Derby: Complete!

Derby: Complete!
Roseland Apizza

Here is the CTMQ Guide to Derby with my list and stories about everything I’ve done there!

After a decade of writing CTMQ, I decided to try to “complete” towns. In that decade of traveling and writing, I had already done a lot of stuff in many of our towns already. However, I have been continually surprised by how much more there often is to do. This page includes my “town completion celebration meal” and recap of my Derby experiences.

Let’s get to it.

Derby was my: 39th town completed
First CTMQ Page: Kellogg Environmental Center, March 2012

The Celebration

Roseland Apizza also lands on Roadfood’s “Eat Before You Die” list.

I guess many people would, at the very least, waver between the “big two” places to celebrate “completing” Derby. Dew Drop Inn or Roseland Apizza. Dew Drop probably gets more press, but that’s largely for their ridiculous stunt wings. Now, their standard wings are very good and some of the odder flavors are legit, but I’m not going to give the nod to a place that’s nearly as infamous as it is famous.

Besides, after several visits and lots of wacky wings, I was Dew Dropped out.

Roseland Apizza wasn’t, for me, a difficult choice here. What is a difficult choice is whether or not to embarrass them with calling out their awful ChatGPT website:

The story of Roseland Apizza began in 1935 when a small yet passionate pizza establishment was founded in Derby, Connecticut. With humble beginnings, a dedication to authentic New Haven-style pizza was brought to the forefront, offering a unique thin-crust pizza experience that soon became widely appreciated. Over the years, a commitment to quality and traditional Italian flavors became synonymous with Roseland Apizza. This historic eatery has been influenced deeply by its Italian roots, with family recipes and a distinct old-school charm retained across decades.

I’ve never met a passionate pizza establishment, but here we are.

The flavors, carefully crafted and preserved for decades, aim to reflect the values of authenticity and warmth that have characterized Roseland Apizza since its founding in 1935. The enduring mission is one of quality and consistency, ensuring that each visit leaves a positive impression, creating connections that extend beyond the meal itself. Efforts to foster an environment that celebrates culinary traditions and invites diners to enjoy a unique pizza experience are continuously prioritized. The vision that Roseland Apizza follows remains deeply connected to its roots, welcoming guests into a dining experience that cherishes both taste and tradition.

Oh my god, just stop. Roseland Apizza is one of those periphery “New Haven” pizza spots that are just as good as the Big Three, but aren’t one of the Big Three. (The Big Three being, of course, Sally’s, Pepe’s, and Modern.) Those generally accepted now as Big Three Adjacent are Little Rendezvous in Meriden, Zuppardi’s in West Haven, and Roseland in here in Derby.

Roseland certainly has the vibe. Old building and a business that has been doing their thing just as long as Pepe’s and Sally’s. Hand written notes about “cash only tips” as you enter. Bathrooms that are way too small. The Foxon Park soda cooler jammed into a storage area just because. Perfect thin crust simple pies that include a fresh tomato variety, a plain variety, and of course a freshly-shucked white clam pie.

I enjoyed lunch with my son Damian and we quickly noted that unlike, say, Sally’s, the servers are pleasant and you get a basket of freshly baked bread before your meal. It makes zero sense for people about to eat pizza, but you get it anyway and it’s really, really good bread. So you eat it… right before eating more carbs. And you don’t care.

Another thing they do differently here from The Big Three is serve a full Italian menu. But we’re not here for that. Damian and I were here for the over-the-top, totally ridiculous, stupidly expensive Ponsinella Pie. I have no idea what “ponsinella” is supposed to translate to in English, but it doesn’t matter. Maybe it means $100 because that’s how much that one pizza costs.

One-hundred dollars.

Please know that you do not need to spend that much on pizza here. The Ponsinella is a ridiculous pie with shrimp, scallops, clams, and lobster. It’s stupid… and stupid good. The fresh garlic and the butter and the fresh seafood balance perfectly and the crust, though thin, magically stands up to the weight of the thing.

We also got a traditional plain cheese as well which was a wallet friendly $11.50. This was a perfect New Haven style apizza. Thin crust, slight char, but stilly magically chewy and delicious. But my gourmand son kept going back to the Ponsinella. Punk.

I certainly cannot complain about the $7 Counterweight Headway either.

Everything about Roseland is kind of perfect. You very likely won’t have to wait as long as you do at The Big Three, and all the good stuff from them (delicious plain pizza, delicious clam pizza, proper Foxon Park) is here, as well as all the… “charming” stuff (“ah-beetz,” dumpy tiny bathrooms, wonky parking, sketchy cash policies…). And then there are the things that are just better here, like the full Italian menu, the bread baskets, and the pleasant wait staff.

I can see why there are holdouts who insist Roseland is tops in the state – which, by default, means the best in the country. I’m not ready to go that far, but I get it. I really do.

Derby Wrap-Up

Someone’s gotta be the smallest, right? In the case of Connecticut towns, it’s Derby. It’s a cute 5.3 square miles. Like you could just put the whole town in your pocket. Its historical society museum is in Ansonia. Every trail in town takes hikers into Ansonia in order to complete a loop.

But check this out: Derby use to be jacked. It used to extend way up the valley and towns that were later formed from parts of it were Oxford in 1798, Seymour in 1850, parts of Beacon Falls in 1871, and Ansonia in 1889. Kind of makes you wike wittle Dewrby ewen mowah, doesn’t it?

12 Derbies fit into New Milford.
1,046 Derbies fit into Connecticut.
107,668 Derbies fit into Alaska.

Derby is home to the first electric trolley system in New England, only the second in the United States… just barely missing the threshold of what’s CTMQ-worthy. The first electric locomotive in U.S. history to be built and successfully used commercially for hauling freight was built in the Dirty Derb. Thus ends the Wiki portion of this page.

Derby has more CTMQ “stuff” in it that other, larger towns. Two state run museums and a nice state park seem to take up a quarter of the town, but the main attractions here are pizza, wings, and beer. I’d say the Sterling Opera House would be up there if it were open and c’mon, let’s give the mighty Brian Denehy Bridge some love as well.

But yeah. Anyone coming to Derby from elsewhere is coming here for wings at the Dew Drop Inn, beer at BAD SONS Brewing, and/or pizza from Roseland Apizza. Period. And for such a small town, to have a couple “best ofs” within walking distance of each other is pretty rad.

Thought exercise: If I had to send someone to Derby for a daytrip, I think I just said it. Get a bunch of wings at the Dew Drop and walk them up to BAD SONS. Eat them there and enjoy a couple beers. Walk all of that off by hitting up Osbornedale State Park, go to one of the museums there if so inclined, then walk over to Roseland and stuff yourself. That’s a perfect afternoon and you needn’t even drive.

Surprise: I actually liked one or two of Dew Drops dopey “dessert wing” flavors
Favorite fact: Derby used to be way, way bigger back in the day, as noted above
Disappointment: The Sterling Opera House has gone to rot

Derby: Done!

Previous completed town: Newington!
Next completed town: TBD