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Volume 23, Number 38
Local pizzeria offerings make it to store freezers By Everett Bishop Town Times
“My family and I would rent a place in Rhode Island every year for our vacation,” the business owner explained. “I’d make some pizzas, freeze them and bring them with us for a pizza night. For like 10 years we did that.”
BOE discusses regionalization, Korn building By Everett Bishop Town Times
It’s been nearly 18 years since Heath Andranovich opened Carmine’s Pizza and now the business is offering customers another way to enjoy their favorite pies. The local pizzeria is located in a strip mall at 16 Main St., Durham, but recently Carmine’s pizzas have become available at local supermarket thanks to Andranovich’s latest effort: frozen pizzas.
Friday, December 20, 2019
A public hearing regarding district regionalization has been set for early next year.
Heath Andranovich, owner of Carmine's Pizza in Durham, shows off one of his frozen pizzas, which are available in grocery stores across the northeast. Photos by Everett Bishop, Town Times
After some encouragement from his children, Andranovich began freezing his pizzas raw and selling them out of his restaurant. Now,
Carmine’s frozen pizzas are available at Stop & Shop, Stew Leonard’s, and several hometown markets across Connecticut and Massachusetts. Andranovich also hinted at a possible deal with Big Y and expansion into Long Island as well. But all this didn’t come as easy as making pizzas and dropping them off at grocery stores. Andranovich needed to deal with federal government requirements.
Board member Dr. Richard Taylor, representing the Utilization ComVeronesi mittee, held a vote to approve a letter from the Board of Education to the boards of selectmen in both Durham and Middlefield. The letter concerns the donation of the Korn School building to the town of Durham. The letter was approved unanimously.
At the RSD13 Board of Education meeting held on Tuesday, Dec. 10, the board voted on a resolution to hold a special district meeting on the proposed amendments to the regionalization plan for the district. This public hearing will give residents a chance to ask questions about the amended regionalization plan. It’s scheduled for 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 8, During the superintenat Coginchaug Regional dent’s report, Dr. Kathryn High School. Veronesi put forward A referendum on the pro- three votes to the board. posed amendments is ex- Each vote concerned pected to be held in mid- moving third, fifth and February. See BOE, A4
“I was in the stores and the USDA stopped me because there’s regulations. You can’t just sell third party stuff out of stores,” he said. Andranovich ended up renting a building, certified by both the USDA and FDA, behind his restaurant where the pizzas destined for stores would be prepared and distributed.
Andranovich slices into one of his spinach and ricotta creations.
“Everything is homemade and they’re old recipes and people enjoy them and that’s See Pizzeria, A4
A letter from the RSD13 Board of Education to the boards of selectmen in both Durham and Middlefield concerning the donation of the Korn School building, pictured, to the town of Durham was approved unanimously Dec. 10.