New Milford Pizza Shop Offers A Taste Of Western Mass.

MILFORD, MA —George Yiantsidis' says his new Milford pizza shop will bridge the flavors of east and the west — Eastern Massachusetts and Western Massachusetts, that is.

The longtime restaurateur is set to open his first pizza shop this side of Worcester soon. He'll offer all the pizza shop classics, plus creations he made running two other pizza shops in Athol and Orange.

East Main Street Pizza was approved for a victualler license at the Board of Selectmen meeting on Monday night, and Yiantsidis expects to open in early February. He says his selection of specialty pizzas — like chicken-pesto, Hawaiian, and more — will set his shop apart. But one in particular, called "The Mac," has gained some notoriety at Niki's, the other pizza shop he owns in Athol.

"It's hands down one of the best pizzas, you're going to have to come in and try it," was all he would say when asked what "The Mac" is (based on the name, you might be able to guess what's on it).

Another special offering: East Main Street's gluten-free pizza. He acknowledges that some gluten-free crusts can be pretty crumby, but he says the crusts he gets from Against The Grain Gourmet in Brattleboro, Vermont, match up to any regular pizza.

Yiantsidis said he chose to set up shop in Milford — East Main Street Pizza will replace the space vacated by Sal's Pizza — because he has family in the area, and because he wants to serve growing local businesses, like Amazon. In fact, he grew up in a family of local restaurateurs: his parents ran pizza shops in Shrewsbury and Worcester when he was young.

East Main Street Pizza, 206 East Main St., will also offer slices, and delivery within a five-mile radius and through apps like GrubHub.

He hopes to fit into the Milford pizza scene by offering fresh, local food.

"We're trying to go for quality, not quantity," he said.