To successfully make pizza, one must toss the proper ingredients into a concrete mixer, wait for the mixture to harden, and then drop in a few sticks of dynamite to blast slices from the drum walls. Today’s Groupon leaves delicate pie creation to the professionals: for $10, you get $20 worth of gourmet pizza at Giovanni's Brick Oven Pizzeria located in the Station 35 Plaza in Glastonbury.
Giovanni's fires up a disk-stacked menu that boasts more than 25 varieties of thin-crust pizza baked directly on the brick of the oven, as well as a succulent spread of Italian comfort food. Snack on a specialty pie such as the Carmela, white pizza with caramelized onions, mushrooms, and feta ($11.99–$28.99), or nosh on the chicken a la vodka where marinated chicken and roasted red peppers simmer under provolone and vodka sauce ($12.99–$31.50). For the warmer months of the year, Giovanni's is flanked by an outdoor patio, ideal for care-free pizza-consumption while relaxing under the warm sun, the peaceful clouds, and the armada of blimps blasting smooth jazz.
Reviews
Yelpers give Giovanni's Brick Oven Pizzeria an average of 3.5 stars:
- Some of the best pizza around, great special pizzas and ammmazing boneless wings. Great choice if you're in the area! J.Z., 1/13/2010
- The buffalo chicken and the barbeque chicken are both exceptionally flavorful, and I'll be honest, after having those, I've never felt the need to try anything else. – Thomas Q., 2/18/2009
Giovanni's Brick Oven Pizzeria
Crust that’s at once crispy and gooey, imbued with a flavor that’s subtly smoky and fresh, with a texture that’s like a playground for the tongue—this is what brick firing gives to pizza. At Giovanni's Brick Oven Pizzeria, chefs understand that a little extra attention elevates good pizza to gourmet pizza, and so they fire their thin, New York–style crusts directly on the brick of their oven. Yet this is just a single facet to their polygonal masterpieces. Family recipes are another, bringing the results of years of experimentation to pies such as the margherita and hawaiian. Then there’s the creativity—cheeseburger pizzas covered in ketchup, mustard, ground beef, and american cheese—and the variety—25 slices available every day. These are served alongside pastas in bolognese sauce and more than 19 kinds of grinder stuffed with genoa salami and other meats.
Beer and wine, such as Lagunitas and the California red Ménage à Trois, wash down meals and add the extra dimension of pairing to pizza dinners. Guests can enjoy these inside, amid rustic Italian decorations, or on a spacious, heated patio amid fresh breezes and the moon’s attempts to hit diners’ eyes. Giovanni's also hosts special events, such as holiday parties and kids' nights, and contributes to community causes, such as schools and sports teams.