Cheri and Dom Pirritino, owners of 'Larry's Landing.'
DERBY — A food truck operated by Valley foodie royalty is open for another season on Roosevelt Drive.
Dom and Cheri Pirritino returned from the warmth of Florida to re-open Larry’s Landing on March 4. The food truck is at 285 Roosevelt Drive, across from Calvert Safe & Lock and the Housatonic River.
Larry’s Landing offers burgers, hot dogs and fries, along with fresh seafood fare like lobster rolls, fish and chips and fried clams. They also offer a breakfast menu that features classic bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches to French toast.
The Pirritino’s legacy sets them apart. They owned the popular Actor’s Colony Inn on Roosevelt Drive in Seymour for many years. Unfortunately, that business was destroyed by fire in 2002.
Larry’s Landing originally opened two years before the fire on land directly behind Actor’s Colony next to the Housatonic River. It also closed in 2002 after the fire.
The couple moved to Florida in 2003 but came back to Connecticut once they had grandchildren.
Not long after being back in the Valley, the Pirritinos decided to bring Larry’s Landing back, but this time in the form of a food truck. The Pirritinos have a Larry’s Landing food truck in Palm City, FL, as well, which is run by a family friend.
“I tried to retire when I came back to Connecticut, but the only thing I knew was the food business,” said Dom Pirritino. “At my age, 70, I’m not looking to make a killing here, but as many years as God gives me, I’ll be here doing this.”
Pirritino is not a classically trained chef, but a homegrown cook who learned his way around the kitchen from his Italian-Marchegian grandmother.
“I tell people I’m not a chef, but I’m a really good cook,” he said
Pirritino’s grandma’s famous red sauce, which was a popular staple from the Actor’s Colony era, is a family recipe handed down through generations that Pirritino learned to perfect. The sauce is now a regular item on Larry’s Landing menu and customers can take home a quart of it for $9.
Jim Gildea, the chairman of the Derby Board of Education and a member of just about every other organization in Derby and beyond, has known the Pirritinos for more than 30 years.
He got married at Actor’s Colony.
He’s now a regular at Larry’s Landing, often making the trek across town to get a sandwich and chit-chat.
“They give you a ton of food at a great price and the Pirritinos are just nice, friendly people with deep roots in Derby and the Valley as a whole.”
Gildea’s favorite breakfast sandwich, the Larry’s “Legend” — a burrito stuffed with ham, bacon, sausage, egg and cheese – and a side of tater tots
“I eat there quite regularly, and when I get my order, I drive across the street to the marina and enjoy my food,” Gildea said.
Larry’s Landing is open six days a week, from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. It’s closed on Sundays.
More information about Larry’s Landing can be found on this Facebook page or by calling 203 – 800-6466.
