Yes, Valley pizza joints seem to be on every corner, but the owner of a new pizzeria in Ansonia says he has what some others might not — authenticity.
Ansonia’s Dino Manchisi opened Rosa Mina Restaurant at 384 E. Main St. in late May, but it’s not his first time in front of the oven.
His father ran a pizzeria in the Morris Park section of the Bronx, where a young Manchisi learned the fundamentals of building a good pie.
The family moved to Connecticut in 1977 and ran Rosa Mina Restaurant in Shelton for more than 20 years. They closed the restaurant when his father retired.
Now, Rosa Mina is back, bolstered by more than 40 years of pizza-making practice.
Manchisi opened the restaurant with his wife, Patricia, and two friends, John and Linda Spinetti.
“This isn’t something we just decided to do. I was basically born into this industry,” Manchisi said.
Rosa Mina is in a tough location in Ansonia, on East Main Street next to a vacant restaurant that previously housed Snooker’s, then Lanza’s, then Mustang Sally’s, then Savor Lounge.
But Manchisi is confident the Valley will seek out good pizza. He said he’ll put put his hand-crafted cheese pizza against any other pizzeria — even New Haven’s.
“Why does everyone go to Pepe’s? Because of its great reputation,” Manchisi said. “Now, they have a recipe, but they hire a lot of people to make those pizzas so somebody different is making that pizza everytime.”
At Rosa Mina, Manchisi starts each day crushing tomatoes imported from Italy, filling an 80 quart kettle to use on his pizzas. That alone takes 90 minutes.
Canned tomato sauce is not allowed.
Manchisi said he wants Rosa Mina to be a family destination.
The main dining room seats 38 people, he said. A private dining area can seat 55.
“You can travel up and down the Valley and find a bunch of pizza restaurants but none of them can sustain that kind of party, except for us,” Manchisi said.
Raising six kids of their own, the Manchisis said they understand feeding the whole family doesn’t come cheap. They’ve spent more than $100 each time they’ve dined out within restaurants in the area.
“Some families just can’t do that,” Patricia Manchisi said. “Here, you can come as a family of eight or ten or whatever it may be and you can order three large pizzas and still be under $50, and that’s with drinks.”
A large cheese pizza costs $11.
“We’re in a middle class community and you’ve got to know you’re demographics. These people are making fifty to sixty thousand a year, our governor is choking them to death with taxes and where can they catch a break,” Manchisi said.
Pending a liquor permit, they expect to open their bar by the end of summer. Right now the restaurant has a BYOB policy.
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Website: http://www.rosaminapizza.com/info/
