P&M Fine Foods is an Italian market, delicatessen and catering company that opened in Branford,…read moreConnecticut in 1985. It was founded by husband and wife Mario & Maria Ciccone. The Ciccone family has origins from Naples, Italy. The family-owned market specializes in fresh produce, freshly baked breads, prepared dishes, various Italian imports, and catering services. In 2009, the Ciccone family purchased the Orange Street Market in New Haven's East rock neighborhood and turned it into P&M's second location. A third location opened in Hamden in 2022, but it closed down the following year. In recent years, Mario & Maria have taken a step back and let their sons Bruno and Joseph "Pino" take over. Bruno handles business at the original Branford location while Pino runs things at the New Haven location. Pino also owns Enoteca Cassanova (a liquor store), which is right next to the New Haven location.
My family and I just visited P&M Orange Street Market for the first time. This was our first visit to either of P&M's locations. We really liked the market which featured a lot of great fresh foods, prepared dishes, and other products. But the main reason we came to P&M was for their pizza! Beginning in 2024, P&M began hosting "Pizza on the Patio" every Wednesday from 4-8pm throughout the warmer months. Their pizza trailer parks in front of the storefront and slings up delicious wood-fired pies. The chalkboard menu changes up every week, depending on which ingredients are fresh and available. After looking over the menu, we ordered and shared a "Cheese Pizza", the "High Heat" (Margherita w/ cherry peppers & hot honey), and "The Charmer" (circular panini w/ burrata, mortadella, arugula, cherry tomatoes, topped w/ EVOO, balsamic glaze & crushed pistachios). Holy moly! This pizza was fantastic! Excellent sauce and just the right amount of char around the edges of the crust (which you don't always see with wood-fired pizza). All of the toppings tasted super fresh too! "The Charmer", which was essentially a panini-pizza hybrid, was very interesting. The friendly staff told us that it was the first time it was ever featured on the menu. We really enjoyed our experience at P&M Orange Street Market and hope to return for another pizza night soon!