OT: Best Pizza in CT

[gtcam]

Beer Collective is my usual, and that was the other option we were considering, but the novelty of and better cider on tap at Next Door won out. We had intended to stop by Beer Collective for a quick one before heading into the show and submitting to $10 cans but we lingered too long at Next Door and headed straight for the venue instead so we could secure a nice perch for the show. I was glad we did because it got pretty packed.

I love the band and have yet to tire of seeing them after several shows in various venues and states over the past few years. As I've said before, they are the best form of Grateful Dead music these ears have heard since Jerry died (and probably even a few years before that, tbh). I like the Bobby songs better with Scott performing them, and Joe is a monster and mad scientist. Marco seems to be having as much fun as ever and Dave remains solid and underrated with a great groove. Tom seemed to have been a little less prominent than I recalled, and I didn't mind that. I think it had been almost a year since I had last seen them; but I saw Bustle In Your Hedgerow a few months ago and thought that was great, too.

To me, JRAD is Ratdog on a ton of Steroids and Dead and Company is RatDog +1
Saw Grateful Shred recently and they were entertaining and a fun band

 

[whaler11]

Hope you got at least a Sicilian slice. That's what makes 14th St NYC special.

Got the meatball parm had already ordered.

It wouldn’t meet the needs of the New Haven hardooos but it was pretty good.

Not firm enough or enough char for the NH truthers.

 

[dvegas]

All this hype about the new cupping pepperoni, pepes has been using it forever, very fine grind, no idea where it comes from. Gr8 stuff. My go to pie at Pepes (after clam, which is only good to eat in) is a tomato with double pepperoni and grated cheese. The girl knows how to confuse them when she orders it so when I pick up, it's wrong, they make me the right pie on the spot, and give me the mistake on the house

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Got the meatball parm had already ordered.

It wouldn’t meet the needs of the New Haven hardooos but it was pretty good.

Not firm enough or enough char for the NH truthers.

Yeah, nothing like New Haven.

The meatball parm looked like a good match for the crust when I was there in NY in January.

Are they set up w/slices (including Sicilian) at the counter?

 

[whaler11]

Yeah, nothing like New Haven.

The meatball parm looked like a good match for the crust when I was there in NY in January.

Are they set up w/slices (including Sicilian) at the counter?

Based on the website yes but Grub Hub...

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Based on the website yes but Grub Hub...

Looked at Yelp & seems similar enough to NYC setup for me to see if the product measures up.

For context, Two Boots pizza wasn't remotely close to the ones in East or West Village (and it failed), and the former one at Grand Central was good enough, just not as good as the storefronts. There's no guarantee the quality fully travels (see Pepe's, Frank).

 

[sledog]

Barstool pizza review of NH in order of 'test results' (Sally, Modern, Pepe, Bar).



Barstool Pizza Review - Modern Apizza (New Haven,CT)

Barstool Pizza Review - Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana (New Haven, CT)

Barstool Pizza Review - BAR (New Haven, CT)

 

[sledog]

And a special barstool review - Ray Allen guest reviwer of Patzeria in NYC (not so good)

 

[storrsroars]

Did that suggestion for a downvote button ever get any traction?

 

[superjohn]

And a special barstool review - Ray Allen guest reviwer of Patzeria in NYC (not so good)

NY is a slice town, by that I mean you can get a decent slice almost anywhere and there are plenty of good places. The problem is there really aren't many or any truly great/outstanding places though, at least that was my memory of it and I've been to pretty much all the places people say are the true classics.

 

[uconnphil2016]

I have had some good pies at de legna recently. Had their fifth of May last night and enjoyed it

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Headed over to Next Door this evening for Colin Caplan doing a digital presentation to complement his "Pizza in New Haven" book.

 

[uconnphil2016]

Headed over to Next Door this evening for Colin Caplan doing a digital presentation to complement his "Pizza in New Haven" book.

What time?? This sounds awesome

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

What time?? This sounds awesome

6-9pm, unlimited pizza, which functionally speaking would have to be like fully enjoyable unlimited pizza in many varieties from Big Green Pizza Truck at a Common Ground High School fundraiser a few years back.

 

[SubInATub]

NY is a slice town, by that I mean you can get a decent slice almost anywhere and there are plenty of good places. The problem is there really aren't many or any truly great/outstanding places though, at least that was my memory of it and I've been to pretty much all the places people say are the true classics.

First off, weird statement. Second, Long Island has the real good pizza

 

[uconnphil2016]

6-9pm, unlimited pizza, which functionally speaking would have to be like fully enjoyable unlimited pizza in many varieties from Big Green Pizza Truck at a Common Ground High School fundraiser a few years back.

What's the cost at the door? I get out of class at 7 in New Haven. May swing by.

 

[huskyrob1]

First off, weird statement. Second, Long Island has the real good pizza

Oh baloney, that's the reason they never built the Sound Bridge, everyone would drive to New Haven for their pizza.

 

[Huskybass]

NY is a slice town, by that I mean you can get a decent slice almost anywhere and there are plenty of good places. The problem is there really aren't many or any truly great/outstanding places though, at least that was my memory of it and I've been to pretty much all the places people say are the true classics.

Agree 100%. Slices are the norm and there are B plus slices everywhere. They are large slices with great cheese, very good crust, and an orange grease of sorts. Yummy stuff, readily available, but none at the New Haven big 3 level.

 

[superjohn]

First off, weird statement. Second, Long Island has the real good pizza

What's weird about it?

 

[Devland]

FYI, all these cities that have good pizza, also have places that have bad pizza. I know from first hand experience.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

What's the cost at the door? I get out of class at 7 in New Haven. May swing by.

For some, gratis.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

First off, weird statement. Second, Long Island has the real good pizza

I'm inclined to agree with the lots of B+ slices comment, but I'm curious as to your LI pizza favorites.

When I lived in Bellport and Sea Cliff, I found nothing to compare with New Haven, where I'd lived prior.

Eventually, with Great Neck as home base, I came to fondness for bar pies from Eddie's after my Saturday night swim at the North Hempstead pool, and, later, grandma slices from Umberto's in new Hyde Park. If we wanted a whole pizza, we'd go into Queens to Nick's in Forest Hills, but I wouldn't really consider that Long Island, just as I wouldn't count several of my Brooklyn favorites..

 

[storrsroars]

I'm inclined to agree with the lots of B+ slices comment, but I'm curious as to your LI pizza favorites.

When I lived in Bellport and Sea Cliff, I found nothing to compare with New Haven, where I'd lived prior.

Eventually, with Great Neck as home base, I came to fondness for bar pies from Eddie's after my Saturday night swim at the North Hempstead pool, and, later, grandma slices from Umberto's in new Hyde Park. If we wanted a whole pizza, we'd go into Queens to Nick's in Forest Hills, but I wouldn't really consider that Long Island, just as I wouldn't count several of my Brooklyn favorites..

How does Eddie's compare to places like Colony or Star Tavern for bar pies and do they travel well? I go to SIL's house in Westbury 1x-2x/year and have been making that trip for 18 years now. I've had plenty of perfectly cromulent take out pizzas out there, but nothing I'd go back for a second time. Eddie's is pretty close, compared to me having to go out to Georgio's in Farmingdale for a decent cup of coffee.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

How does Eddie's compare to places like Colony or Star Tavern for bar pies and do they travel well? I go to SIL's house in Westbury 1x-2x/year and have been making that trip for 18 years now. I've had plenty of perfectly cromulent take out pizzas out there, but nothing I'd go back for a second time. Eddie's is pretty close, compared to me having to go out to Georgio's in Farmingdale for a decent cup of coffee.

I can't recall ever giving a bar pie the chance to travel.

My time with Eddie's pre-dates Colony, so when I first went to Myrtle Ave, that's what I compared it to, and favorably, though Eddie's was thinner/crispier (some likened it to matzo, not me but I got the comp), and I would top it with sausage. Colony more cheesy, so hot oil suffices. I'm more than a decade since last visit, but if it still has crowds, it can't have gone too far astray.

Star was a single visit, en route back home from OCNJ on MLK Day, after celebrating my sister's big birthday in 2015. Found it nothing special enough (didn't know in advance it was bar pies, and once figured out, wasn't as good as Eddie's or Colony), though a nice room & vibe. We did a recon on Thomas Edison National Historic Park nearby, and would probably pair the two if I returned, but I don't imagine either. Most memorable part of the experience was trying to figure out the signs on each table: "FI DOLLA PI WED" (or similar), which translated to a Wednesday January special of $5 pies.

TBH, Star was approached with great anticipation (as along the way and due for a special stop because it was on a Top 10 NJ list) so I arrived with high expectations that I'd be eating a contender against my favorites from NH/CT & 4 Boroughs/LI. As such, I still haven't eaten great pizza in NJ or Staten Island, though I'm told it's there and I believe it. Recommendations appreciated.

Props on cromulent, btw.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Headed over to Next Door this evening for Colin Caplan doing a digital presentation to complement his "Pizza in New Haven" book.

For the record, I sampled from more than a dozen pies, all good and beyond

I departed with 5 slices in a takeout box provided at the end of the evening, and only one of the room temp leftovers made it to the fridge. Three were eaten in the 15 minute ride home, and I was full when I'd walked out. This morning's white sausage & broccoli rabe. reheated in the toaster oven was excellent.

Though I've got nothing to offer the beer thread, I had two different enjoyable pilseners, and sample a vinegar cider, a tasty dark something, and at least a couple others from among 30+ on tap.

Colin Caplan's presentation was low key & fun. I'm a fan, and look forward to the NH Docs June 1st screening of "Pizza: A Love Story," of which he's a co-producer w/filmmaker Gorman Bechard and musician Dean Falcone, whose other work (like Caplan's) also impresses.