Fortunate Son, A New Haven-style “A-Pizzaeria” From the Team at Goodfriend

Dallas' diverse pizza scene includes Neapolitan, Detroit, New York and Chicago pizza. But have you ever tried New Haven-style pizza? It’s the fiery, crispy and bold descendant of Neapolitan pizza, created in the early 20th century by Italian immigrants in New Haven, Connecticut, who yearned for flavors from their homeland.

The term “apizza” itself sets New Haven apart. The initial “a” reflects the Italian dialect spoken in the Naples region. These pizzas take on an oval shape and are intentionally charred longer and at a slightly lower temperature than their Neapolitan counterparts. The sourdough undergoes extended fermentation, resulting in a firmer, chewier crust compared to the quick-rise New York style.

Paul Giamatti recently raved about New Haven-style pizza as the best pizza on the planet, particularly the clam pie at Pepe’s Pizzeria, during an interview with Jimmy Kimmel. Having personally experienced the delights of Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria in New Haven, we couldn’t resist checking out the newly opened Fortunate Son when we spotted a clam pie on their menu. Fortunate Son, named for the iconic song by Creedence Clearwater Revival, opened in late March in the downtown Garland square and is the brainchild of Matt Tobin and Josh Yingling, the owners behind Goodfriend Beer Garden & Burger House and Goodfriend Package. The menu focuses specifically on New Haven-style pizzas and other Italian-American dishes. The location offers a casual and laidback atmosphere with indoor and outdoor dining and is an ideal place for large groups and families. The centerpiece of the outdoor space is a massive oak tree that is wrapped to the top in white lights, contributing to a lovely ambiance, especially at night.

The downtown square in Garland just completed a $24 million revitalization project that added a park and lawn in the middle to attract people and new businesses to the area.
In the center of the restaurant is a full U-shaped bar with about 25 seats. And as at Goodfriend, there's an extensive craft beer selection as well as wine and cocktails.

Our meal started with Millie’s Meatballs — Texas Wagyu beef meatballs with by San Marzano sauce and ricotta cheese. The meatballs were nicely browned on the outside and juicy on the inside; the combination of textures and flavors was delightful.

Fortunate Son offers two sizes of pizza: a personal 12-inch or a regular 18-inch that is enormous and easily shareable for a table of four. We opted for two of the personal-sized pizzas. Our first choice was the clam pizza — a white sauce base adorned with fresh clams, mozzarella, olive oil, rosemary, garlic, pecorino, black pepper and lemon. While we wish there were more clams, the buttery, garlicky goodness left us craving another slice.
Our other pizza choice was the Meatzilla pizza, loaded with pepperoni, calabrese sausage, housemade spicy sausage, Wagyu meatballs, pancetta, mozzarella, ricotta and a touch of hot honey. It was an indulgent feast with a nice kick of spice.
We managed to save room for dessert and opted for the cannoli. The cannoli shells were cooked to a beautiful golden brown, and the traditional ricotta cream inside had specks of chocolate chips. A great treat to round out our meal.

We will definitely return to try more of the menu as we saw several items being ordered by other tables that piqued our interest, specifically the potato and pancetta pizza: a white sauce pizza topped with shaved potatoes and shallots, fontina, duck fat, pancetta and scallions.

Not in the mood for pizza? There are several sandwich, salad and pasta options available, including clam spaghetti, chicken parmesan, meatball sandwiches and Italian subs.

So, if you’re in the Garland area, venture beyond the usual pizza suspects and savor the bold flavors of a New Haven-style pizza at Fortunate Son. You’ll be glad you did.

Fortunate Son, 500 Main St., Garland. Daily, 4 p.m. – midnight.