Patsy's Pizzeria, Of East Harlem Fame, Officially Opens In Greenwich

GREENWICH, CT — At long last, Patsy's Pizzeria has opened in Greenwich at 130 E. Putnam Ave.

The eatery has been in the works for months, but Thursday's opening was delayed due to the inspection process, according to co-owner Steve Haxhiaj.

"It took us a very long time to open the doors," he told Patch. "However, we are super excited to be able to open those doors."

Patsy's has a storied history in New York City that dates back to 1933 when Pasquale "Patsy" Lancieri opened up shop in East Harlem with a coal-fired oven.

According to their website, Lanciere is believed to have popularized New York-style, thin-crust pizza, and the shop attracted many celebrities.

The Greenwich location is more than just a pizzeria, despite the name.

Haxhiaj, who also owns Il Monello Italian Restaurant and Tuscany Steakhouse in Manhattan, combined all three establishments into one menu that features steaks, lamb chops, veal chops, homemade pasta and Italian dishes, chicken, fish, and of course, Patsy's pizza, and more.

What makes Patsy's pizza so good? It's simple, according to Haxhiaj.

"Very thin crust, with a very old-fashioned oven," he said. "Thin crust, crispy, great cheese, great sauce."

Greenwich seemed like a good fit for Patsy's, said Haxhiaj, who frequents the town.

"I go to Greenwich a lot and I've been around the great restaurants here, but I thought that area needed something like this," Haxhiaj said.

There are about 65 seats inside, with a full bar.

Right now, Patsy's will be open for dinner only for the next week or so. Current hours are 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and Sunday from 3 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Eventually, the restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday through Sunday, from 11:30 a.m. to 10-10:30 p.m., Haxhiaj said.

For more on Patsy's in Greenwich, you can follow them on Instagram.