Luigi's Gives Pizza a Makeover

You’d never know that pastrami, swiss cheese and mustard make for great pizza toppings - not until put it on the menu. 

Owner Joseph Abate, brother to the Abate Restaurant owners in New Haven and North Branford, has been creating pizza pies for over four decades and, naturally, he got a little bored with the traditional recipe.

“I’ve been making pizzas since I was 12. You get tired of the standard pepperoni and sauce,” said Abate. “I tried to start putting something different on them and others were just amazed. I developed quite the knack for specialty pizzas.”

Abate’s creations include a mashed potato pizza with bacon and onion, a macaroni and cheese pizza with bacon, a potato frittata pizza, a kielbasa sauerkraut pizza, a white wine pizza with spinach and crushed red peppers, and a cheeseburger pizza with mustard and pickles.

While the ingredients may raise a few eyebrows, Abate says the people have spoken and they can’t get enough.

“There’s a woman who comes in and tries a different special once a week,” said Abate. “A lot of people come in looking forward to seeing the latest special on the board. I have a lot of passion for what I do. I’m in here open to close because I fear someone else not putting the passion into the pie that I do.”

Having relocated to North Haven eight years ago, Luigi’s has developed a new customer base as well as retained regulars throughout the restaurant’s 56-year existence. The restaurant’s retro decor evokes memories of an era when the business was just kicking off at its original location in New Haven.

“We’ve got the juke box the kids like to play and a 1953 Coca Cola cooler. It’s designed to be a little nostalgic,” said Abate.

If you’re looking to skip the dining environment and opt for a quick take-out, be prepared for a wait, says Abate. The first-come, first-serve restaurant on 323 Washington Ave. can get packed with a line out the door on weekends and take-out can take up to an hour-and-a-half. For most, though, it’s worth it. 

“A lot of people are willing to wait,” said a surprised Abate. 

Abate is one of five sons to Luigi Abate, father and founder of the Abate Pizza Restaurants, and after whom the Washington Avenue location is named. 

“Once you turned twelve, you started learning the trade,” said Abate of his childhood. “Now, I come up with a lot of crazy specialties. People don’t know how good it is until they try it.” 

Luigi’s is serving up piping hot, weird and wacky pizza pies six days a week, so stop by to try out some of the best combinations that you’ve never heard of.