The Little Rendezvous — Restaurant in Meriden

So heard alot of hype for this place and thought to check it out. I grew up around the shoreline so pizza I know. Always saw this place around and good pizza in Meriden would never think existed but it seems this place has recieved a stamp of approval. So, the building is authentic and unique as you step in but looses appeal in the dining area where your met with a classic wooden bench and table setup which is good but just looks unkept and in the corner there is a clearly dusty tarp covering something, but as I walk in further the restaraunt gives a better feel entering into the reception/ kitchen cook zone which gave me better reassurance of the place. Nonetheless I ordered a large mozarella pizza a standard for judging a pizza place and I thought with the 2 hour wait time that this pizza should be specially good. To my surprise pizza was waiting on the front counter in the box open and as I let them know I was here to pickup they immediately cut the pizza and closed it up to serve to me. In and out I was eager to take my first bite of a hot pizza. I get in my car open up the box and it looked like the other reviews I have seen which for me the appearance of the pizza is not great but I thought about the great reviews a 9 out of 10 it has recieved so I dove in. The pizza has no cheese pull and it wa tearing off pretty tough. As I took my first bite the immediate thing I noticed was the sauce and lack of flavor. To me it was equivalant to tasting a tombstone pizza or even a Dominoes old style sauce pizza. 130yrs plus of making pizza and the taste leaves me wanting more out of the pizza as it has such potential with the way that its made, the oven they use. Maybe I should've gotten extra cheese and it may taste better but this pizza lacks the taste of a pizza shop and lands more in the realm of a backyard homemade pizza or even a frozen pizza. For a 2hour wait I'm not sure what the buzz is about. Nowhere near compared to NewHaven pizza and does not even land higher than most pizza joints who have been in business for only 5 years. I'll rather eat Dominos than this. The 2 stars are for the brick oven style, friendly service and that they give an authentic feel for pizza making but it really needs to work on thier sauce and cheese factor combination. The crust not bad but only good when freshly made and hot but after that the cold factor sets in for this pizza is nothing to look forward to. Its even worst. I'm disappointed in the aspect this place is being considered as a top notch spot. Its clearly not. I give it a 4 out of 10 rating. Don't think I would waste my time...

Points for Style, humility, ambiance.....authentic interior, low rent, pass the savings onto the custy vibe, basil in sauce, slightly sweet, totally dank, semolina dust on the interior surfaces? I ordered a Roni Medium pie which was paddle added to the waiting box bubbling, steaming, cheese writhing, spitting.....all framed by a serious looking prep and delivery space with weathered ovens sitting tall like a judges bench, austere and grand, simple......coughing, slightly dusted black, reminding me of my time in China, where coal was burned for heat and cooking all winter.....coal dust.....the natural cousin of the petro chemical.... A 6:15 Saturday pickup, ordered 4 hours prior....I walked into an empty restaurant, that looked recently vacated.....into the rear cavernous lair i strolled....... The pizza was was delicious, hot, sweet sauce with Herbs....I say Herbs with an English accent BTW.....great crust, no mess, easy bites cut, symmetrical laid ingredients......worthy of a visit and and linger.....Ive driven by this place many times and never knew the secrets that existed here.....so many lunches I ate off 91/Merritt were of a local steamed variety.....Now i have a new Pie in my rotation.....

And to think I never knew about this place, except for a recent review by The Fireside Gourmet.....who took one bite and scribbled into a notebook ominously.....solemnly.....

This place has the genre perfected, and our community should close ranks and embrace these small businesses that contribute to a true authentic and organic development of our cities and villages......

9.26.2025 UPDATE XXXXXXX??????$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ The pizza has gotten better here.....or stayed the same and I just like it more....I tried to not love the pizza, I treated it badly, took it on a bumpy road home, I left it out of site like a red headed step child to work and tidy up, I was trying to make the pizza stale and out of my window of freshness.....the boxed lid jumped and breathed, speaking to me: eat me, eat me ....I did.....it was great excellent flavors, textures, look im not the fireside gourmet...........in the middle of the night in my boxers I ate another slice and the sauce was chilled, I have slight C cups as a result: man boobs,.....I took a Gelusil, took a shot of children's prescription Chocolate milk and toked my vape pen.....dreaming of Pizzas.....this pizza is sensational and Ive been eating everyday my whole life ok........, the guys all welcomed me instantly with smiles....boxes lined up...trap back...

Let’s be clear. There are pizzerias, and then there is this Little rendezvous. I’ve… taken the time to verify this.

The facade is… acceptable. Unassuming brick. A simple, sans-serif font on the signage. It doesn’t try too hard. It doesn’t need to. You understand? The confidence is implicit. It’s not screaming for your attention like some… garish franchise on the turnpike.

I ordered a large cheese. The baseline. The control. One must always test the fundamental elements before appreciating the more complex… variations.

The crust. It possesses a… notable structural integrity. A pronounced charring on the underside, a complex carbon scoring that suggests a genuine coal-fired oven, not some… electric imitation. It’s not mere cooking. It’s a form of alchemy. The transformation of base matter. The crunch is audible, a clean, sharp report that denotes a perfect thermal transfer. It doesn’t… fold. It supports.

The sauce. Acidic. Bright. But not… overwhelming. It doesn’t seep through the foundation like a… a vulgar, sugary mistake. It stays in its designated zone. It knows its place. The ratio of sauce to cheese is… precise. Calculated. There’s a thought behind it.

The cheese. The mozzarella. It’s not the pre-shredded, cellulose-dusted abomination you find at lesser establishments. This is a whole-milk cheese, blistered and browned in a specific, irregular pattern. The pull… is substantial. It requires a certain… commitment to separate a slice. It’s a transaction. You must exert a force to receive the reward.

I ate it at my condo. I used a titanium cutter. The slices were geometrically perfect. Isosceles triangles. The flavor profile was… efficient. No single component fought for dominance. It was a hierarchy of taste, a perfectly structured organization where every element understands its role and performs it without complaint.

It’s not… transcendent. The ambiance, from my brief observational pass, is… functional. Utilitarian. There are likely imperfections I did not directly observe. But as a system? As a mechanism for delivering a specific culinary experience? It is… impeccable.

Four stars. A testament to flawless execution within its defined parameters. It is better than you are. It doesn’t have to be nice to you.

Now, if you'll excuse me. I have a…...