OT: Best Pizza in CT

[mauconnfan]

Found a pizza place that had an intriguing name for UConn fans.
View attachment 94559

Heard it was really good the first couple years but the pizza maker started losing it his passion in a good pie

 

[UCan3]

I like Zeneli‘s on Worcester St better than Sally’s and Pepe’s. Here’s why?

1) Thin Pizza ready in 10 minutes brick oven
2) Loaded incredible toppings /flavor
3) Light and you don’t feel lousy after eating.
4) Friendly waitstaff / attentive
5) You are in and out before you would move 20 ft in the line at Peppe’s LOL
6) Prices affordable!


I don’t know why it isn’t more popular but I guess that’s a good thing for us!

 

[Yardigan]

OK now you see, this is what pisses me off. At the bulk they buy their ingredients in even with inflation there is maybe $3 worth of ingredients on those pies, if that. Years ago it was less than a dollar. One time maybe 15 years ago I was mistakenly mailed a products brochure that was meant to go to pizza parlors. It had the prices in it for ingredients in huge amounts, sauce, cheese, pepperoni, flour, you name it. Their ad read “when you buy from us it’s less than 75 cents a pie!” Pizza was $12 then.
Granted, there’s a bunch of overhead, that I admit but still those $30 a pizza prices are nuts. But whatever the market will bear I guess.
I‘m making my own these days and not disappointed in any way.

and usually, if you like something like that enough to make it yourself, you only make it one way, awesomely.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Went to Sally's in Woburn, MA today. Very good. I haven't had Sally's in New Haven in forever so I can't compare. I like Pepe's better. Both crusts are great but Sally's has minimal mozz and I would like a little more than they put on their pizza.

What's up with the prices at Sally's? The Pepe's around here charge $24 for a 18" large cheese pizza. Sally's is $29.75. Seems out of whack. Is the Sally's in New Haven more expensive than the Pepe's in New Haven also?

I went to the Sally’s in Stamford once, about six months after it opened. In all candor, the pizza wasn’t bad (especially considering the new, not yet fully seasoned oven) but the atmosphere turned me off completely. It felt like the whole purpose of the place was to ring the register. If I want Sally’s I’ll drive to New Haven.

On a slightly different note, I very recently had the Chicken Scarpariello pizza at Westover Pizza in Stamford (the one near Stamford Hospital, not the one on Hope St) and it was incredible. I recommend it highly.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

I went to the Sally’s in Stamford once, about six months after it opened. In all candor, the pizza wasn’t bad (especially considering the new, not yet fully seasoned oven) but the atmosphere turned me off completely. It felt like the whole purpose of the place was to ring the register. If I want Sally’s I’ll drive to New Haven.

On a slightly different note, I very recently had the Chicken Scarpariello pizza at Westover Pizza in Stamford (the one near Stamford Hospital, not the one on Hope St) and it was incredible. I recommend it highly.

Is it new? Parents live 5-10 minutes away from there

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Is it new? Parents live 5-10 minutes away from there

Is which new? Sally's or Westover?

Sally's opened during the pandemic (summer 2020). Westover (on Westover road) has been open for 10-12 years. Their second spot (Hope St) has been only around for a couple years. I only heard of the chicken scarp pie recently, tried it and it was awesome.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

Is which new? Sally's or Westover?

Sally's opened during the pandemic (summer 2020). Westover (on Westover road) has been open for 10-12 years. Their second spot (Hope St) has been only around for a couple years. I only heard of the chicken scarp pie recently, tried it and it was awesome.

Westover. They usually just get rikos off the post road in Stamford since it's right down the street from them.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Westover. They usually just get rikos off the post road in Stamford since it's right down the street from them.

Westover is pretty good, the only issue is parking (there are a few good spots in Stamford with severely insufficient parking).

The owner grew up in the business: father's family and mother's family both ran pizzerias for decades, also both born in Bari.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Sergio’s in Hamden: solid. Got a couple pies and stuffed bread. One pie marginally dark, but if you like char (I don’t mind) it was fine. Stuffed bread was the closest I’ve ever had to the pepperoni bread that Sgt Pepps at UConn used to make.

 

[SixRings]

Can New Haven’s Legendary Pizza Joints Play on the National Stage?

The city has long been known as a pizza town. Now other places seem to be trying to cash in on the hype.

www.nytimes.com

Good read. Looks like New Haven is getting respect. NYT has noticed.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Can New Haven’s Legendary Pizza Joints Play on the National Stage?

The city has long been known as a pizza town. Now other places seem to be trying to cash in on the hype.

www.nytimes.com

Good read. Looks like New Haven is getting respect. NYT has noticed.

It’s taken a while to spread around the country, and the char is and always will be a turn off for many; but there’s no question it’s getting the right national attention. The right influencers (namely Portnoy) have been touting it for a few years now

Seems like Detroit style pizza is getting super popular now too. SF has a ton of square pie places, same with Boston. Have a feeling it’s just easier for restaurants/bars to bake them in a standard oven rather than using a necessary (and well seasoned) dedicated pizza oven.

I’m sure some here go to Night Shift Brewing in Boston. They do some very good Detroit pies. Had a brunch pie there last weekend and it was excellent

 

[dvegas]

Can New Haven’s Legendary Pizza Joints Play on the National Stage?

The city has long been known as a pizza town. Now other places seem to be trying to cash in on the hype.

www.nytimes.com

Good read. Looks like New Haven is getting respect. NYT has noticed.

For paywall constrained yarders Alternate access

 

[karstenkibbe]

Is which new? Sally's or Westover?

Sally's opened during the pandemic (summer 2020). Westover (on Westover road) has been open for 10-12 years. Their second spot (Hope St) has been only around for a couple years. I only heard of the chicken scarp pie recently, tried it and it was awesome.

I’ve never had the chicken scarp, but I find Westover to be a forgettable pizza in a sea of mediocrity in this city. Above average sauce, but greasy and a tasteless crust. Not worth the drive to the West Side for me. Agree with you 100% on the soulless vibe at Stamford Sally’s.

 

[Matrim55]

I've mentioned it here before but it's worth re-upping: Sasso's in Torrington is worth the trip. The red Neapolitan with pepperoni and the white Tuscan with broccoli rabe & sausage... my god, man. Two perfect pies.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

2023 is the year I sealed my relocation from CT to KY. In the past 46 years, I've never lived more than 120 miles from Wooster Street. I grew up in CT. I like pizza, and I've eaten a lot of it. Now I'm more than 830 miles from Wooster Street.

I counted 23 places I ate CT pizza this past year, during 7 returns from KY to empty & consolidate storage spaces, shed belongings, load a relocation cube, pack my car, set up a new home...a little more each time. I'll be back at some date uncertain for my final thing-related trip.

In the past year, I stayed pretty much in north Bridgeport, Black Rock, and Westport, with my dearest friends. My storage units were in Orange & then consolidated into Milford.

While I still went to New Haven, Hamden, and East Haven for medical appointments, live music, art, bicycling, and beach yoga, my center of gravity moved meaningfully.

The westward shift resulted in my eating much more pizza in Fairfield, Bridgeport, Milford, Derby, and West Haven, but I also pursued notable recommendations in North Haven, Wallingford, and Cheshire, and all were worthwhile.

22 of the 23 pizza places were good-to-much better. Half of those were excellent or damn close. There were some visits that fell below historical norms or peaks. And I've got at least 10 places I've enjoyed in the past that I didn't get to in 2023. As a turn of phrase, I think there are 20 "Top 10" pizza places in the geographic area where I spent my time.

My capacity for pleasure from pizza remains high. With that as foundation, here's what's probably not expected given the last couple pages of this thread: 10 of my dozen pizzas from Commerce Drive in Fairfield were very-to-thoroughly enjoyable. None were bad. Not even close

I ate 4 pies from 2 takeouts from Sally's, which I'd resisted for a while, because I expected to be disappointed. They were fine. The most recent was an early November Garden Special that was so good that I never left the parking lot, but instead watched a WBB game on my phone later on the same day that the MBB team beat Indiana.

People complained when Sally's was run like a private club that played obvious favorites in the past, and now they complain when it's run like a business. Both complaints have enough merit to be made, but that's not the whole story.

The fresh clam pie that I had was a freebie because they'd screwed up and forgotten to put in my friend's order, and offered the comped pie as a 'make good,' and the clam represented another mess up that resulted in a pie that hadn't been picked up. My friend said the place was disorganized, but all 3 pizzas (tomato pie and my friend's mootz w/sausage & mushroom choice) that night were surprisingly quite tasty, definitely not garbage. If somebody felt that way, I'm sorry they had a bad experience, but I'm not going to criticize or attack them personally. I'll admit that I'm not yet interested in eating Sally's pizza in a nicely appointed dining room. Maybe if they recreated the Wooster Street men's room, I'd reconsider.

As to Fairfield Pepe's, I'd kind of written it off as "capable of good but never 'transcendent'," but after I'd moved a decade ago from Bridgeport back to New Haven after 30 years away, that no longer mattered. My 2 visits to Pepe's were group gatherings with lots of pies ordered. The first time,I hosted my Fairfield County hosts, and they chose the pies. On my birthday, I was given the honor to order every pizza, from favorites to curiosities. While I think I could name somewhere else that could possibly-to-probably outdo the version of most served that night, that's no knock. There were no misfires, everybody was happy, and I finally got to try a couple I never tried. It's a good place to go with a 6-12 person bunch of friends.

Unless I forgot any, here's the list I could remember. In the upper left corner, I note having gone to the two competing top Trenton tomato pie brands. I liked.

 

[HooperScooper]

2023 is the year I sealed my relocation from CT to KY. In the past 46 years, I've never lived more than 120 miles from Wooster Street. I grew up in CT. I like pizza, and I've eaten a lot of it. Now I'm more than 830 miles from Wooster Street.

I have to ask because I've always been curious. Are you a retired lawyer or college professor? Retired because you write many very long posts. Lawyer or professor because of the way you logically lay out your arguments. Just wondering.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

2023 is the year I sealed my relocation from CT to KY. In the past 46 years, I've never lived more than 120 miles from Wooster Street. I grew up in CT. I like pizza, and I've eaten a lot of it. Now I'm more than 830 miles from Wooster Street.

On the plus side you are now in the ancestral home of Papa John's.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I’ve never had the chicken scarp, but I find Westover to be a forgettable pizza in a sea of mediocrity in this city. Above average sauce, but greasy and a tasteless crust. Not worth the drive to the West Side for me. Agree with you 100% on the soulless vibe at Stamford Sally’s.

When Dominic (the oldest son) is there the pizza is good. When he isn't (about 2/3 of the time) it's hit or miss. As he bounces between three shops (and likely works only five or six days each week) it isn't worth playing roulette on where you may get a good pie.

I've always judged on a cheese pie first and at their best, they are in the same ballpark as Mario's, Luigi's, John's (Bulls Head), Belltown and a few others here. One massive benefit of living here is it doesn't take much to find a good pie. I do however limit my selection to those where finding a parking space won't be an adventure.

 

[husky429]

I have to ask because I've always been curious. Are you a retired lawyer or college professor? Retired because you write many very long posts. Lawyer or professor because of the way you logically lay out your arguments. Just wondering.

I don't know a single lawyer or professor who uses complete sentences in their writing outside of work.

 

[87Xfer]

I don't know a single lawyer or professor who uses complete sentences in their writing outside of work.

You're kidding, right?

 

[HooperScooper]

I don't know a single lawyer or professor who uses complete sentences in their writing outside of work.

So husky99 is a lawyer or college professor? Lol

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I have to ask because I've always been curious. Are you a retired lawyer or college professor? Retired because you write many very long posts. Lawyer or professor because of the way you logically lay out your arguments. Just wondering.

If I answered, "Yes," I wouldn't be lying.
#knowwhentosaywhen

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I don't know a single lawyer or professor who uses complete sentences in their writing outside of work.

Do you know a married one who does?

 

[HooperScooper]

If I answered, "Yes," I wouldn't be lying.
#knowwhentosaywhen

O.K. from that I can tell you are a retired lawyer. Lol

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

On the plus side you are now in the ancestral home of Papa John's.

It took moving to Louisville for me to re-visit a franchised pizza brand after my initial recon: Jet's, Detroit style.

I've gotten a slice 2 times, maybe 3. I'd go again, but I'd need to better understand how to order, before I can get more than a single slice.

I've never had Papa John's, unless unknowingly in a public setting like in a school or at youth sports.