Dave Portnoy raves about CT pizza place, but rants about a bigger issue. What really happened.

Portnoy went on to say, "And listen, I love the people of Connecticut. I think I could be mayor, king or whatever of Connecticut."

E & D Pizza Co. scored high in a coveted one bite review by Dave Portnoy, but Portnoy went off on a sarcastic tangent in the beginning about how he felt slighted for not being invited on a recent trip to Washington D.C. where New Haven was proclaimed the pizza capital of the nation.

“That doesn’t happen without me… I kind of exposed it (New Haven pizza) to the world,” Portnoy of Barstool Sports  said. “I didn’t even get a (expletive) invite.”

As it turns out Portnoy was wrong, as he was invited several times, but never responded, said trip organizer Colin M. Caplan, New Haven pizza expert and owner of Taste of New Haven.

When Caplan called Portnoy on his rant, which is making the rounds on social media, the star responded, “Damn, I must have missed it,” Caplan said.

Michael Androw, owner of E & D Pizza Company in Avon didn’t let that little controversy taint the joy he felt about the segment.

“He’s the most famous pizza reviewer in the world,” an excited Androw said of Portnoy’s visit. “We were grateful he stopped by and had such kind words.”

Androw said the review has a “wide reaching impact,” and the better the business does, the more they can do for the “community” in donations. Androw is considered among the elite in the state and national pizza world.

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After Portnoy’s tirade on the trip, he got to the cheese pizza.

Portnoy commented on the thin, firm, “no flop” crust, took a bite and said, “very very good.”

He said the pizza was “thin, crispy, tasty.”

He gave the E & D pizza a 7.9 out of 10, but said if anyone puts to put the pizza in the eights, “I wouldn’t fight you.” Portnoy also said that if somebody wants to say it’s their favorite pizza in the Hartford area, “I wouldn’t fight you.” E & D has in several polls won best pizza in Hartford County.
Androw said Portnoy ate a thin-crusted New York style pizza.

Portnoy’s visit was such a surprise, as is intended, that Androw wasn’t there Wednesday, June 5 at 2:30 p.m.

“I was crushed. I would have loved to have met him,” Androw said. “Sure enough, as fate had it, I was out picking up kids.

The recent trip to Washington D.C. was attended by a delegation of pizza makers, movers and shakers, as well as U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, who was to enter a statement into the Congressional Record declaring “New Haven the Pizza Capital of the United States.”

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Caplan said he tried various means of reaching Portnoy to invite him, including direct messaging. Portnoy was at the top of the list with pizza makers, Caplan said.

Portnoy believes he was instrumental in putting New Haven pizza on the national radar, as after a series of reviews some years ago, he declared New Haven the pizza capital of the United States and sometimes the world.

While he doesn’t disagree, Caplan said he also believes “Dave was elevated by New Haven-style pizza.”

“New Haven helped Dave, like Dave helped New Haven,” Caplan said.

Portnoy’s passionate rant came after introducing E & D Pizza Co. to: “And by the way I saw like the people of New Haven went to like the state capital (it was actually the U.S. capital) and there were like 200 of them declaring state like law, constitution or federal amendment or something that New Haven the pizza capital of the world.”

He went on to say, “And listen, I love the people of Connecticut. I think I could be mayor, king or whatever of Connecticut.”

He not Connecticut is the “home of no flop” when it comes to pizza.

Androw became a pizza celebrity months ago when one of his specialty pizza recipes was featured in a book by the industry’s elite.

Featured was his, “The Positano,” a thin crusted white pizza topped with goat cheese (aka chevre), black mission figs, red onion, finished with a drizzle of pepper infused hot honey.

Androw is vice-president of the philanthropic, non-profit World Pizza Champions, a group of 50. He will be named president in the future.

The restaurant in Avon is named for the initials of Androw’s children, Enzo, 13 and Dario, 10/

Androw began as an official pizza maker in 1986 and worked his way through the restaurant industry before returning to his pizza roots, opening E & D Pizza Company in 2014.

Androw is known for using high-quality ingredients even if it cuts his profit margin. Androw was part of the World Pizza Champions team that last year set a Guinness World Record for the “World’s Largest Pizza Party.”

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