When blogger dinners come up in my schedule I’m not always thrilled. Often times the company at the table is the best part. It may come as a shock to non-bloggers but it’s true, most of these events are just kind of OK. I could go on and on about free meals and how it could influence some food writers to exaggerate a so-so experience into one that seems like it was the best meal ever. That’s probably a separate post, rant = over. Occasionally though there is a good one that really stands out.
I give you Brick + Wood, a still new Neapolitan pizza joint right in downtown Fairfield that’s turning out not only good pies but some top notch Italian street food too. This was an invite that was everything I thought it would be and built it up to be when I did my research beforehand. In fact, it was difficult to hold off because I wanted to visit B + W weeks before the dinner date, but I managed to hold off.
The casual and family friendly Brick + Wood keeps its menu simple; four different categories for starters (Mozzarella + Burrata Bar, Antipasti, Neapolitan Street Food and Salads), Pizza, Panini (only available from 11-3) and Dessert. Of course they have booze too, so let’s start there. B + W has a full bar but the restaurant boasts about its wine. More specifically, the wines are stored in stainless steel sealed kegs so it’s not exposed to oxygen and they’re also temperature controlled with reds kept at 55-60° and whites at 42-46°. These practices, preferred by the winemakers, ensure that each wine is consistent from the first pour to the last. That one’s for you, wine nerds :-P The pizza portion is coming in a bit, patience! If you’re going to start with anything at B + W is has to be with anything from the Mozzarella + Burrata Bar. Unlike most area restaurants, they’re actually making the stuff IN-HOUSE, and if you happen to look behind the counter you can even watch chefs prepare it on the spot. That’s as local as local gets. I got to try the Truffle Burrata. Normally I’m not a fan of overused truffle but B + W gets it right here and the mozzarella is super creamy and served with prosciutto. I don’t see why I wouldn’t order some form of fresh made cheese on every single visit.
As for the Street Food section, yeah, this is right up my alley. There are plenty of guilty pleasures to choose from. We sampled the crispy Loaded Baked Potato Crochettes (or croquettes, if you prefer that spelling) and Arancini (fried rice balls). Of the Arancini there are three different kinds; bacon & cheese with jalapeno sauce, four cheese with vodka sauce, and the one we had, pear & gorgonzola with sage brown sauce. The pear added some sweetness as did the sauce with many thought was some type of honey mustard. Both sweet elements paired well to balance out the pungent gorgonzola. A personal favorite Street Food item for me were the Montanara Pizze Fritte. If you’re used to pizza fritta it can be on the really oily and heavy side but this version was not and was a pleasant surprise with a drizzle of fresh marinara sauce. I could come here and just order this and a beer and I’d be fine with it.
I suppose you want the scoop on the pizzas now, right?
First, the pizzaiuolos at B + W are APN Certified. That means they learned from the best, Roberto Caporuscio, a master pizza maker, and are trained to churn out Neapolitan pizzas the traditional way. The 12” pies incorporate the restaurant’s homemade mozzarella with a fresh sauce made from San Marzano Tomatoes and it’ll likely take you longer to choose which pizzas you want than it will to actually cook them. Their brick oven can reach temperatures of around 1,000° which means the pizzas will cook in about a minute and change. The dough they achieve is well-seasoned, light but chewy, and is blistered and blackened in parts like you would expect from a brick oven. All those elements combined helped win me over. Picking a favorite pie is tough. If you’re a traditionalist you have to go for the Margherita but I loved the medium range spiciness of the Diavola (Texas Heat) with spicy soppressata, garlic, jalapeños and oregano. If you’re not into already created pizza combos you can create your own.
Aside from the pizza and the street food being pretty damn good I just really liked the vibe at B + W. It’s really chilled out and great for any occasion. I also love any place that calls for rolling up your sleeves and eating with your hands. Brick + Wood, I’m a believer.
I hate writing pizza reviews. They make me hungry :-P
Brick + Wood
1275 Post Road
Fairfield, CT 06824
For more photos, check out the original blog post HERE. 
