Business Profile: Upper Crust Pizza & Wings, Cortlandt
Photo credit: Neal Rentz
Montrose resident Chris Weisman knows his dough.
Last week he explained the origins of the term “upper crust.”
“Back in the days, when you had guests over for dinner you would serve your workers the burnt part of the bread. You’d serve the family the middle part and you’d serve your guests the upper crust,” Weisman said.
Weisman has been serving his customers the upper crust for about three months at his new business, Upper Crust Pizza & Pasta in Cortlandt in the Toddville Shopping Center on Route 202. “We serve our guests the upper crust, the best. No one gets the burnt ones,” he quipped.
“We’re known for our Sicilian. We double ferment it. It’s twice baked. It gives that real nice fluffy crust and that nice crunch on the bottom which is very difficult to find,” Weisman said.
Another specialty pizza served at Upper Crust, which is Weisman’s personal favorite, is the margherita, featuring fresh tomatoes, basil, mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil on a very thin crust. Another specialty pie features pulled pork and bacon, and Weisman also occasionally serves a Chicago-style deep dish pie.
Wings are an important item on the menu of the new eatery. “Wings are a growing trend,” Weisman said. “We do about 20 different flavors.” Patrons can get their wings roasted, twice baked or fried, he noted. “It’s a great finger food,” he said. “It’s like pizza; you can do anything to them.”
Weisman explained why he chose to open his restaurant in the location of a former pizzeria. “I’ve lived in the community for about 10 years. I’m very active in the Cortlandt American Little League,” Weisman said. “So I know a lot of the people around here and I just thought this was a great community to put a good, upscale pizzeria.”
“We want everyone around here to feel that this is their pizzeria,” Weisman said. “I want people to know that I really put 110 percent of everything I have into this place.”
Weisman said he likes to give back to the community by such means as donating pizzas to Walter Panas High School. For about two years, ending in 2013, he prepared the pizzas for the school’s cafeteria.
Upper Crust is not “your run of the mill pizzeria,” Weisman said. “We like to have little different things on the menu like a calamari salad, which is something you don’t find in all pizzerias.”
Weisman said he prides himself on the quality of ingredients he includes in his dishes. He makes fresh mozzarella cheese and purchases a “five-star rated” mozzarella from a company in Wisconsin and tomato sauce from California.
To try to stand out from other local pizza eateries, “We just try to use the freshest and wholesome ingredients,” Weisman said, adding he buys items from the Hunts Point Market in New York City three times a week.
The restaurant business has been a lifelong passion for Weisman, who has worked in the industry for about 20 years. “It’s something that, believe it or not, just gets under your skin and you can’t get rid of it,” he said. “It’s a passion. I’m like a pizza nerd. I love to learn. I’m still young, 38 years old. I still love to learn everything about pizza.”
Upper Crust Pizza & Wings is located at 2141 Crompond Rd. in Cortlandt Manor. For more information, call 914-788-1801.
