Village Pizza

Photos by Bobby Tewksbury

Village Pizza is on Dixie Drive. Even though it’s on one of the busiest roads in the city, it’s not easy to find. They have a big sign that says “Village Pizza” but you can only see the sign if you’re in the southbound lanes, and if you’re heading south on Dixie, you can’t make a left into the parking lot. You’ll have to go further south, make a U-ee and double back. Approaching the shop heading north the signs say “Breakfast” and “Lunch”. An identifier is that the building is bright yellow and red. Some people will recognize the building design as an old Denny’s. It’s not easy or obvious, but most good things aren’t easy or obvious. You’ll want to persist. It’s worth it.

There’s a part of Dixie Drive, north of downtown, roughly at the Wagner Ford exit from I-75 where roads and buildings have been under repair or construction for years. The chaos on the highway is a gift from the state, but the off-center oddness in the neighborhood was brought here by the big tornados in 2019. Car lots and old homes converted into business offices were knocked flat The Living Room “gentlemen’s club” took a direct hit. The pile of rubble left from that was two doors north of Village Pizza, which was not untouched. The south wall of windows was destroyed. Now that we’ve struggled with all of that context there are a couple of things that need to be said. One of them is “There is much more here than pizza.” And the other thing to say is “Hearty! Robust! Full-Flavored.”

There are remarkable stews available with names like Dimlama. That’s not on the Ethnosh menu, but if you need fuel for
hard work in harsh weather, this is the answer. It’s also good for a day of relaxation.

You’ll meet Gulnaz. She speaks four languages and she runs the show around here.
 

One of the joys of Ethnosh is that we not only encounter different foods, we encounter different philosophies about food. Lately we’ve seen devotion to authenticity from the foreign land. We’ve seen community expressed through food. Regional differences are brought forward with pride. Now we’re going to encounter Uzbekistan and Georgia. Gulnaz is the archetype character bringing food from the kitchen and saying “Eat. Eat. Have more.” She wants you to enjoy the food. “Here, here. You must try this.”
 

And she’s right. It’s all delicious. Grilled meats and vegetables on a big platter surrounded by side dishes with all sorts of flavors. We can generally say this is Turkish Mediterranean food.
 

Gulnaz tells us that they called it Village Pizza to bring in the crowd, but they always had the Turkish menu. You’ll sample both at Ethnosh. At first she says, it was almost all pizza sales. But now it is half pizza and half from the other menu. Importantly, it’s also Halal food. Which means the meats were prepared according to Muslim traditions. So Village Pizza has become a popular celebration spot for Muslim events. The room will accommodate all sorts of parties from large banquet tables to ballroom type spaces with tables on outer walls. But she is quick to point out that all nationalities come for dinner. Mexicans are very fond of their food.
 

“We can do anything,” Gulnaz says, talking about room set up. But you know there is a much larger meaning. As a teenager, she was a refugee with her whole family, her whole community, from Uzbekistan. “You just stick with your people. They said to us ‘you’re going to war’ and then the whole population moves. They said “you’re going to kill your people” right? Why should we do it? And if you’re not gonna do it, you move, right?”
 

There is a lot to the story. There is much movement as the USSR comes apart and Russia takes charge. The Catholic Charities got involved in this case and moved the family to Connecticut. At first they were scared but then they began to love Hartford. The charity took good care of them. Provided housing and education. “They were the best teachers.” Gulnaz says. She’s a willing storyteller, so don’t hesitate to ask questions.