Posted by ayersian
, September 25, 2008 07:04
Since Connecticut is considered the “buckle” in the Northeast's Pizza Belt, truly great pies are never too far away. Home to Eastern Connecticut State University, the town of Willimantic caters as much to its student population as it does to its year-round residents. Formerly the Plum Tomato, Fred's Brick Oven Cafe not only has spectacular wood-fired pizza, but they also offer oven-baked sandwiches. Popular choices include the Scottie Too Hottie (Buffalo chicken, tomato, onion, spinach, and gorgonzola), the Sweet Dibble (battered eggplant, homemade pesto, onion, red sauce, roasted garlic, and provolone), and many others, all available on their own freshly baked Fred Bread. Pizza is the spotlight, though, and a close-up of this beauty (above) reveals a fantastic combination of meatballs, hot cherry peppers, and caramelized onions. Notice the edge crust that's been charred by the burning logs in the heart of the brick oven, reminiscent of the coal-fired ovens of New Haven. To top it off, Fred's offers the full selection of Hosmer Mountain sodas, bottled in town for generations.
