So Many Bikes. So Much Pizza

The ninth annual New Haven Apizza Feast and Grand Prix zoomed into town Friday, bringing out thousands of people who gobbled down all manner of slices and pies as they cheered on riders of all ages.

The event kicked off at 4 p.m. From Elm and College streets down to Chapel, pizza trucks and tents, pizza adjacent businesses, breweries, and even ice creameries filled downtown as the Masters 40+ bike race began. 

First timers and die-hard Apizza Feast fans ambled from truck to truck, musing on the merits of the toppings and sauce offered by the 20-plus pizzerias joining the fun. 

Jack and Roy Lobo head downtown from Orange almost every year to support local businesses and try their favorite pies like Louise Joseph’s Dough Girls personal pies. Roy said his hands-down favorite is their margarita pizza because it’s fresh and crisp every time. ​“It’s the best Margherita in town,” and he did not mean the cocktail, he joked. ​“It’s not often you see New Haven this alive,” his brother Jack added, in praise.

Put on by A Taste of New Haven and sponsored by a number of local businesses, the feast featured entertainment as well as a pizza eating competition and pizzart, or pizza art. 

The Pizza Piazza Sculpture Garden boasted a towering 13-foot high iron pizza slice, as well as local artist-made pizza paintings that were on sale. 

Rhythm Brewing Company, Coppola, East Rock Brewing Co. and Armada poured cups of their brews for thirsty festival goers. Millicent Bowens, mother of Rhythm Brewing Co. CEO Alisa Bowen, said that pizza and beer are ​“an American thing, like apple pie and ice cream. They just go together.” She loves everything about pizza, ​“the cheese, the sauce, the sausage, the pepperoni. I love pizza,” she said. While she grew up on Pepe’s, her favorite these days is Modern, both of which fired up their ovens for the crowd at Friday’s festival. 

The junior bike races started at 6:15. They jammed around the course at Elm and College, packs of them, focused and pedaling hard with a few lone riders coming behind. A few people wondered if they were leading the pack or lagging behind. No matter which, the grit on their faces showed their determination to win. 

As they battled it out, Greg Banks entertained the crowd on the main stage. Banks, who came to the festival from Brooklyn, called his musical stylings a combination of R&B, funk and soul. ​“It’s a fusion,” he said, ​“a culmination of our experiences like my hometown of New Orleans, a little bit of flavor from here and there creating a fusion of experience and expression.” He sounded a bit like Prince and Bilal and his range was phenomenal. His falsetto was reminiscent of Bobby DeBarge from the group Switch. He said the festival was a great celebration of uniqueness and culture, and the pizza was really good. ​“I ate more pizza today than I have in six or seven months in New York City,” he said. 

Rob Maraday, who procured two slices from Professor Pizza, came to New Haven from Wallingford this year to try all the different pizzas. It’s one of his favorite events. Another group of friends — Reginald Outlaw, Kevin Grimes, and Jalia Foster — meandered down College Street tasting pizzas. The first timers to the Apizza Feast enjoyed the food and the fact that folks came out to support New Haven pizza culture. 

The Grand Apizza truck was back this year and owner Michael Nuzzo was defending his title as best pizza, which he won last year after beating some of the more famous pizzerias in town. This year Nuzzo offered a new pie, shrimp and stuffing with a white sauce. He could not make them fast enough; those slices flew off the table. He said he was there to honor his grandfather’s legacy. His grandfather started Grand Apizza 70 years ago and even though they closed the original store on Grand Avenue this year, they are still pumping out pies at their other locations in Clinton, Madison, Guilford and from their pizza trucks. His fave pie? Pepperoni. 

The Women’s Pro Category bike race jumped off at 7:35 p.m. and the Men’s at 8:45 p.m. The professional cyclists claimed the street and as they whizzed past the grandstand, you could feel a breeze waft by with them, they were going so fast, a blur to many people’s camera lenses. As they circled the course, the Quarantined Quartet took the stage with their unique take on classical guitar.

Campus Customs, a shop owned by Jeremey Cobden, boasts a pizza-themed clothing line called Pizza Life New Haven that includes hats, jackets, shirts, hoodies and more. Cobden started the brand during the height of the pandemic when he and some friends started making pizza at home and people kept asking about pizza and New Haven. He added the line because pizza was the second most popular thing people asked about as he sold his Yale-themed line. It was a no brainer for him and the line is quite popular, he said. 

The most unique pizza adjacent business was Pup Pizza Dog Bakery, which makes pizzas for pets using quality human ingredients suitable for pets. Zoey Hodge, the pup bakery’s owner, started the business by baking pizzas at home for her dog because she couldn’t give him hers. She got a City Seed grant and joined the Collab Connecticut accelerator. She offers turkey, cheese and vegan options and dogs seem to really love her pies. 

Gage Frank, who goes to the festival every year, wrapped up the night at the Owl Shop down the street from the race and pizza hub. He said he loves the New Haven Apizza Feast and Grand Prix. He really likes The Parlor and their vegan pizza even though he is not a vegan. The fungi pie with white bean and roasted garlic, he said, is sublime. ​“It’s one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had, and it doesn’t have cheese on it.”

By 10 p.m., the Grand Prix ended and the pizza and other vendors were breaking down their stalls as stragglers wandered about munching and chattering about what a fun time they’d had. Another great New Haven Apizza Feast and Grand Prix in the books.