OT: Best Pizza in CT

[imno1]

Hitting Pepe's tonight before Harard @ Yale hockey. I usually get classic clam, but my buddy's interested in clam with bacon. Ive never done bacon at Pepes (clam or double pepperoni red are my go-to's). Anyone know if they pre-cook the bacon? If not, I'm staying away from that . . .

Compromise and do 1/2

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Just to add to your list, if you feel like trying my current 'go to' pie, stop at Salerno's in Stratford. Order a thin crust, 'Scamorza 47'. The sauce and cheese are their signature items from when the previous generation first opened their doors in 1947. The original pie was thicker and breadier (sound familiar?) but I prefer it on the thin crust. I wouldn't load it with a lot toppings. Let the unique cheese speak for itself!

Tonight, Salerno's is a low key winner!
Sweetness in the sauce, chewiness in the cheese, a crisp crunch toward the crust, with a good corn meal dusting. Friendly crew, the same automobile-related decor accents, glad I atoned for my Thanksgiving eve weirdness which derailed me from getting there.

Last night, I tried Massimo's in an east Bridgeport shopping plaza that has a PriceRite, after helping a friend transport belongings into storage at his sister's. The other helper lives in the North End, near where I was before Westville, and he made the call. Nothing wrong with the pie, but neither any reason to return.

Finally, last week I had my first from Hamden-North Haven's Olde World in a while. The crew has roots at Modern, and it's a mostly takeout place. Outstanding, though because I split toppings, I confirmed that their bacon, while perfectly cooked, is too salty, as had been my last experience. So, it's sausage & mootz going forward

 

[RichZ]

the same automobile-related decor accents,

The "car guy" theme goes way deeper than the old car models that adorn the shelves. Carlo IS a car nut.

 

[GemParty]

Does anybody order delivery anymore? Most of the thin stuff, just doesn’t travel well.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

Does anybody order delivery anymore? Most of the thin stuff, just doesn’t travel well.

yes. mikey nuzz (graaaaannd abitz) crushes it. some of the drivers can approach high 3 figures in tips for a 7 day week during the busiest times. there's a reason why.
pro tip: delivery drivers are like elephants. they always remember who breaks loose with the juice.

 

[GemParty]

yes. mikey nuzz (graaaaannd abitz) crushes it. some of the drivers can approach high 3 figures in tips for a 7 day week during the busiest times. there's a reason why.
pro tip: delivery drivers are like elephants. they always remember who breaks loose with the juice.

What town?

 

[ClifSpliffy]

the original-Clinton, and the d-zone stretches into Madison, Westbrook, and Killingworth, especially if they like you.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

Tonight, Salerno's is a low key winner!
Sweetness in the sauce, chewiness in the cheese, a crisp crunch toward the crust, with a good corn meal dusting. Friendly crew, the same automobile-related decor accents, glad I atoned for my Thanksgiving eve weirdness which derailed me from getting there.

Last night, I tried Massimo's in an east Bridgeport shopping plaza that has a PriceRite, after helping a friend transport belongings into storage at his sister's. The other helper lives in the North End, near where I was before Westville, and he made the call. Nothing wrong with the pie, but neither any reason to return.

Finally, last week I had my first from Hamden-North Haven's Olde World in a while. The crew has roots at Modern, and it's a mostly takeout place. Outstanding, though because I split toppings, I confirmed that their bacon, while perfectly cooked, is too salty, as had been my last experience. So, it's sausage & mootz going forward

hey! sometime Park City, fulltime pizza virtuoso guy, the next time ur near grand street just east of main, stop in Pombals bakery. the definition of 'the Portuguese roll,' and their other roll, the size of a small loaf, is sooo good, it will make u forget about Portuguese rolls, or any other roll for that matter. both about 60 cents.

 

[elmcityboy]

spotted: pepe's! #mojo

 

[Milo65]

I must be the only person who can't stand sally's pizza.

I won’t go again. Pizza is great, they treated customers (unless you are a regular) like garbage.

 

[Chin Diesel]

So, I'll be heading up to CT over Christmas and plan on doing a day long pizza pilgrimage with my dad, son and some nephews and cousins. Except for one nephew who goes to school in Fairfield County, none of us have visited any of the New Haven joints.
December 26thh or 27th looks like the date.

I'm thinking we can easily hit the biggies in New Haven plus a few more. Ideally, this would involve at least six stops. Any recommendations for order or sequences for the places?

 

[Waquoit]

Have you tried the new PizzaTrip app?

 

[8893]

So, I'll be heading up to CT over Christmas and plan on doing a day long pizza pilgrimage with my dad, son and some nephews and cousins. Except for one nephew who goes to school in Fairfield County, none of us have visited any of the New Haven joints.
December 26thh or 27th looks like the date.

I'm thinking we can easily hit the biggies in New Haven plus a few more. Ideally, this would involve at least six stops. Any recommendations for order or sequences for the places?

I'd expect significant lines for much of the day on those dates at Pepe's, Sally's, Modern and probably even BAR. All are popular over the holidays, so I'd try to hit Pepe's and Sally's in the mid-afternoon, in between lunch and dinner, as they are the most popular--and the least good at moving the lines. I would make Modern and BAR the bookends of those four, in whichever order. You have to get the white clam pie at Pepe's and the mashed potato and bacon pie (red is my preference) at BAR. If you are looking for anything other than pizza, the BAR salad is also excellent. Modern does everything pretty well imo, but if you like your pies crispy remember to order them "well done, light mozz." For some reason, I always seem to like the Sally's pies with bacon the best.

If you are looking to add two more, I'd probably add Zuppardi's in West Haven (sausage pie, white clam pie) and then choose one other among Olde World (North Haven), Grand Apizza (Fair Haven), Tolli's (East Haven), Zeneli (New Haven), Da Legna (New Haven), Next Door (New Haven), Kitchen Zinc (New Haven), One 6 Three (New Haven), Ernie's (New Haven) or Roseland (Derby). If you go to Roseland you have to get the seafood pie with lobster, shrimp and scallop. It's ridiculously expensive and it's nothing like pizza, but it's amazing and definitely a signature item for them.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I won’t go again. Pizza is great, they treated customers (unless you are a regular) like garbage.

Try it again. New owners. Fuller staffing. No playing favorites*. Expanded hours. Great pizza.

*This one in particular was confirmed yesterday (unsolicited) by a friend whose father is a featured 'talking head' in the "Pizza, a Love Story" documentary film. His family always walked right in, and no longer holds any such status, as he believes is rightly so.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I'd expect significant lines for much of the day on those dates at Pepe's, Sally's, Modern and probably even BAR. All are popular over the holidays, so I'd try to hit Pepe's and Sally's in the mid-afternoon, in between lunch and dinner, as they are the most popular--and the least good at moving the lines. I would make Modern and BAR the bookends of those four, in whichever order. You have to get the white clam pie at Pepe's and the mashed potato and bacon pie (red is my preference) at BAR. If you are looking for anything other than pizza, the BAR salad is also excellent. Modern does everything pretty well imo, but if you like your pies crispy remember to order them "well done, light mozz." For some reason, I always seem to like the Sally's pies with bacon the best.

If you are looking to add two more, I'd probably add Zuppardi's in West Haven (sausage pie, white clam pie) and then choose one other among Olde World (North Haven), Grand Apizza (Fair Haven), Tolli's (East Haven), Zeneli (New Haven), Da Legna (New Haven), Next Door (New Haven), Kitchen Zinc (New Haven), One 6 Three (New Haven), Ernie's (New Haven) or Roseland (Derby). If you go to Roseland you have to get the seafood pie with lobster, shrimp and scallop. It's ridiculously expensive and it's nothing like pizza, but it's amazing and definitely a signature item for them.

This is a very solid list, including the specific recommendations.

Because of the size & nature of your party, I'll add that Ernie's, Roseland, Zuppardi's, and Next Door will have the best combination of parking & seating options.

Roseland is the most out of the way.
Next Door will be best combo of beer & (smaller/lighter/more artisanal) pizza, and it's nearby to Modern for line management & timing purposes.
Ernie's might be favored by out-of-towners who are more accustomed to a thicker, cheesier, less 'well-done' pizza.

Heading west from downtown/Wooster Square/State Street, you could go to Ernie's in Westville, Zuppardi's in West Haven, then Roseland in Derby, though timing-wise you might need to cut down to only 2 (or even 1) of these.

Happy eating!

 

[methodology]

Had a surprisingly good pie at ReBar in west haven. It's a bar that has a pizza oven behind the bar and they made a quality pie. Only comes in 10" size. Definitely would go back and recommend for others to try.

Had their signature pie that came with mozz, pepperoni, burrata, prosciutto, cherry peppers, red onion, truffle honey

 

[ClifSpliffy]

So, I'll be heading up to CT over Christmas and plan on doing a day long pizza pilgrimage with my dad, son and some nephews and cousins. Except for one nephew who goes to school in Fairfield County, none of us have visited any of the New Haven joints.
December 26thh or 27th looks like the date.

I'm thinking we can easily hit the biggies in New Haven plus a few more. Ideally, this would involve at least six stops. Any recommendations for order or sequences for the places?

switch zuppardis in for sally's. we dumped that place long ago when we heard that their daily employee meeting concludes with the group cheer 'ba fongul!' as in, 'u want water? ba fongul!' or 'u want a napkin? ba fongul!' lol. someone here said some very nice things about new sallys, which may be true, but as far as im concerned, a 'sally' is still an adolescent female blue crab. who needs to wait in line to see if today is a good hair or bad hair day for a teenage girl?

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Had a surprisingly good pie at ReBar in west haven. It's a bar that has a pizza oven behind the bar and they made a quality pie. Only comes in 10" size. Definitely would go back and recommend for others to try.

Had their signature pie that came with mozz, pepperoni, burrata, prosciutto, cherry peppers, red onion, truffle honey

Add 4-7pm Happy Hour to already lower-than-average prices for such quality pizza, and later-closing down hours, a few well-placed big TVs, pool table in the back, and it's a solid option that you would not expect within an otherwise non-descript shopping plaza steps from Savin Rock Beach.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

switch zuppardis in for sally's. we dumped that place long ago when we heard that their daily employee meeting concludes with the group cheer 'ba fongul!' as in, 'u want water? ba fongul!' or 'u want a napkin? ba fongul!' lol. someone here said some very nice things about new sallys, which may be true, but as far as im concerned, a 'sally' is still an adolescent female blue crab. who needs to wait in line to see if today is a good hair or bad hair day for a teenage girl?

Cute take, but you're driving with an old map.

Almost forgot:
The one notable omission in @8893`s excellent write-up is that Sally's is the standard for measuring the plain tomato pie.

 

[David 76]

the original-Clinton, and the d-zone stretches into Madison, Westbrook, and Killingworth, especially if they like you.

i believe the original is on Grand Ave.,New Haven
i probably ate there over 50 years ago

 

[methodology]

i believe the original is on Grand Ave.,New Haven
i probably ate there over 50 years ago

There was also the one in north haven before Clinton existed. A family feud when one of the brothers left for Arizona and mike opened the Clinton location is when the shoreline presence took place

 

[ClifSpliffy]

fred nuzzo, left his bro nick at modern to open grand. mike, his son, opened Clinton, Madison, Guilford, now collectively known as Grand Apizza Shoreline. that's three that mikey calls his own. so, my bad, the original 'Grand Apizza Shoreline' is how I should have labeled it. they even have a 'pizza truck, too. and, oh, don't look now, but that family is pumping out lots more Grands. grand abeets uber alles!

 

[Huskybass]

Cute take, but you're driving with an old map.

Almost forgot:
The one notable omission in @8893`s excellent write-up is that Sally's is the standard for measuring the plain tomato pie.

I was at Sally's a couple of months ago and the service wasn't very good. The pizza is excellent, but the service is clearly a detriment. We had a party of 7 and ordered 4 pies. When we asked for plates to set our slices on, we were asked "How many?" as if getting a plate was above and beyond. The simple answer was 7, a plate for each person. Shouldn't that be standard?

 

[tentoes4rings]

Cute take, but you're driving with an old map.

Almost forgot:
The one notable omission in @8893`s excellent write-up is that Sally's is the standard for measuring the plain tomato pie.

The plain tomato pie was excellent and should be what someone orders there. I thought the other pies our group had were good but not special. Sally’s owes a huge debt of gratitude to Portnoy for giving their cheese pie such an usually high score. Portnoy must have been extremely hungry that day because he treated Sally’s like it was the best, it isn’t.

 

[baako1]

Going up to the St. Joe's (CT) game on Saturday and planning a pizza lunch before. Does anyone know what the wait would be like at Zuppardi's around noon? Trying to balance something that we can plan for without a crazy line and a good 'za option.... thank you!!!