Let’s get one thing straight, we are HUGE fans of New Haven-style pizza in New Haven. Modern being #1, Pepe’s #2, Bar #3, and Sally’s… well, they’ve certainly fallen off of late (now begin the pizza battle royale… we’d love to hear your own crusty comments and cheesy ratings!).

Sometimes though, you just don’t want to deal with parking in New Haven, wait in long pizza lines (especially in the winter), and drink so-so beer with your pizza. A solution for those in the vicinity of Wallingford? Try CHRISTOS.

We had a vegetarian among us so we didn’t indulge in the completeness of their ‘Spud and Bacon Pie’, but it was spupendous with the spuds alone. The garlic-mashed made the difference along with a combination of cheddar and mozzarella cheese. This is exactly what you want in a mashed potato pizza and they give Bar a run for their money with this one. And… yes, the crust was perfectly done. The motto at CHRISTOS is: “It’s not burnt, it’s well done!” Well, there was just enough New Haven crisp and burn, with that New Haven-area-acidic-water-softness in the dough beneath the outer layer.

CHRISTOS has a full menu of speciality pies and toppings to build from along with appealing entrees and more. Tip: They offer gluten-free pizza as well.

The beer selection was solid for a pizza restaurant: Ommegang Three Philosophers, Stony Creek’s Cranky IPA, Two Roads Road To Ruin DIPA, and more. I also caught a glimpse of Jefferson’s Bourbon among a surprisingly large selection of wines and spirits.

When you take a break from cooking over the Holidays, grab a pie and some entrees to-go or enjoy in person. We’d love to hear if you believe it lives up to a taste of New Haven, in Wallingford!

Tip: Avoid the booth that’s last in the row against the inner wall, on the way to the bathrooms and the bar area. It seems that with their new construction they ran out of room for that last booth, but still tried to squeeze it in. If you don’t mind your torso being cramped and playing footsie with your dining partners, than go for it!

-The Sweet and Sweaty

CHRISTOS RESTAURANT AND BAR
552 North Colony Rd, Wallingford, CT 06492
christospizzawlfd.com