.49–$9.99) are available for those who were raised on commercials that commanded viewers to locate the closest available beef. The ’shroom ‘n’ chz burger is bolstered by crispy onion strings and offers a hearty meal ($5.49–$9.99), while burritos provide fresh flavor ($4.79–$6.79). WAH-BO Grill also caters to athletes with options that are great for those in training for next year’s underwater three-legged marathon.

Determined to make the best pizza possible, the chefs of Elsa's Eatery traveled to Italy, New York, and Boston's culture-rich North End in the name of research. Upon returning to Shrewsbury, they went to work crafting the best Neapolitan-style pizza possible, hand-made each day. They top it with ingredients such as pesto-infused mozzarella, sliced meatballs, and grilled chicken, before sliding the pie onto an imported pizza stone and baking it to a perfect crisp. But Elsa's isn't just about pies—they also have an extensive menu with other gourmet Italian specials and steak and seafood entrees. Most recently, they have started to present brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, boldly defying the international ban non-Sunday brunches.

For 30 years, the culinary family behind CJ's Steakloft has whipped up a spread of savory steak-house fare, including juicy slabs of beef, hearty pastas, and fresh fish. Cuts of prime rib fill plates with tender helpings ($19.95), and Parisienne sirloin ($18.95) proves its whereabouts with an airtight alibi of thick, tasty grill marks. Pasta entrees, such as the creamy chicken-and-broccoli alfredo ($14.95) unite starch and protein in a palatable symphony of flavor, and seafood dishes such as baked stuffed haddock deliver artfully prepared packages of fresh, flaky ocean fare ($16.95). Combination dinners unite land and sea with mix-and-match entrees such as steak tips and lobster accompanied by an edible aide-de-camp of potato or vegetable ($24.95).

Drawing its name from the Roman goddess of the harvest, Ceres Bistro incorporates seasonal and locally sourced ingredients into its menu of contemporary, casual fine-dining cuisine. These local ingredients complement the slightly elevated versions of American staples—including brined pork chops and grits with aged cheddar—but the chefs also add international flair by introducing distinctive flavors such as wasabi oil or imported spaghetti. To help accommodate specialized diets, the chefs even prepare gluten-free menus and entire entrees without carbon. The wine list embraces a similar worldliness, featuring aromatic whites and robust reds from Europe, South America, and Australia, as well as a selection of domestic producers.

Echoing this commitment to tradition as well as modernity, the bistro uses antique accents to add character to its contemporary smattering of dark wooden tables and floor-to-ceiling windows. Reclaimed oak wainscoting lines the executive boardroom, original Vanity Fair prints from the 1800s adorn the bar-and-lounge-area's walls, and the 90-seat dining room lies beneath a stained-glass ceiling dome that dates back more than 100 years.

"We go to auctions, and we always walk away with enormous pieces. We’re not into collecting teacups,” co-owner Janet Birbara told Westchester Living in 2010.