MONROE, Conn. — Alfonzo DeSimone Sr., a Neapolitan immigrant, prepared pizza pies in his business, Savoy Bakery, in the rear of the three-family home he and his wife, Assunta, built on Madison Avenue in Bridgeport. They carried the food to a house next door, where it was served to customers in the dining room.
This was the start of DeSimone’s new business venture, which led to his family’s ownership of Jennie’s Pizzeria, which is now the oldest pizzeria in Fairfield County and 17th oldest in the United States.
“That was in 1920, before Pepe’s,” his grandson, Al DeSimone said of another famous Connecticut pizzeria during a Friday morning interview at Jennie’s, 380 Monroe Turnpike in Monroe. “He delivered back then too.”
His grandfather later became a silent partner with Jerry Curcurello who started Jennie’s Pizzeria on Grand Street in Bridgeport in 1935, naming it after his wife. DeSimone and his son-in-laws, Peter Corbesato and Nick Pinto, later bought Curcurello out in 1942 and the eatery, eventually moved across the street, then replaced Lums restaurant on Main Street in the city’s North End, before moving to its current home in Monroe in 1999.
It has remained in the DeSimone family, spanning three generations. DeSimone’s son, Alfonzo DeSimone Jr., joined the business after serving in World War II and his two sons, Al and Richard eventually took over operations.
Last year, Jennie’s celebrated its 90th anniversary.
“It’s the way we do things: quality, quantity, the reputation, our customer service,” Al DeSimone said of reasons for Jennie’s longevity.
“And we don’t sleep at night,” Richard added with a chuckle.
“We have a very loyal following,” Al said. “We have people who came here with their parents, who now bring their own kids. And we have some employees who have been here 35 years and past employees who were here for 45 years.”
Jennie’s has been a part of the biggest moments in many their patrons’ lives.
In addition to Jennie’s indoor dining and takeout service, the restaurant hosts social events, including baby showers, First Communions and Confirmations, birthdays, high school graduation parties, bridal parties and anniversaries, as well as bereavement gatherings during the day.
To accommodate the growing room-rental business and patrons frequenting the dining room, Jennie’s opened a new dining room and bar in 2021. It is one-and-a-half times the size of the old dining room and seats 75 patrons. The Wine Room, which is used for hosting parties, is permanently housed in the older dining area.
Jennie’s also has a takeout area, where it sells drinks, grab-and-go meals, house prepared dressings and marinara sauce, cakes and other deserts, shelves of Italian specialty items and bottles of Mondavi wine, as well as a selection of other vintages.
A Super Sunday deal
As Jennie’s embarks on its 91st year, the restaurant is offering a deal this Super Bowl Sunday. Large cheese pizzas will be sold for $9.10. For information on the restaurant’s hours, visit its website.
Community involvement
On Friday, Jennie’s was preparing 55 pizzas for Monroe Elementary School’s Sweetheart Dance. Over the years, the family restaurant has either offered pizzas at steep discounts or donated food outright to community organizations and events.
Jennie’s has catered for St. Jude Church’s annual Italian Festival for many years, provides the dough for the fried dough at St. Peter’s Grace Episcopal Church’s annual Apple Festival, and the volunteers for Monroe Congregational Church’s annual Strawberry Festival order from Jennie’s.
The restaurant also donates pizzas to the Monroe Police Department’s annual Night at the Park.
Family recipes
Jennie’s website promotes its “delicious cuisine and hand-crafted traditional pizza with the secret tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and freshly made dough.”
“In addition to our famous pizza, Jennie’s is well known around Fairfield County for its authentic Italian fare made with the freshest ingredients and always from the heart,” the site says.
Richard DeSimone said all of their dishes are family recipes.
The most popular pizzas, according the brothers, is the margarita and Pop’s Hot Oil, and the speciality is the No. 1. “That’s our super works,” Richard said. “It has cheese, onions, peppers, meatballs, pepperoni, bacon and sausage.”
The most popular dishes include chicken francese and chicken and eggplant parm.
Over the years, the DeSimones have enjoyed the appreciation expressed by their loyal patrons, whose taste buds have influenced the evolution of their menu.
“People actually call and compliment us, saying, ‘your catering was out of this world. I will recommend you,'” Al said.
“When we have a special, they’ll say, ‘when are you making it again?’ and ‘you have to put this on the menu,'” Richard said with a smile. “The customers are fantastic.”
Aside from Monroe, Jennie’s attracts customers from places like Bridgeport, Newtown, Easton and even New Haven, according to the DeSimones.
Though the brothers chose to stay in the family business, they said their children, who had also worked there growing up, have since moved on and have children of their own. But the DeSimones believe Jennie’s will live on.
“The business can pretty much run itself,” Al said. “If someone took it over or a restaurant group buys it, we could stay on on a limited basis and advise them.”
For information on Jennie’s Pizzeria, call the restaurant at 203-452-2435, visit its website or follow it on Facebook.
All respectful comments with the commenter’s first and last name are welcome.
Wish the new generation was taking over.