You may have remembered John’s Best in its much smaller nook by the old Fine Arts Theater and what is now the Kohl’s Plaza on Federal Road.  Years of wear and tear took their toll on business owners who stopped renewing their leases in search of greener pastures; but John’s Best survived.  Ultimately one of the last to stay afloat, brothers Libero and Enrico moved up the street, into the Shop Rite Plaza about a year and a half ago.  Libero sees his regulars and many new faces in his new, higher traffic environment.    

Not only has the customer base expanded, but the dining room as well.  A very homey environment offers the best of both worlds to diners.  On the left is their newly renovated dining room.  Fresco style murals with ships and villas lined with cypress trees adorn the walls above diners, creating a true southern Italian feel.  To the right, customers can pick up a slice at the pizza bar.  You can choose from an array of delicious pizzas or order your favorite.  Their Neapolitan pie is exquisite, as it should be.  The Pugliese brothers are first generation Italians who grew up in the city that pioneered pizza: Naples.

A short history of the Naples pizza: Originally sold in Naples as street fare for peasants, pizza gained in popularity .  Pizza as we know it was shaped in the late 1800s after the solidification of the Italian flag.  It’s colors, green white, red were represented by plum tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, and basil.  This style known as either Margherita, or Neapolitan, made its way to New York with the first generation Italian Americans.  Immigration brought a great deal to the table.  Culture in the United States changed overnight.  Soon there were dozens of countries who brought their languages, traditions, trades, and cuisines to their new home in the city.  Italians settled mostly in the middle of lower Manhattan, an area still recognized today as Little Italy.  This is where the magic happened and pizza first took root.  The traditional Neapolitan pizza soon became a favorite of New Yorkers.  This epicenter soon resonated across the country and the globe.

John’s Best also has wonderful Italian cuisine to offer from appetizers to dessert.  Their portions are generous and fantastic.  To Libero, great food starts with quality ingredients and their success proves it.  Nothing beats fresh, homemade food.  John’s Best is delicious and comforting.  Nothing, however, is more inviting than the staff at John’s Best.  Always welcoming with a smile, the hostesses, waiters, waitresses and owners are friendly and knowledgeable.

John’s Best Pizza is located on 143 Federal Road in the Shop Rite Plaza in Brookfield, Connecticut.  They offer dining in and take out services as well as a full line catering menu.  Weekly specials are Monday (all you can eat cheese ravioli, manicotti, shells, lasagna, baked ziti, and garlic bread for $8.95), Tuesday (all you can eat pasta with any sauce or meat and garlic bread for $8.95), and Wednesday (any chicken entrée, mussels marinara, or eggplant Parmigiana for $10.95).  Their hours are Monday through Thursay 11am–10pm, Friday and Saturday 11am–11pm, and Sunday 12pm–10pm.