Pizza Panels
Sit in on pizza panels throughout the day with some local legends of the CT Pizza Scene! All hosted by New Haven Pizza School’s Frank Zabski, “The Pizza Gavone.”
All pizza panels are free with your CT Pizza & Brew Fest tickets.
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Learn how to make New Haven Style Apizza from Frank Zabski, owner of New Haven Pizza School. Frank has taught close to 4,500 students over the last three years how to make the best pizza in the world, called New Haven Style. All ingredients can be sourced at your local grocery store with easy to bake instructions using your home oven. You’ll learn everything from dough to dish.
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Listen to iconic pizzeria owners and family members of some of the most famous pizzerias in CT, such as Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, Ernie’s Pizzeria of Westville, Abate Apizza and Restaurant, Grand Apizza, Big Green Pizza Truck, and Sally’s Apizza. Each pizzeria will get ten minutes to tell their story, followed by an open Q&A session.
Frank Zabski, owner of New Haven Pizza School
About Frank Zabski:
Born in the second pizza capital of the world, West Haven, Frank grew up eating New Haven-style apizza for as long as he can remember. Whether it was Zuppardi’s, Mike’s Apizza, Danny’s Expresso, Luigi’s, or Vesuvio’s, each spot was a regular pizzeria for him on any given week. Frank first started making pizza at the St. John Vianney Carnival in West Haven during the ‘80s where he’d help make pizza fritta (fried dough) and often would debate whether “sauce and grated cheese” or “powdered sugar” belonged on the pizzas! In the early ‘90s, Frank was introduced to Wooster Street. Wooster Street is the home of New Haven pizza legends such as Sally’s and Pepe’s and of course, you can’t forget dessert at Libby’s Bakery. It was love at first bite.
In 2012, Frank decided to take his passion for New Haven apizza and combine it with his love of music. Frank launched Fired Up Pizza Truck and aimed to “bring the party to you, not just the pizza.” Fired Up Pizza Truck catered to parties from 50-125 people and was known in the New Haven area for serving delicious New Haven Style apizza, Foxon Park soda, and creating custom playlists for each party per the host’s request.
In 2020, as a distraction from Covid, Frank started a Facebook group called “All About New Haven Style Apizza.” The idea was simply to create a happy place for people to go and talk about pizza, share their tips and tricks, and also give their opinion on their favorite pizzerias or pies. The Facebook group grew exponentially, and shortly after Frank formed The Pizza Gavones which was a comedy trio that does pizza reviews. In addition to creating The Pizza Gavones, Frank creates YouTube videos on how to make New Haven style apizza right from your home as well as other Italian American eats.
Most recently Frank started New Haven Pizza School which he runs out of Next Door in New Haven, CT. Simple premise is to teach people how to make New Haven Style pizza or Apizza as we call it around CT. Dough, sauce, stretching, assembling, launching, baking and eat are all included in this three-hour class. In addition to all this a brief history of New Haven Pizza and dough spinning is included in the class. Brick & Mortar, Team building, lunch and learns, Ooni and wood fired oven training are all options at the school.
Frank and his school have been featured or mentioned in major publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and The New York Times. He has also been featured on Channel 8’s Nyberg several times, WFSB Connecticut, News 12, New Haven Register and Hartford Courant.