GREENWICH, CT — The food scene in Greenwich has a new entrant in the form of Luca’s Pizzeria and Italian Kitchen, which will officially open its doors on Friday, April 12 at 11 a.m.

Located in the Glenville Shopping Center at 21 Glenville St., the restaurant is owned by Joe Criscuolo and named after his father, Luca, who founded Pizza Post in Greenwich over 50 years ago.

At the heart of Luca’s is the pizza, and the menu is influenced by Criscuolo’s upbringing in the Bronx, his pizza experience in Connecticut and his yearly family trips to the Amalfi Coast in Italy.

“I wanted to merge the three places — it’s really a reflection of how I grew up,” Criscuolo said.

The pizza crust is thin and crisp and has a bit of a char. The tomato sauce has a pinch of salt, according to Criscuolo.

“I wanted to do something lighter, and I was inspired by some of my favorite places,” he said, pointing to New Haven and New York-style pizza.

There are a variety of toppings available at Luca’s, as well as some specialty pies, like the Killer Bee, which has pepperoni, hot honey, Calabrian chili, basil and grana padano.

The menu also features a variety of classic pasta dishes, Italian sandwiches, salads and Italian specialties, some with a modern twist.

There’s tagliatelle bolognese with a classic beef meat sauce. Homemade mozzarella sticks are served with hot honey or sauce. Grilled pizza bread is served with whipped ricotta, with the choice of hot honey, or mortadella, or prosciutto. There are also cacio e pepe fried Neapolitan pasta bites.

“My dad taught me how to make pizza, and my mom taught me how to cook,” Criscuolo said, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. “The Sunday Sauce is inspired by her Sunday sauce. It’s not exactly like hers, but it’s pretty close.”

The sauce can be found on the Sunday Sauce pizza or the rigatoni.

Another favorite for Criscuolo is the garlic monkey bread.

“Everybody has garlic bread, everybody has garlic knots. I thought, ‘How could I merge the two ideas?’ A monkey bread seemed like a logical way to do it.”

Pieces of bread combine with garlic, butter and cheese, and it’s baked in a small pan.

“The whole outside gets very crisp, and the inside gets nice and soft, so you just have fun pulling it apart,” Criscuolo said.

Criscuolo has made pizza and Italian cuisine at various pizzerias in Fairfield County, and he’s helped run Pizza Post for years. He has also worked with Lidia Bastianich, the Emmy Award-winning television host, best-selling cookbook author and restaurateur.

The inspiration for Luca’s, of course, came from his father.

“Without him, I wouldn’t have the inspiration to do this,” Criscuolo said.

For Luca, he said he was “really surprised” to find out his son named the pizzeria after him.

“I love it, and I’ll never forget it,” Luca said. “It’s really nice.”

When asked if he offered any advice to his son, Luca said Joe didn’t need any.

“I’m very proud of him because he really continued the family tradition,” Luca said.

The first 50 customers on Friday, April 12, will receive a complimentary order of garlic monkey bread with any purchase.

Additionally, a portion of opening day proceeds will go to Abilis, the Greenwich-based nonprofit organization that supports more than 800 individuals with special needs and their families in lower Fairfield County.

Luca’s will be open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday, and will expand its hours in the future.

Customers can come in and grab a bite at the pizzeria, or order for pickup and delivery. Luca’s also offers catering services.

For more information and to view the full menu, click here.