Bites Nearby: Willington Pizza House

Jeff Kelly, a Hartford man of Irish heritage, thought he’d open a restaurant.

He was working toward that goal working as a bartender in the city, that was until the Hartford Civic Center roof collapsed in the mid-1970s. When the roof caved in, so did his job, forcing Kelly to look elsewhere for employment and put his dream on hold.

He took a job with his brother at a pizza joint in the city where he was trained in the Greek art of pizza making. Still wanting to venture out on his own, Kelly decided to buy a “dive” that was primarily a pizza take-out business on River Road (Route 32) in Willington.

Thirty-two years, one move, a handful of expansions and dozens of local, state and national awards later, Kelly has created more than a pizza place; he’s created a pizza destination. From 12 seats to more than 200, the little pizza house that could has done.

With that, here’s the pick of the week:

Willington Pizza House – Every day one of the first things the kitchen staff does is set a pot of water and add 50 pounds of red potatoes. A little odd for a pizza place, especially because it doesn’t have a fryolator so there won’t be any French fries to go with that meal. Nevertheless, the staff must be prepared for the regular onslaught of orders for the pizza house’s most popular specialty: the Red Potato Pizza.

Now at first the combination of red potatoes, bacon, broccoli and sour cream on pizza dough might not sounds too appealing, but thousands would disagree. The 1994 creation by the pizza house’s chef Richard Rogers captured the national spotlight when at a convention in Las Vegas it took the top prize in the exotic category; it’s sister, the Seafood Casino, also took top honors in the seafood category that year. As far as why potatoes, Kelly jokes that he it was a way to include the Irish side of him with the Greek pizza education.

Although, pizza might be what brings guests to Willington Pizza House, along with the various antiques, UConn athletics memorabilia, the chance to meet a local celebrity athlete from the university and relaxed atmosphere, it is a restaurant that offers other dishes from pasta creations to a basic hamburger.

As for its local appeal, the nearly 3,000 people who are fans of its Facebook page hail from around the country and that’s only represents a smidge of the people who have graced its dining rooms, ordered take-out or had one of its 20 beers on tap while sitting at the bar watching a game. The original Willington Pizza House (Kelly opened Willington Pizza Too on Route 74 in 1988) has made quite a name for itself.

Willington Pizza, 25 River Road (Route 32), Willington. 860-429-7433. www.willingtonpizza.com Open 7 days a week at 11 a.m. Click here for a full menu.