OT: Best Pizza in CT

[August_West]

Greek.

Not really what I associate with greek.

its very thin and not cut into squares. More a cracker style crust than a doughy one., but they do use an oil to crisp it up in a pan, you can tell, so that is kinda greek ish I guess.

 

[Caronimo]

West Hartford has some good pizza. Harry's in bishops corner is better than Frank Pepe in West Hartford. Not sure how the Harry's in the center is, I am sure it's good.

 

[storrsroars]

Not really what I associate with greek.

its very thin and not cut into squares. More a cracker style crust than a doughy one., but they do use an oil to crisp it up, you can tell, so that is kinda greek ish I guess.

Greek doesn't have to be squares. Beverly was "the" Greek pizza in the area back when I lived in Bpt in the late 80s-early 90s. It is thinner than say, Hope Pizza (Stamford) or Post Corner (Darien), but it's definitely Greek. Memory doesn't remember anything remotely like a cracker-ish crust. Chewy and really greasy is what comes to mind. For really old folks like me, maybe John's/Poseidon pizza (Springdale) or the old Glenbrook Pizza, which was pan pizza and take out was in kraft bags, not boxes.

 

[August_West]

Memory doesn't remember anything remotely like a cracker-ish crust. Chewy and really greasy is what comes to mind.

Yeah, this wasnt that. They cooked it well. Wasnt greasy at all, slices stood up when holding.

 

[Caronimo]

Greek doesn't have to be squares. Beverly was "the" Greek pizza in the area back when I lived in Bpt in the late 80s-early 90s. It is thinner than say, Hope Pizza (Stamford) or Post Corner (Darien), but it's definitely Greek. Memory doesn't remember anything remotely like a cracker-ish crust. Chewy and really greasy is what comes to mind. For really old folks like me, maybe John's/Poseidon pizza (Springdale) or the old Glenbrook Pizza, which was pan pizza and take out was in kraft bags, not boxes.

Hope st pizza is average but yet I enjoyed it when I lived in Stamford. Colony is better. Love the hot oil thin crust.

 

[Ewekon]

Greek doesn't have to be squares. Beverly was "the" Greek pizza in the area back when I lived in Bpt in the late 80s-early 90s. It is thinner than say, Hope Pizza (Stamford) or Post Corner (Darien), but it's definitely Greek. Memory doesn't remember anything remotely like a cracker-ish crust. Chewy and really greasy is what comes to mind. For really old folks like me, maybe John's/Poseidon pizza (Springdale) or the old Glenbrook Pizza, which was pan pizza and take out was in kraft bags, not boxes.

Wow. I ate at every single one of those. Poseidon hasn't been there in years. Was known for lobster dinners too. Letterman was a fan of Post Corner in "Dare Dare".

 

[storrsroars]

Hope st pizza is average but yet I enjoyed it when I lived in Stamford. Colony is better. Love the hot oil thin crust.

Stamford has a lot of good pies. I only mentioned Hope because we were talking Greek pizza. It's a taste I get a yen for maybe once a decade these days and it's a style we don't have in Pittsburgh, so when I go back to CT I'll indulge. Then after I have one, I wonder why in hell I wanted one in the first place.

Now, Colony is a different story. I could eat those for days on end. It's one of the few totally inauthentic Americanized bastardizations I'll defend to the death. I got to go to Montclair NJ a lot for my last job and was 15 minutes away from Star Tavern in Orange, which is basically same thing. That made those trips worthwhile.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

West Hartford has some good pizza. Harry's in bishops corner is better than Frank Pepe in West Hartford. Not sure how the Harry's in the center is, I am sure it's good.

Harry's in the Center was quite good when it opened years ago.And happily, Harry's at Bishop's Corner held quality when it opened.

The latter was quite good when I took my uncle for his 85th birthday a couple years ago.

In his hay day, roughly 25 years ago, he was a known quantity with a back door number to order sizeable quantities of Wooster Street Pepe's that he was know for delivering to contracting job sites and parties and such. Until he told me this in 2016, I'd only known of Sally's back channels, but they were kind of a clumsy or off-putting favoritism that I only accessed via friends-of-a-friend who would on special occasions order & pick up but never divulge or delegate.

 

[storrsroars]

Wow. I ate at every single one of those. Poseidon hasn't been there in years. Was known for lobster dinners too. Letterman was a fan of Post Corner in "Dare Dare".

Then you'd probably remember Amore right by the Springdale RR station. They won "Best Pizza" in the Stamford Pizza Tour. I grew up in walking distance of that place.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Stamford has a lot of good pies. I only mentioned Hope because we were talking Greek pizza. It's a taste I get a yen for maybe once a decade these days and it's a style we don't have in Pittsburgh, so when I go back to CT I'll indulge. Then after I have one, I wonder why in hell I wanted one in the first place.

Now, Colony is a different story. I could eat those for days on end. It's one of the few totally inauthentic Americanized bastardizations I'll defend to the death. I got to go to Montclair NJ a lot for my last job and was 15 minutes away from Star Tavern in Orange, which is basically same thing. That made those trips worthwhile.

Largely agree.

Berkshire in Torrington would be my choice for the Hope equivalent IIRC.

Colony is as you say, but seeing all the Veterans' photos behind the barwas always an additional draw that makes me less enthused that I could go to now closer Fairfield or, I think, now Milford.

In 2015, we went a little out of way returning from Ocean City, NJ, to go to Star Tavern, and I got the similarities to Colony (my 1st thin-crust "bar pie" love was Eddie's in New Hyde Park, LI) but while enjoyable it didn't live up to the hype. Our favorite memory was being baffled by the 8.5x11 sheets of paper at each table or booth that read "Wed fi dolla pi" or something similar. Later we learned that it was a promo for $5 pies on Wednesday. We went on a Monday after a failed trip to Thomas Edison National Historic Park.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Yeah, this wasnt that. They cooked it well. Wasnt greasy at all, slices stood up when holding.

I kind of remember it as a 'good local pizza place,' the standard below which no place should fall and yet so many do.
I get a similar positive out of Salerno's in Stratford, or Rosini's in Cheshire, and adjusted for the high standards in New Haven, Ernie's as my own neighborhood go to, like a person in Fair Haven would say Grand.

 

[storrsroars]

Harry's in the Center was quite good when it opened years ago.And happily, Harry's at Bishop's Corner held quality when it opened.

The latter was quite good when I took my uncle for his 85th birthday a couple years ago.

In his hay day, roughly 25 years ago, he was a known quantity with a back door number to order sizeable quantities of Wooster Street Pepe's that he was know for delivering to contracting job sites and parties and such. Until he told me this in 2016, I'd only known of Sally's back channels, but they were kind of a clumsy or off-putting favoritism that I only accessed via friends-of-a-friend who would on special occasions order & pick up but never divulge or delegate.

While I've never been to the original, when Harry's opened here in 2003 it was the first decent pizza place I could easily drive to*. They bought the recipe. Their clam pie was horrible, however.

Who We Are
Harry's Pizza is a family-owned pizza shop in McMurray, Pennsylvania, that cooks up Neapolitan-style, Italian pizzas following a special recipe from Connecticut. Our restaurant specializes in preparing the best, highest-quality pizzas and salads; just come in and taste the difference for yourself. We always provide prompt, friendly service and our family-oriented, casual atmosphere will leave you and your party smiling. ​

It's since been surpassed by at least four other places within a 10 minute drive - including a Neapolitan DOC place that's one of the best in the country. It's not New Haven, but it's pretty good pizza country these days.

*Roberto Caporuscio of Keste got his start here with Regina Margherita, which was a good half hour drive, but well worth it.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

While I've never been to the original, when Harry's opened here in 2003 it was the first decent pizza place I could easily drive to*. They bought the recipe. Their clam pie was horrible, however.

Who We Are
Harry's Pizza is a family-owned pizza shop in McMurray, Pennsylvania, that cooks up Neapolitan-style, Italian pizzas following a special recipe from Connecticut. Our restaurant specializes in preparing the best, highest-quality pizzas and salads; just come in and taste the difference for yourself. We always provide prompt, friendly service and our family-oriented, casual atmosphere will leave you and your party smiling. ​

It's since been surpassed by at least four other places within a 10 minute drive - including a Neapolitan DOC place that's one of the best in the country. It's not New Haven, but it's pretty good pizza country these days.

*Roberto Caporuscio of Keste got his start here with Regina Margherita, which was a good half hour drive, but well worth it.

Monongahela clams are a built-in disadvantage.

 

[storrsroars]

Colony is as you say, but seeing all the Veterans' photos behind the barwas always an additional draw that makes me less enthused that I could go to now closer Fairfield or, I think, now Milford.

Those photos aren't just decor. Those folks are mostly old customers and/or employees. It's a completely different customer base these days from 70s/80s when it truly was a "cop bar" with Schaefer and Rheingold served by the pitcher with juice glasses and BoBo was still around on occasion, although Fitz was the show and Skeets his capable sidekick. The side room was only for families ("No stags allowed!"). And the bar side had that addictive bowling machine. But the pizza was pretty much the same, although stingers came later, and pepperoni came much later (along with actual printed menus).

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Those photos aren't just decor. Those folks are mostly old customers and/or employees. It's a completely different customer base these days from 70s/80s when it truly was a "cop bar" with Schaefer and Rheingold served by the pitcher with juice glasses and BoBo was still around on occasion, although Fitz was the show and Skeets his capable sidekick. The side room was only for families ("No stags allowed!"). And the bar side had that addictive bowling machine. But the pizza was pretty much the same, although stingers came later, and pepperoni came much later (along with actual printed menus).

I knew the pictures were the real thing. My time local enough to make it an easy option was 2003-05, pre-expansion and still relatively below the radar. New Haven was too far away (I actually lived on LI and worked in Stamford), so I opted for hot oil (and sausage sometimes) as a ploy like switching up the music genre when I don't know what I want to listen to.

 

[raf46]

I've got money on Pepe's in New Haven but what do you all think?

Pepe's white clam pizza is the best pizza in the World!

 

[huskyjawz]

Not really what I associate with greek.

its very thin and not cut into squares. More a cracker style crust than a doughy one., but they do use an oil to crisp it up in a pan, you can tell, so that is kinda greek ish I guess.

They do cut the large pies into squares, and they are doughier, too. You must have gotten small/medium, which is the way to go.

 

[August_West]

They do cut the large pies into squares, and they are doughier, too. You must have gotten small/medium, which is the way to go.

I got a large!

Serious!

 

[huskyjawz]

I got a large!

Serious!

I can't believe it; I will have to go back, I haven't been in a while, and it's three blocks from my house.

 

[August_West]

I can't believe it; I will have to go back, I haven't been in a while, and it's three blocks from my house.

I remember because it was just my wife and I, and I’m on a diet, and we didn’t want a large but their prices are so ridiculously low, we couldn’t pass it up in good conscience.
I’m going back there on 9/14

There was a 80-90 year old working and washing dishes!

 

[mauconnfan]

As an FYI I have read the RI pizza sucks and for the most part it's not very good in comparison to New Haven and most CT pies. I will say this, I had a meeting at my Warwick branch yesterday and we sent out for pies from Uncle Tony's in Cranston. I guess there are 2 other locations. To be honest it was very good, not great, but very solid in flavor and the crust was perfection. It's a bit thicker but not awful, but they burn the bottom a little and really crisp up the crust while adding some flavor. Have to say, it's up there with the best I've had outside of CT..

 

[upstater]

Pepe's white clam pizza is the best pizza in the World!

It's not even the best white clam pizza in town. That honor goes to Zuppardi's--but you pay more for the freshly shucked clams.

 

[AdamaNation]

Solid choices.
I prefer Sally's for plain tomato, but maybe that's why you got two from Pepe's.

Bingo

 

[huskyrob1]

It's not even the best white clam pizza in town. That honor goes to Zuppardi's--but you pay more for the freshly shucked clams.

Agreed, Zuppardis has the best white clam pie and the best classic italian "Special" anywhere.

 

[methodology]

Agreed, Zuppardis has the best white clam pie and the best classic italian "Special" anywhere.

Don't forget their sausage pie