Located in the “basement/dungeon” under Marygold’s On Main — according to its own website — Good Old Days Pizzeria & Cocktail Den is an underground gem located at 19 Main Street, right in the center of town.

Just as with Marygold’s, Good Old Days is owned by the dynamic entrepreneurs Clark and Kate Neugold.

Clark shared with The Newtown Bee that one of his early experiences in the culinary industry was making wood fired pizza at Stanziato’s in Danbury. His time at Stanziato’s, though, was only the start of his pizza-making journey.

I moved out to Hawaii,” he recalled, “and I pretty much did the same thing out there. I made some pizza and got to work at some really great restaurants, eventually becoming the Sous Chef at Top Chef Lee Ann Wong’s Koko Head Cafe.”

Given these experiences, Clark’s ambition to start his own pizzeria came as the next logical step in his culinary career. Unfortunate timing proved a challenge for Good Old Days, however. It first opened just as the COVID-19 pandemic struck the town and nation.

Clark shared that opening a business in that context forced him to improvise as a business owner and reimagine what a successful operation could look like under such trying conditions.

This particular business really comes from trying to COVID-proof a restaurant,” he explained. “We got our hands on this really special building, and it came with this little place in the basement that used to be Proud Mary’s,” he said of a previous incarnation of the historic location.

“We thought, how do you COVID-proof a business? We did this whole thing in 2020, and we thought about pizza and takeout and what that could be,” he added.

Despite these challenges, the business has enjoyed a good deal of success both coming out of the pandemic and beyond it into the return to normalcy.

“It just grew and grew from there,” he said. “Newtown’s not short on pizzerias, so we knew it had to be something different, something special, and I think we really nailed that one.”

One thing that serves to distinguish the experience at Good Old Days from the other fine pizzerias here in town, according to Clark, is the drinking options.

“Cocktails are the focus of the bar at Good Old Days, supported by a killer beer selection and approachable wines,” Clark said. “We’ve been so lucky in finding staff over the years who are just as passionate about the bar as I am about the kitchen.”

He added, “The experience itself inside is something totally unique to the area. There’s no cocktail programs that run congruent to a pizza product like we’re putting out there. We have the most amazing mixologist down there putting out really creative cocktails.”

Additionally, he mentioned two forms of pizza Good Old Days specializes in which cannot be found elsewhere in town: the thin and crispy bar pie and the square pies cooked in Lloyd pans.

The experience also distinguishes itself powerfully in terms of the ingredient quality Good Old Days brings to their dishes, with dough and sauce being made from scratch on-site, and local sourcing a top priority as the seasons allow.

“Both the doughs go through a pretty extensive fermentation process,” Clark shared. “Everything starts three or four days ahead of time as far as the dough is concerned.”

“On top of the pizzas,” he added, “it’s impeccable ingredients. All the sauces are made and packed every day. We have gallons and gallons of red sauce made every day and vodka sauce. Then when the farms are in season, we’re sourcing really incredible vegetables and local ingredients for the toppings and for the unique salads that we offer.”

In summary, Clark described the style at Good Old Days as a unique combination of an artisan process with remarkable high quality ingredient sourcing.

Sample of the Menu

Thin and Crispy Pies: Cheese; “La La Land,” with vodka sauce, mozzarella, basil and Parmesan cheese, and optional pepperoni and/or sausage; “White Lightning,” with mozzarella, roasted garlic, red onion, ricotta, pickled jalapeno and oregano; and “Heat of the Moment,” with red sauce, mozzarella, sweet sopressata, red onion, bomba calabrese, and honey.

Square Pies: “Bikini Bod,” with mozzarella, basil and rosemary, sesame seed crust, ricotta, and hot honey; “French Onion,” with mozzarella and gruyere, caramelized onions, and parsley, and optional bacon.

Dessert: Giant cookies and a rotating selection of others including choco tacos.

Appetizers: Hungry readers can stay on the lookout for rotating appetizers such as wings and fresh soups.

Good Old Days Pizza is open Mondays from 4-8 pm, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4-9 pm, Fridays from 4-10 pm, Saturdays from 12-10 pm, and Sundays from 12-8 pm. For more information, visit goodolddayspizza.com or visit the restaurant’s Instagram page @goodolddayspizza. Orders can be placed at 203-491-2920. Featured photos courtesy of Lisa Nicols and Bread and the Beast Photography.