Kittery, Maine, while famed for its outlet shopping, harbors culinary treasures beyond retail therapy. Venture beyond Wallingford Square and up Route 1, and you’ll discover When Pigs Fly Pizzeria, a dining destination that significantly expands on the reputation of its widely loved bakery bread. My recent visit revealed a restaurant that offers a far richer experience than just exceptional pizza. Housed in a distinctive dark grey building with a welcoming front porch, the establishment cleverly divides itself, with a retail store showcasing their signature breads and gourmet condiments on one side, and the inviting restaurant on the other.
Within the restaurant’s kitchen, Chef Rob Martin orchestrates a symphony of flavors, drawing upon a remarkable culinary background. His impressive resume includes stints at prestigious establishments like Le Bec-Fin in Philadelphia and No. 9 Park in Boston. Adding an intriguing dimension, he even spent seasons cooking for a research team in Antarctica. However, Chef Martin emphasizes the formative years he spent in Milan, Italy, as the most impactful. “I learned so much about food and also about how to give a great dining experience. It’s about much more than cooking,” he explained, and this philosophy is clearly evident in the approach at When Pigs Fly.
Chef Martin has skillfully evolved When Pigs Fly from a primarily pizza-focused eatery into a restaurant boasting a comprehensive menu. While their Naples-style pizza remains a central draw, the menu now features outstanding salads, inventive sandwiches (naturally, on their renowned bread), elevated pub fare, and enticing daily entrée specials. “But pizza absolutely drives the business,” Chef Martin acknowledges. Their pizza is a traditional Naples-style creation, cooked in a wood-fired oven for a mere six minutes. The dough, crafted at their nearby bakery, is a point of pride. “It’s not Americanized at all,” he asserts. “It’s a thin, sourdough crust, not overloaded with cheese, and the sauce isn’t sweet.” The authenticity is so pronounced that even visitors from Naples, Italy, have lauded it as genuine. Fresh from the oven, each pizza is a masterpiece. The slightly charred, chewy outer crust is, in my opinion, utterly addictive. What truly distinguishes When Pigs Fly Pizzeria is their imaginative use of toppings. Chef Martin’s personal favorite, the Medjool date and soppressata pizza, perfectly exemplifies this creativity. The interplay of sweet and salty notes, enhanced by a drizzle of hot honey, creates an unforgettable flavor profile – a hot honey that, thankfully, is available for purchase in their adjacent store. During my visit, I also sampled the Autumn Pizza special, a delightful seasonal composition of squash, robust bacon, creamy goat cheese, crispy fried kale, fresh apples, garlic, and the now-signature hot honey. “It’s fall in New England, on a pizza,” Chef Martin aptly described, highlighting their commitment to local sourcing, with all ingredients except the goat cheese sourced within a 60-mile radius.
Since joining When Pigs Fly two and a half years prior, Chef Martin has infused the menu with a stronger emphasis on seasonality and locally sourced ingredients, significantly enhancing the . The kale salad with roasted beets, for instance, is almost entirely locally sourced, save for the Marcona almonds which add a satisfying crunch. Lightly fried sunchokes provide a unique textural element, and the lemon-thyme vinaigrette perfectly complements the salad’s earthy and fresh components. Demonstrating a commitment to whole-animal utilization and local partnerships, Chef Martin occasionally sources whole pigs from Breezy Hill Farm, owned by the father of the restaurant’s previous chef. He skillfully butchers the pigs in-house, utilizing the meat in diverse preparations ranging from capicola to porchetta, and in a popular pork schnitzel special accompanied by apple cider Dijon sauce and creamy mashed potatoes. “Specials keep things interesting,” he remarks, “It helps the newer cooks learn, too.” Portions are generously sized, encouraging a shared dining experience. The restaurant’s layout, featuring several long, communal tables, reinforces this convivial atmosphere. “This is a community-oriented place,” Chef Martin explains. “We encourage sharing, relaxing, talking over a meal. That’s what restaurants are for.”
Desserts at When Pigs Fly are undeniably designed for sharing and indulgence, rounding out the When Pigs Fly restaurant & pizzeria menu experience. The ice cream sandwich, a substantial chocolate toffee cookie enveloping s’mores ice cream, is a decadent treat. The pumpkin cheesecake, served in a Mason jar and topped with a crackly bruléed sugar crust, is another dessert easily shared among several people.
Beyond the food, When Pigs Fly boasts an impressive beverage program. Beer is a major attraction, with 20 taps curated by co-owner Ron Siegel. The selection includes both global and local brews, prominently featuring Kittery’s own Tributary Brewing Company. The beer list rotates seasonally, with fall highlighting IPAs and farmhouse ales, while winter welcomes stouts and porters. Wine lovers will appreciate the eight wines available on tap, offered by the glass, half-liter, and liter. The red sangria I sampled was refreshingly balanced, not overly sweet, and a pleasant accompaniment to the pizza. The cocktail menu showcases creativity, often incorporating house-made infusions, as exemplified by the Blackberry Gin Fizz.
“We’re making improvements as we go,” Chef Martin concludes. “I’m super proud of (owners) Ron and Andrew Siegel. They got things moving in the right direction, working 20-hour days when the place first started. Now they’ve been able to step back. It was nice to be handed the keys and continue to make it work.”
For a truly delightful dining experience that extends far beyond just pizza, explore the full When Pigs Fly restaurant & pizzeria menu in Kittery.
When Pigs Fly Pizzeria
460 U.S. Route 1 | Kittery | 207.438.7036 | whenpigsflypizzeria.com
