When it’s Super Bowl season, comfort food abounds in grocery stores; eateries; and the houses of those who bother to cook. As someone whose kitchen is currently a construction zone and who last made game-day eats in 2010 (Buffalo chicken dip), takeout was the order of the past several days. Even better, I found yet another pizza shop – nay, a palace! -- I had yet to sample, and that is Teddy’s Old Lyme Pizza Palace.

I can only imagine the traffic Teddy’s gets come summertime with its proximity to three beach communities on Route 156. For some, the crowds of summer are all part of the fun. For me, not so much, so I remain pleased with my plan to try out Teddy’s in the winter. Also, Teddy’s is take-out-only these days, so you’ll have to access the building on the right-side door to grab your order. That should also prove … interesting … this summer if the dining room remains closed.

Now, a confession: I grew up on Greek pizza – it’s a New Britain thing. I’ve mostly converted to New Haven-style pizza, but I get nostalgic for the toothy-crust pies of yore. Teddy’s hamburger and green pepper pie scratched that itch nicely ($13.40 for a small), with its thick layer of oozy cheese, seasoned ground beef and crisp peppers that brought brightness to the whole affair. The combination of the three made for a tasty dinner and even better breakfast.

Pie #2, the Athenian, is on the specialty menu ($16.80 for a small) and sounded like the perfect marriage of Greek flavors and pizza with toppings such as eggplant, tomato, onion and feta cheese. (Fun fact: Feta cheese on a Greek mozzarella pizza is among my favorite things in the culinary world.) The pie itself was gorgeous to behold and generously topped, but my palate didn’t really know what to do with this one. It’s very savory for sure but didn’t really deliver on pizza-ness for me. My dining partner doesn’t share that opinion and enjoyed the leftovers for brunch the next day.

Another item among My Favorite Things? Greek salad dressing. I wasn’t in the market for a Greek salad (also available at Teddy’s) that day, but a greens-laden Caesar salad sounded like a perfect partner to the pies. Bonus: At Teddy’s, you can get Greek dressing with a Caesar salad ($11.30), so clearly my salad craving was ordained by the food gods. The dressing – herby and bright – enrobed the huge portion of chopped romaine beautifully and accented the shaved parmesan throughout. Two of us did not finish the salad in one sitting, although we both got a hearty helping of greens that night.

Teddy’s also offers a full menu of grinders, sandwiches, pasta dishes and a few seafood items, and we were excited to find gyros on the sandwich menu. Our gyro ($10.75) was packed with strips of seasoned beef (chicken also available) that got a nice crunchy counterpart from the abundant lettuce, tomatoes and chopped onions. We enjoyed the gyro with and without the deeply flavorful tzatziki sauce and walked away quite full between the two of us.

Our second foray into sandwich-land was inspired by an enthusiastic review on Google in praise of the Philly steak grinder ($11.55 for an 8-inch; $14.60 for the foot-long size). While the chopped steak, peppers, onions and mushrooms came together in classically earthy Philly fashion, I could’ve used more cheese and a heftier roll, which presumably would support more filling in general. Also, be aware that the Philly grinder automatically comes with mushrooms, so if you aren’t a fan, make a note when you order. We filed this one under Just OK.

Our grand finale, Stuffed Shells with meat sauce ($16.80; comes with a side salad and garlic bread), checked another comfort food box for me. I got distracted with the garlic bread and commenced dipping it into the melted cheese and tomato sauce, but when I finally got down to business with the pasta, I found that to be enjoyable too. A good ricotta-to-pasta ratio made each bite a toothsome treat. One note: I didn’t detect a whole lot of meat in my sauce, so it’s possible I was given marinara, which is a menu option for this dish. Either way, the herb-tangy tomato sauce provided a tasty backdrop to the main attraction.

One of these years, I’ll have to produce at least one more batch of seven-layer dip during comfort-food season. For now, it’s nice to know our regional eateries have that ground covered, no matter what the season may be.

Teddy's Old Lyme Pizza Palace

264 Shore Road, Old Lyme

(860) 434-1517

www.teddysoldlymepizzamenu.com

Cuisine: Pizza, grinders, pasta dinners and a few Greek specialty items

Atmosphere: Very casual and currently take-out only. The spacious pick-up area is decked in local and European sports paraphernalia, which gives it an instantly homey feel. Outdoor seating is available and will be ideal come summertime.

Service: Friendly and efficient. The order-online option is greatly appreciated and works well.

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Closed Monday

Prices: Average for the fare. PIzzas start at $11 for a small cheese pie and go on up to $18 for specialty pies like the Athenian (includes eggplant among the toppings) and the House Special pizza topped with pepperoni, mushrooms, hamburger, peppers, onions and sausage.

Credit cards: Accepted

Handicapped accessibility: There is plenty of parking in a dedicated lot and the pick-up area is roomy, but construction barriers, a step to enter, and a fairly bumpy sidewalk could prove challenging.