The Charlton School

The Panza family has been serving up Italian food in Saratoga County for more than 80 years. And while the well-known Panza’s Restaurant relocated to South Broadway in 2019, the kitchen at the original location on the south side of Saratoga Lake is now known as Panza’s Brick Oven Pizza and is serving ample portions of Italian-American classics plus Neapolitan pizzas, burgers and wings in a casual setting. “We wanted a low-key, casual restaurant,” Michael Panza said. While not involved in the day-to-day operations, he is known to stop by to lend his vocal talents to live music nights. “We started with pizza and take-out and then Tina came on board and added to the menu.” Tina is Tina Marie Clements, a chef who has helmed many kitchens in the Capital Region including Clark’s Steakhouse (now The Basin Grill) in Schuylerville and Brown’s Brewing Company in Troy. But for Clements, it all began when she went to work for Tony Panza in the 1980s. “Tony taught me so much,” Clements said. “He believed in me and he is my hero. I’m so grateful to be back, it’s like I’ve come full circle.” Her confidence, experience and love of cooking is evident on the menu and on the plate. Clements wants to make sure there is something for everyone and honors long-standing Panza traditions. The menu boasts 11 Neapolitan pies including the pesto chicken pizza with a crispy crust and the telltale blistery bubbles at the edges, chopped grilled chicken, roasted red peppers and melty mozzarella. But Clements doesn’t take the credit for the classic pies. “Payton makes the crust and Mike makes the pizzas,” she said. “They do a fantastic job.” Also on offer are burgers, subs and chicken wings with choice of sauce. Diners familiar with Clements and her career will recognize the signature glaze on the bourbon glaze wings, which are baked and fried for crispiness then tossed in the sweet, caramelly glaze. For those looking for more than pizza and wings, Panza’s Brick Oven Pizza also offers traditional Italian-American dinner fare. There are nearly a dozen starters including a rich French onion soup, unique soups of the day and a basket of crunchy, buttery, garlicy garlic bread.

“Soups and sauces are my specialty,” said Clements who has taken top prize at Troy Chowderfest. The antipasto salad is large enough to share and comes with a bed of greens topped with antipasto standards like salami, pepperoni and capicola. Mild provolone slices are tucked into a corner with small mounds of pepperoncini, quartered artichoke hearts and strips of roasted red peppers completing the plate. The chicken cacciatore sees a juicy double-cut chicken breast smothered in a bright tomato sauce seated atop a bowl of penne pasta. The linguini and clams dinner features tender, sweet little neck clams and shrimp nestled around a mound of infinitely twirlable linguini in a rich butter garlic sauce. Gluten-free pastas and pizza crusts are available upon request. To experience another of Clements’ signature dishes, diners should make reservations for Wednesday nights, the only night of the week that prime rib is on offer. Requiring no fancy plating or additional garnish, the prime rib is an exercise in simple excess with an ample cut of meltingly tender beef served with traditional horseradish sauce and jus.