OT: Best Pizza in CT

[Calhoun's Court]

Wow, Vecchitto's. You're taking me back. My grandparents had a place down in Old Saybrook and Vechitto's is synonymous with summer down the shore for me.

Us too. We were on Middletown Avenue in Old Saybrook

Loved the root beer (lemom)ice in those little white paper cups.

 

[coachcap]

Time for the old curmudgeon to weigh in. I grew up in the '50s. Once upon a time, in Southington, there were only two places in town for true Italian apizza (pronounced ah-BEETZ!). The Secondo family owned Popular Restaurant on Center St. (Art Secondo, later built & owned the Hall of Fame Lounge, which is now Cadillac Ranch). The Matarazzo family owned Country Restaurant in Plantsville. Nothing else in town could compare to either of these joints. My family would close the family business at 9 P.M.on Saturdays & head to Country for apizza & the best antepasto in my memory. Later, one of my sisters worked while home from college at Popular. Alas, Popular burned to the ground because of a grease fire in the late '80s, & the Matarazzo family retired & closed shop. Those pies will never be replicated effectively in my mind.
Best in state today? I was at Zuppardi's on Sunday-love the generous toppings.
Locally in Southington my go to pie is Domenic & Vinnie's. A new entry is the offerings at the Back Nine Lounge at Southington Country Club that's pretty tasty. (Southington Country Club is now owned by the Calvanese family that owns Aqua Turf banquet facility & New Mill Restaurant & Hot Tomatos in Hartford as well as a vested interest in the Farmington Club).
Some friends across town swear by Macchiavelli's on Center St., but I haven't yet tried their pies. Ironically, M's is across the street from where Popular once stood.

 

[coachcap]

As far as clam shacks, I have a summer cottage in Madison. Clam Castle & Lenny & Joe's are both great. If I'm doing take out, it's Lenny & Joe's. I call ahead, walk down the block & it's literally ready in 5 minutes, even on a busy Sunday summer evening. (I Truly believe take out orders get preference over sit down orders).
When home in Southington, it Sam the Clam's on either side of Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike. (Take out orders on the south side & restaurant on the north).

 

[Gurleyman]

Tony's Pizza is alive and well, I make a point of going there everytime I'm in the Willimantic area visiting family. I was raised on this greek style (also known as New England Style) of pizza, so it's always been my favorite. Never had a wedge shaped slice of pizza until Papa Gino's opened in the East Brook Mall. Sort of surprised that Tony's and Willington Pizza has not gotten more mentions seeing they are both in close proximity to Storrs.

Awww, man. Had I known, I would have made a point to stop by last time I passed through UConn a couple years ago, for memory's sake - I might have ordered a whole pie and just had the crustless center squares. Tony's and Kathy John's were the family postgame "treats" in my youth soccer/baseball days (and KJ's is gone). There was also a little shack called Mexican Village in Willimantic/Windham that we'd sometimes go to for burritos the size of footballs - that's gone too. I did hit the Dairy Bar, at least, although it's been heavily renovated and not the hard-to-find hole in the wall I remember growing up.

 

[HomeKing93]

Modern is probably my favorite now, but growing up in Waterbury and eating at Dominic & Pia's goes hand in hand. Speaking of my hometown, I wonder if anyone here remembers the pizza place in the old mall in Waterbury?

 

[ZenConn]

Oh yes. The chicken parm cone But that may be for another thread!

When did restaurants start making cone grinders? I haven't had them yet nor have I seen them when I visit CT every few months or so ....

 

[Dove]

I'm gonna start a thread on frozen pizza, just to piss people off

In a pinch and when feeling lazy my wife and I prefer the California Kitchen frozen a-BEETZ!!

 

[Srqhusky]

When did restaurants start making cone grinders? I haven't had them yet nor have I seen them when I visit CT every few months or so ....

I usually do there pizza because its awesome. Then one day at work for lunch we were getting an order together and some one ordered the chicken part cone grinder. When it came I was like whoa.

Then the next time we ordered I tried one and I was like whoa.

 

[8893]

When did restaurants start making cone grinders? I haven't had them yet nor have I seen them when I visit CT every few months or so ....

Papa's is the only place I've ever seen or heard of them, and I first got turned on to them maybe 10-15 years ago.

It is essentially a hollowed out, small loaf of Italian bread. They cut off one end, hollow out the loaf, fill it with, e.g., chicken parm, and then replace the end piece that was cut off, almost like a bread cork. And then they put it in the oven and bake it, so that the bread cork seals back into the loaf, the filling gets hot, cheese melts, etc. Very tasty.

 

[8893]

We don't do frozen pizza, but we do make pizza with the Boboli thin crust at home and it is pretty good. I have a pizza stone for my grill and that's usually how we make them. I used to make my own dough, and then I used to buy the dough from the local pizza place, but the thin crust Boboli is so much faster and easier that I usually just use that.

 

[BlueWhiteKid]

I live in Wallingford and get pizza from Oakdale Pizza in town weekly. It's greek, but it's what I grew up on. I was planning on trying out Stretch's in Newington tonight with my girlfriend. I drived up there only to find out it was closed. I don't know what that was all about. We ended up at Vito's across the street. It was not very good.

 

[bfair]

I have to chime in here. Have family in Milford, CT so here are my thoughts:

1. Modern pizza - unreal - a bit inconsistent though bc of the fact that they are so busy maybe.
2. Pepes - i like modern better not sure why... i think sauce... maybe
3. Place called Jimmy's pizza in Milford - great sauce, consistent, really good pizza -NEVER UNDERCOOKED WHICH IS MY BUGABOO!!!
4. Daveluys in Oakville, ct was my spot when I was young and they used the brown paper bag for take out... good hot pizza..its a dive but good friday night memories when I was little.

anyone living in the milford area - Jimmy's is really really good - check it out.


You have no idea how lucky you CT residents are to have the pizza you do... believe me... I get pies to take home with me when I visit now...

PS: ate alot of pizza one night late with a little tubby guard of ours back when I was partying down there years ago visiting some buddies...

 

[GemParty]

I live in Wallingford and get pizza from Oakdale Pizza in town weekly. It's greek, but it's what I grew up on. I was planning on trying out Stretch's in Newington tonight with my girlfriend. I drived up there only to find out it was closed. I don't know what that was all about. We ended up at Vito's across the street. It was not very good.

No idea why they were closed Dale, on a Thursday? They do have a good reputation in town. Call first, I'm hoping to try it soon too.

 

[Bryan Lord]

I'm out here in Pittsburg for the week and just tried pizzalaiolo ll as someone suggested in this thread. It was amazing, had the marg pizza and my girlfriend got penne a la vodka. Tried both and it was the best food I'd had in awhile. Highly recommended if your out here.

As for CT I like Joey garlics pizza at the moment. Pasta portions are huge and also pretty good. Obviously almost everything in new haven is great. Tuscany pizza in Southington is a favorite of mine as well.

 

[Bryan Lord]

I forgot to mention Zingerellas in Southington. Newish place right in downtown plantsville near the bike path. It is currently my favorite place within 30 min drive of Southington.

 

[GemParty]

Not enough Love for Joey Garlics, Newington. Try getting a table this weekend near 6pm. See what happens. Bring something to read. Maybe this thread.

 

[Deepster]

No idea why they were closed Dale, on a Thursday? They do have a good reputation in town. Call first, I'm hoping to try it soon too.

I don't think they're the tightest run ship around. The head pizza chef (Stretch) there was at First and Last in Hartford for years and years and branched out onto his own. They don't have a website. They used to have a menu online and now that's not even there. Every time I order a pizza, they say 45 minutes, but I know better now and show up in an hour because they're always late. And when you go in, it's a skeleton crew and they're always frantic.

That being said, the pie is outstanding. I still consider them my #1 option and I'm in West Hartford with Harry's, Luna, Joey's, Park Lane, Vito's, etc.

 

[coachcap]

I forgot to mention Zingerellas in Southington. Newish place right in downtown plantsville near the bike path. It is currently my favorite place within 30 min drive of Southington.

Funny thing about Zingarella's. The take out pizza I'm not crazy about. You have to eat it in the restaurant when it's fresh out of the oven. I know that it sounds wierd, but I'm speaking both from personal trial & testimony of friends. We're all in agreement.

 

[huskyjawz]

Doesn't sound weird, at all. All pizza is much better before it steams in a box.

 

[8893]

Doesn't sound weird, at all. All pizza is much better before it steams in a box.

Agreed. Just had this exact conversation with someone yesterday. I find it to be more true with some places than with others. I don't know if it has to do with the type of box, the particular crust, or some combination of the two. In my experience, Modern pizza travels very well. BAR does not, but I think that's primarily because the crust is so thin. The best (i.e., worst) example of this phenomenon imo is Red Tomato in Madison. Very good pie when eaten in the restaurant; markedly more average for take out. I've been told that they also offer a "half-baked" take out option, which you would then finish in your own oven at home. Maybe that's why. I've never tried that--kind of defeats the purpose of getting take out imo if you have to cook it yourself.

 

[KembaSlice]

Pizzetta in Mystic if you're ever down that way makes a pretty good pie.

 

[storrsroars]

I'm out here in Pittsburg for the week and just tried pizzalaiolo ll as someone suggested in this thread. It was amazing, had the marg pizza and my girlfriend got penne a la vodka. Tried both and it was the best food I'd had in awhile. Highly recommended if your out here.

Happy to hear you tried Il Pizzaiola & enjoyed it. Ron, the owner, imported the oven from Naples, even bringing in Italian workers to install it.

If you're still in town, give Union Pig & Chicken a try. I always found CT lacking in good BBQ restos (takeout stands were better than sit-down places). UPC is pig-out BBQ run by a Top Chef quality kitchen. Fair prices too. Can give other recommendations if interested.

And Pittsburgh has an "h". We're touchy about that. This ain't Massachusetts!

 

[upstater]

Happy to hear you tried Il Pizzaiola & enjoyed it. Ron, the owner, imported the oven from Naples, even bringing in Italian workers to install it.

If you're still in town, give Union Pig & Chicken a try. I always found CT lacking in good BBQ restos (takeout stands were better than sit-down places). UPC is pig-out BBQ run by a Top Chef quality kitchen. Fair prices too. Can give other recommendations if interested.

And Pittsburgh has an "h". We're touchy about that. This ain't Massachusetts!

Stamford has this place:

http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/locations/stamford/default.aspx

 

[Dove]

Doesn't sound weird, at all. All pizza is much better before it steams in a box.

I work in Essex and live in Madison. I will be going to Grand Apizza in Clinton for a pie. Hope it travels well for the 20 minute ride home. This thread has me wanting this pie from Grand.

 

[8893]

I work in Essex and live in Madison. I will be going to Grand Apizza in Clinton for a pie. Hope it travels well for the 20 minute ride home. This thread has me wanting this pie from Grand.

Please report back. Very curious after reading about it here and hearing some reports from others.