OT: Best Pizza in CT

[Mano]

The Old Dino's Pizza at Bishop's Corner in W. Hartford

In the early 70's, we used to hitch in from Storrs for lunch at the old Dino's Pizza in W. Hartford. By far, it was the best pizza this native New Yorker ever found in CT back then (& I looked everywhere).

Siciliano style - thick, square pies were my favorites. Incredible grinders too. All the food was fresh & wonderful. They used sweeter flour & sauces than most & had some real experienced people making those pies. Their rich tasting meatballs were the best. Had a much bigger selection of toppings & combo's than than just about every other CT pizzeria - before the boutique era came in. Can still taste them. It's all in the sauce prep. Family owned. Tried the whole menu.

Often though, I'd start out heading for Dino's, & then just keep going down 91 & 95 to my old neighborhood pizzeria in NYC - Emilio's (now Joe's) - for lunch. Pig out! See friends. Stay the night. Hitch back early next morning for classes at UConn with another pie to go.

Emilio's Famous Pizza (now Joe's) at No. 7 Carmine Street at Father Demo Square in the Village was THE BEST PIZZA I've ever tasted in the US. There since the 50's, it's now run by Emilio's son Joe & is called Joe's Famous Pizza. My favorite at Emilio's was Siciliano style square pie topped with onions, anchovies, tomatoes, herbs and their strong cheese combo's such as caciocavallo and toma. We'd stop in after playing hoops at the famous West 4th Street Courts on the Square & old man Emilio would top off our Nedicks orange drinks with a little Gordon's vodka now & then. A real neighborhood joint. Check it out when you go down for the Big East tournament. Huge 19" pies. $20-24 tops. Real value.

Of course, the best pizza I've ever experienced was in Sicily - all over the place - so much pride in their food. It's all in the traditional recipe's (which vary from town to town) & in those special San Marzano or pomodorino vesuviano grape tomatoes that only grow there. Drooling now. Ciao!

alohachris

There is still a Dino's Pizzeria in West Hartford, although its not at all close to Bishop's Corner.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

The Old Dino's Pizza at Bishop's Corner in W. Hartford

In the early 70's, we used to hitch in from Storrs for lunch at the old Dino's Pizza in W. Hartford. By far, it was the best pizza this native New Yorker ever found in CT back then (& I looked everywhere).

Siciliano style - thick, square pies were my favorites. Incredible grinders too. All the food was fresh & wonderful. They used sweeter flour & sauces than most & had some real experienced people making those pies. Their rich tasting meatballs were the best. Had a much bigger selection of toppings & combo's than than just about every other CT pizzeria - before the boutique era came in. Can still taste them. It's all in the sauce prep. Family owned. Tried the whole menu.

Often though, I'd start out heading for Dino's, & then just keep going down 91 & 95 to my old neighborhood pizzeria in NYC - Emilio's (now Joe's) - for lunch. Pig out! See friends. Stay the night. Hitch back early next morning for classes at UConn with another pie to go.

Emilio's Famous Pizza (now Joe's) at No. 7 Carmine Street at Father Demo Square in the Village was THE BEST PIZZA I've ever tasted in the US. There since the 50's, it's now run by Emilio's son Joe & is called Joe's Famous Pizza. My favorite at Emilio's was Siciliano style square pie topped with onions, anchovies, tomatoes, herbs and their strong cheese combo's such as caciocavallo and toma. We'd stop in after playing hoops at the famous West 4th Street Courts on the Square & old man Emilio would top off our Nedicks orange drinks with a little Gordon's vodka now & then. A real neighborhood joint. Check it out when you go down for the Big East tournament. Huge 19" pies. $20-24 tops. Real value.

Of course, the best pizza I've ever experienced was in Sicily - all over the place - so much pride in their food. It's all in the traditional recipe's (which vary from town to town) & in those special San Marzano or pomodorino vesuviano grape tomatoes that only grow there. Drooling now. Ciao!

alohachris

I love your enthusiasm. And I have ample experience with both Dino's in late 60's, and Joe's in the late 90's. Both have their fans.i wouldn't expect either to find wild or wide favor among the posters here. I liked Dino's, and I could recommend a stop-in to Joe's if you're in the West Village.

Dino's was the first pizza I loved, because I grew up near Bishop's Corner. It was doughy, sweetly tomato-y, cheesy, and I most liked hamburger. Even after I broadened my palate and had different favored places & flavor profiles throughout Hartford (Uncle Sam's - better known for giant grinders but with a very sweet sauce; Whitney - $1.50 for a small honey-and-butter-crusted Greek pizza; Nolan's - maybe on upper Blue Hills Avenue, selling rectangular frozen pizzas on aluminum sheets with a clear plastic wrapper; George's which was on Park Street in West Hartford and maybe became Lena's), I would come back to craving Dino's. There is huge love for it on the You Know You Grew Up in West Hartford Facebook page.I think its ownership was the same as nearby Goldstein's Delicatessen, part of the Jewish diaspora from Hartford's north end to West Hartford's north end. To my later-evolved tastes, George's was likely the 'best' of the bunch. I think I'm forgetting somewhere else I liked.

Joe's has been a Manhattan slice favorite for a long time. I've always liked it, but never loved it. I really don't get why it's so lauded, but, yeah, I do like it. Still, my favorite slice places, at least in their peak times, would be Patsy's in East Harlem, DiFara in Midwood Brooklyn, Artichoke on 14th St, and Two Boots on 7th Ave South. Ultimately, Joe's is like a real good version of the standard New York slice, a style which is good but not my most favorite style and certainly no match for a good or great New Haven pie.

 

[WhiteDressWes]

George's which was on Park Street in West Hartford and maybe became Lena's), I would come back to craving Dino's. There is huge love for it on the You Know You Grew Up in West Hartford Facebook page.I think its ownership was the same as nearby Goldstein's Delicatessen, part of the Jewish diaspora from Hartford's north end to West Hartford's north end. To my later-evolved tastes, George's was likely the 'best' of the bunch. I think I'm forgetting somewhere else I liked.

George is still pretty good Greek style; No relation to Lena's, which is gone. SULLY, WE MISS YOU!

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I don't doubt you, but this leaves me thinking even more so that there's a missing piece I can't recall.

 

[8893]

Bufalina's new fall menu starts today. IIRC the four new pies are the same as last fall. Pesto and Porchetta are excellent, and Funghi is best with sausage added imo. Pere is more of a dessert pie for me, but also very good.

 

[Waquoit]

View attachment 46338

I'd hit that

 

[Balker]

Bufalina's new fall menu starts today. IIRC the four new pies are the same as last fall. Pesto and Porchetta are excellent, and Funghi is best with sausage added imo. Pere is more of a dessert pie for me, but also very good.

I really enjoyed Pere. Haven't tried Prochetta, hopefully can give it a go soon!

FWIW, I'm guessing this also means the end of the ice cream sandwich. At least once they run out of any left in the freezer.

 

[Steelerone]

Naples in Farmington, Ct. Their Sicilian Chicken Bar-B-Que will make your veins hate you.

 

[huskymedic]

USA Today (w/ pics): Pepe's Pizza: Connecticut chain is a paragon of Neapolitan pie and a New Haven institution (9/18)

Pilgrimage-worthy? Absolutely. It’s some of the best pizza in the country.
Rating: OMG!
Price: $$
Details: 11 locations, including Connecticut (New Haven, West Hartford, Waterbury, Manchester, Danbury, Fairfield and inside the Mohegan Sun Casino); New York (Yonkers); Rhode Island (Warwick); and Massachusetts (Chestnut Hill and Burlington).
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

USA Today (w/ pics): Pepe's Pizza: Connecticut chain is a paragon of Neapolitan pie and a New Haven institution (9/18)

Pilgrimage-worthy? Absolutely. It’s some of the best pizza in the country.
Rating: OMG!
Price: $$
Details: 11 locations, including Connecticut (New Haven, West Hartford, Waterbury, Manchester, Danbury, Fairfield and inside the Mohegan Sun Casino); New York (Yonkers); Rhode Island (Warwick); and Massachusetts (Chestnut Hill and Burlington).
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana

2000° oven?

 

[8893]

@August_West @Dove , what’s the skinny on Brickside Pizza in Ivoryton? I never heard of it, but I just read that it was voted “Best on the Shoreline” by Zip06 readers and checked the website, which had me intrigued at: “Hand Crafted, wood fired pizza baked well done. Charring is to be expected.”

Interesting menu:

Brickside Pizza Menu

www.bricksidepizzact.com

Worth the trip? Or is the pie with ranch dressing an automatic disqualifier?

 

[Dove]

The crust is crackish. I love it. I have not brought any home for a 25 minute ride after work so don't know how it travels.

The Margherita, the Buffalo chicken really good. On Tuesday I will try the clam casino.

Earlier in this thread I gave them a slice tip.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Got out of movies at Yale's Whitney Humanities Center and bounced a bit between deciding on my first visit to Sally's since its sale, and Modern.

Decided to drive to Wooster St to see if there'd be a line 24 minutes before closing time. There wasn't. Walked straight to the back, got a quick & friendly greeting and was shocked by how many people they had working there. It all happened so fast that I didn't know whether to get a tomato pie, or mootz & bacon. Asked if I could split, and got a very easy Yes. This was not Sally's of old with long lines outside, long waits inside, and the only exceptions being on odd hours & days, or if I was with someone who had 'phone access' that I never acquired.

Quickest pie I've ever gotten there. Totally delicious, first to last bite, the tomato pie side better. Up until now, I've been a little nervous about going in. Maybe been once since no Flo. Add the later opening & earlier closing times plus 2 days off, and I've just gone practically everywhere else (though still not Buffalina, but getting closer to it). Very happy it was so good.

 

[Magic32]

Went to Sally's last night before a concert. We got there at 5:50 and there was no line, we waited a minute and they came out to seat us. We were so shocked that we didn't have to wait, worked out great because my wife was getting hangry.

First pie was pepperoni since it was National pepperoni pizza day and it was perfect, just the right amount of char and each piece had no sag. Our next pie was the garden special and it is my favorite (fresh tomato, mozzarella, zucchini, onion and fresh basil. You have to wait a minute on this one because it gets so hot with all the vegetables. Funny thing is I was never a veggie fan until the first time I had the garden special at Sally's. Now we often make it at home.

Quite the line when we left, our timing was perfect.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Went to Sally's last night before a concert. We got there at 5:50 and there was no line, we waited a minute and they came out to seat us. We were so shocked that we didn't have to wait, worked out great because my wife was getting hangry.

First pie was pepperoni since it was National pepperoni pizza day and it was perfect, just the right amount of char and each piece had no sag. Our next pie was the garden special and it is my favorite (fresh tomato, mozzarella, zucchini, onion and fresh basil. You have to wait a minute on this one because it gets so hot with all the vegetables. Funny thing is I was never a veggie fan until the first time I had the garden special at Sally's. Now we often make it at home.

Quite the line when we left, our timing was perfect.

Thx for heads up on the veggie. I don't do onions cooked on a pizza, but all else sounds pretty appealing. I think I'd add garlic.

One last thing - I regret not taking a peak to see if the rest room got renovated.

 

[Magic32]

Thx for heads up on the veggie. I don't do onions cooked on a pizza, but all else sounds pretty appealing. I think I'd add garlic.

One last thing - I regret not taking a peak to see if the rest room got renovated.

My wife decided to wait until we got to the concert venue to use the restroom after seeing it at Sally's.

 

[8893]

Thx for heads up on the veggie. I don't do onions cooked on a pizza, but all else sounds pretty appealing. I think I'd add garlic.

One last thing - I regret not taking a peak to see if the rest room got renovated.

I don't do onions as a topping either, but I've been happily getting the garden special for decades without them. At least twice they've ignored the request and I picked them off rather than risk their ire.

Last time I was there around a year ago the restroom was the same as it ever was.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I don't do onions as a topping either, but I've been happily getting the garden special for decades without them. At least twice they've ignored the request and I picked them off rather than risk their ire.

Last time I was there around a year ago the restroom was the same as it ever was.

I nearly used the word "cleaned" instead of "renovated."

Much easier to say as a man, but the answers above do bring a warm smile to my face.

Finally, after seeing that tonight's NEBCO screening of "Pizza: A Love Story," w/Big 3 a pizza and Q&A is sold out, I'm thinking of getting a well-done Modern pie w/light mootz.

Which meat - sausage or meatball?

Not sure I've ever had the latter there, and seem to recall that the sausage is sliced, not crumbled.

During my decades away from New Haven, Modern was clearly the only viable take-out choice for an out-of-towner and bacon became my go to, even if, while being great, it didn't measured up to my best Sally's memories. Then again, last night's Sally's fell similarly short while being aces.

 

[8893]

Which meat - sausage or meatball?

I like them both there. If it matters to you, I believe they use Lamberti's sausage; it is crumbled and not sliced to the best of my memory (which, admittedly, it not *quite* as sharp as it was). When we order for the office there is always one Italian Bomb, which has bacon, sausage and pepperoni, so that it usually when I have those meats from there. It is not my choice, but I usually enjoy a smaller slice along with the other pies we get.

When ordering a Modern meat pie for home it usually depends on which daughters and others are in the mix, which ranges from meatball and sliced tomato as a crowd-pleaser, to sausage and mushroom or pepperoni and mushroom--or half of each. We don't do the bacon pie often enough, but last time we were at Sally's that was the winner.

 

[uconnphil2016]

New spot opening in Glastonbury called Square Peg. Looks promising.

 

[superjohn]

I nearly used the word "cleaned" instead of "renovated."

Much easier to say as a man, but the answers above do bring a warm smile to my face.

Finally, after seeing that tonight's NEBCO screening of "Pizza: A Love Story," w/Big 3 a pizza and Q&A is sold out, I'm thinking of getting a well-done Modern pie w/light mootz.

Which meat - sausage or meatball?

Not sure I've ever had the latter there, and seem to recall that the sausage is sliced, not crumbled.

During my decades away from New Haven, Modern was clearly the only viable take-out choice for an out-of-towner and bacon became my go to, even if, while being great, it didn't measured up to my best Sally's memories. Then again, last night's Sally's fell similarly short while being aces.

Modern's sausage pie blows Sally's out of the water. Sally's bathroom was almost the highlight of my last trip there, I'm exaggerating but I definitely caught them off their game.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I like them both there. If it matters to you, I believe they use Lamberti's sausage; it is crumbled and not sliced to the best of my memory (which, admittedly, it not *quite* as sharp as it was). When we order for the office there is always one Italian Bomb, which has bacon, sausage and pepperoni, so that it usually when I have those meats from there. It is not my choice, but I usually enjoy a smaller slice along with the other pies we get.

When ordering a Modern meat pie for home it usually depends on which daughters and others are in the mix, which ranges from meatball and sliced tomato as a crowd-pleaser, to sausage and mushroom or pepperoni and mushroom--or half of each. We don't do the bacon pie often enough, but last time we were at Sally's that was the winner.

Small pie, half white w/sliced tonatoes & meatball, half red w/sausage, light mootz throughout.
Initially, I forgot to say "well done." In prior decades, I'd say "burn it." After a couple minutes, I returned to the counter and added that I'd forgotten to add "well done."

I just finished the pie in Edgerton Park. They didn't cook it well done, so there was more flop than I'd want, and it was more bread-y than crispy, with no black dust to shake out of the box's corner at the end.

Given how truly great both flavor profiles were, it's a shame I have to rate it an A- and share responsibility for not getting it how I'd want it. With "burn it," I've had them open the box before taping and ask if it was done enough, and sometimes it's gone back into the oven. Only once did I get a pie that had me say, "They burned it."

A final note from this post-Labor Day (but still summer) round of small pizzas that kicked off when Buffalina stayed closed on September 3rd, the Modern pie felt twice the weight of any other.

 

[husky429]

New spot opening in Glastonbury called Square Peg. Looks promising.

The oven in there looks really nice. I live seconds from the place. Serving a lot of different dishes: wood-fired za, sicilian pan pizza and a bunch of italian stuff. Plus the place has an arcade

When you have that much going on, I usually assume your pizza is fine.. but not great. Small menu = better (ie. Bufalina).

 

[uconnphil2016]

The oven in there looks really nice. I live seconds from the place. Serving a lot of different dishes: wood-fired za, sicilian pan pizza and a bunch of italian stuff. Plus the place has an arcade

When you have that much going on, I usually assume your pizza is fine.. but not great. Small menu = better (ie. Bufalina).

My guess is it’ll be like the other local artisanal spots like krust or the one in weha. I also live seconds away (off of Bell st) so I’m pumped for it. I’m actually standing outside of the place now lol stopped on my bike ride to peek inside

 

[8893]

Small pie, half white w/sliced tonatoes & meatball, half red w/sausage, light mootz throughout.
Initially, I forgot to say "well done." In prior decades, I'd say "burn it." After a couple minutes, I returned to the counter and added that I'd forgotten to add "well done."

I just finished the pie in Edgerton Park. They didn't cook it well done, so there was more flop than I'd want, and it was more bread-y than crispy, with no black dust to shake out of the box's corner at the end.

Given how truly great both flavor profiles were, it's a shame I have to rate it an A- and share responsibility for not getting it how I'd want it. With "burn it," I've had them open the box before taping and ask if it was done enough, and sometimes it's gone back into the oven. Only once did I get a pie that had me say, "They burned it."

A final note from this post-Labor Day (but still summer) round of small pizzas that kicked off when Buffalina stayed closed on September 3rd, the Modern pie felt twice the weight of any other.

I think you also ramp up the level of difficulty and risk factor when you split the pies in halves. You always end up with more toppings overall, and you probably cook different combos for different amounts of time to make them well done. It’s tough to please both halves and you often end up pleasing neither.

Their meatball pie in particular usually ends up heavier and floppier because the meatball pieces are larger and heavier than most other toppings.

One of the reasons I preach their red pie with artichoke and eggplant—light mozz, well done—is because it has been the combination that has produced the most consistently perfect results for us for decades.