Naples on Pizza Row: How the Zeneli Brothers Brought Bufala Mozzarella and a Gold Oven to Wooster Street

On Wooster Street, between the coal-fired legends that made New Haven’s pizza famous, a gold-domed oven from Naples has been turning out a different kind of pie since 2019. Soft, blistered, personal-sized Neapolitan pizzas. Fresh mozzarella stretched in-house. Pasta that tastes like southern Italy, not Connecticut Italian-American red sauce.

Zeneli Pizzeria e Cucina Napoletana, at 138 Wooster St., is the project of Albanian-born, Naples-raised brothers who decided the best place to prove themselves was on Pizza Row. Their website puts it plainly: if destiny is marked in the stars, the time had come to make their skills known on American soil.

Here is who they are, how they landed in Wooster Square, what locals say, and what to order when you walk in.

Four brothers, Albania, then Naples

The story on Zeneli’s own site begins in coastal Albania, where a family lived off the land, then jumps to the 1990s, when four brothers left home for Naples. Each took a specialty. Aleko became the people’s person with entrepreneurial skills. Jetmir tended the family lands and cattle to produce milk for cheese. Jeshar learned mozzarella di bufala from an old local cheesemaker. Gazmir, the master pizzaiolo, learned how to turn dough into pies at a young age.

They spent more than 20 years in that Neapolitan world before bringing the brand Zeneli — “a typical pizzeria, and Cucina Napoletana” — to Wooster Street, the restaurant says.

The New Haven Independent reported in August 2019 that Gazmir, Aleko and Jeshar Zeneli opened the restaurant with a ribbon cutting that included then-Mayor Toni Harp. Gazmir told the Independent he had spent nine years as the head pizza chef for New York’s Eataly, perfecting the Queen Margherita-style pie, and that the brothers were born in Albania but grew up in Caserta, near Naples — buffalo mozzarella country.

Why open on Pizza Row?

Gazmir’s answer, at the ribbon cutting, was pure challenge. “New Haven is all about pizza,” he told the Independent. Why not go to the center of the pizza universe if you want to prove yourself?

Inside, a gold-plated, wood-fired oven anchors the room. The Independent described Gazmir walking through a Margherita: Caputo flour dough risen for 24 hours, fresh tomato sauce, basil, homemade buffalo mozzarella, a few minutes in the oven, then Sorrento extra virgin olive oil. “Instead of taking 11 hours on an airplane,” he said, “we want to bring Naples right here.”

Harp, tasting the pizza that day, told the crowd: “You haven’t tasted anything yet until you’ve tasted Zeneli’s.”

Still expanding on Wooster Street

The brothers have kept investing in the block. In 2021 they bought the former La Bella Vita liquor store building at 175 Wooster St., the Independent reported in August 2026, and in May 2026 they won a special exception for a second restaurant there. In August 2026, through Troja LLC, Jeshar and Gazmir Zeneli paid $1.5 million for the retail-apartment building at 171-173 Wooster St., city land records showed.

“We purchased 173 Wooster Street because we believe the property is a good investment and adds value to our other property in the area. We also see it as a long-term investment for our family,” Jeshar and Gazmir told the Independent. One brother plans to live in an apartment there. The new restaurant at 175 Wooster, they said, was still being finalized for Building Department approval.

What locals say

Zeneli posts a selection of customer reviews on its homepage. “I wish I could give this place ten stars. True, authentic Naples-style pizza,” Samantha wrote, saying she had just returned from Naples and found the pie delicious, delicate and fresh, with excellent staff and a family atmosphere.

Donghoon wrote that he had tried New Haven’s famous spots and found Zeneli different: “Their dough is exceptional and all ingredients are fresh and made onsite.” Sarah said the staff explained the restaurant’s history, called the Naples oven beautiful, and noted that they even made a “pizza bunny” for her child.

Hernandez praised the friendly owner and said the pizzas and pasta were delicious, with “a lot of Italians dining there, which can only be a good sign.” Osama called it “by far the best of pizza here in new haven,” and Andrew urged people to try “this gem before everyone realizes how great it is.”

What to order

These dishes come from Zeneli’s menu. Prices on the site are listed and may change; check before you go. Photos are from the restaurant’s own site.

Margherita. San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and extra virgin olive oil — the classic. There is also a Margherita Verace with bufala mozzarella.

Bufalina. San Marzano sauce, cherry tomato, Prosciutto di Parma, basil and olive oil.

Ventura. A white pie: fresh mozzarella, baby arugula, Prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano Reggiano and olive oil.

Calzone Napoletano. Fresh ricotta, fresh mozzarella, prosciutto cotto, San Marzano tomato sauce and basil, folded and baked.

Gnocchi alla Sorrentina. Fresh potato gnocchi with San Marzano tomato sauce, basil and fresh chopped mozzarella.

Cacio e pepe. Spaghetti with black pepper, Parmigiano Reggiano, pecorino Romano and butter.

Homemade meatballs. Three beef meatballs with San Marzano tomato sauce and toasted house bread — a popular antipasto.

Bufala mozzarella or fresh burrata. Start with the cheese the brothers still treat as a craft: arugula, cherry tomatoes, sea salt, basil and olive oil.

If you go

Zeneli Pizzeria e Cucina Napoletana is at 138 Wooster St., New Haven. TripAdvisor and other listings give the phone as 203-745-4194. Hours listed on local directories are typically 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, closed Tuesday — confirm before you go at zenelipizzeria.com.

It sits on the same historic stretch as Frank Pepe and Sally’s, but the style is Neapolitan, not coal-fired New Haven apizza. Come for the soft, blistered crust and the mozzarella, and leave room for pasta.

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