OT: Best Pizza in CT

[8893]

Mike's is better than Zupp's. No doubt about it.

I think it’s safe to say that there is a lot of doubt about that, even from people who like Mike’s.

 

[imno1]

I think it’s safe to say that there is a lot of doubt about that, even from people who like Mike’s.

I’ve had both enough to have an opinion and would give Zuppardi’s the higher rating. Neither better than the the top 3 in NH with the exception of Zupp’s fresh white clam which is as good as it gets.

 

[Huskybass]

I think it’s safe to say that there is a lot of doubt about that, even from people who like Mike’s.

And the people I know who really know great pizza all prefer Mike's. The great ones haunt you, and you go back soon after. I was back at Mike's soon after my first trip there. Zuppardi's is really good, but I wasn't compelled to return like I was with Mike's.

 

[nashusky109]

It appears that the rumors of a Sally’s opening on lower Summer Street in downtown Stamford have been confirmed by the appearance of a giant “S” papering the entrance to 66 Summer this week. Going to be a lot of happy people here in the Land of a Thousand Average Pizza Places. (Credit to HeyStamford, run by the late J. Walter Kennedy’s grandson and son of former Advocate sports editor Bob Kennedy)

View attachment 62536

Guessing the one expected to open in SoNo wont now?

 

[karstenkibbe]

Guessing the one expected to open in SoNo wont now?

That’s what I’ve heard. But the rumors have been there about Stamford for almost a year. Between Barcelona, Bar Taco, and all the other restaurants on lower Summer and Park Place, it’s going to be absolute zoo down there with the addition of Sally’s post-Covid.

 

[methodology]

I’ve had both enough to have an opinion and would give Zuppardi’s the higher rating. Neither better than the the top 3 in NH with the exception of Zupp’s fresh white clam which is as good as it gets.

When one of the owners family members admits zuppardis is better that's all that needs to be known

 

[8893]

And the people I know who really know great pizza all prefer Mike's. The great ones haunt you, and you go back soon after. I was back at Mike's soon after my first trip there. Zuppardi's is really good, but I wasn't compelled to return like I was with Mike's.

That has definitely been the case for us with Zupp's. Their fresh clam pie will always keep us coming back, and we will always add at least one other pie that features their house-made sausage among the ingredients (current fave in that regard is their escarole and bean pie with sausage added).

I haven't tried Mike's so I can't say where I would rate them, but my larger point is that I think the "There's no doubt X is better than Y" discussion ends when you're quibbling at the margins of the great ones like we are here. At that point, it's about specific pies that one does better than the other, personal preference, and not catching an off pie, which happens.

So if you are saying that Mike's deserves a place in the pantheon of New Haven pizza greatness, I am willing to entertain that notion. If you are saying there is no doubt it's better than Zupp's, I think the thread itself is proof that there is reasonable doubt about that--unless you're saying that @imno1 doesn't know great pizza.

 

[Deepster]

And the people I know who really know great pizza all prefer Mike's. The great ones haunt you, and you go back soon after. I was back at Mike's soon after my first trip there. Zuppardi's is really good, but I wasn't compelled to return like I was with Mike's.

Oh! All the people you know that REALLY know great pizza prefer Mike's? Why didn't you say that in the first place! Because all the people that I know that REALLY know great pizza hate Mike's.

 

[Ratso]

naples was the best just sayin..

i didn’t got to yale, i was a townie yorkside pizza & toads place on my hot list

 

[imno1]

That has definitely been the case for us with Zupp's. Their fresh clam pie will always keep us coming back, and we will always add at least one other pie that features their house-made sausage among the ingredients(current fave in that regard is their escarole and bean pie with sausage added).

I haven't tried Mike's so I can't say where I would rate them, but my larger point is that I think the "There's no doubt X is better than Y" discussion ends when you're quibbling at the margins of the great ones like we are here. At that point, it's about specific pies that one does better than the other, personal preference, and not catching an off pie, which happens.

So if you are saying that Mike's deserves a place in the pantheon of New Haven pizza greatness, I am willing to entertain that notion. If you are saying there is no doubt it's better than Zupp's, I think the thread itself is proof that there is reasonable doubt about that--unless you're saying that @imno1 doesn't know great pizza.

I wouldn't consider myself an expert but more a pizza snob. Growing up in New Haven I have enjoyed great pizza since I've had teeth. Being a snob since an early age I have never had Domino's. Papa Johns, or Lil Caesar. But @Huskybass knows people who know great pizza so I may be wrong

 

[Balker]

New winter menu at Bufalina:
MAIALINO ALPINO $17
Braised pork ribs, juniper, rosemary, mushrooms, fontina cheese, herb gremolata
PATATE $15.50
Roasted potatoes, wild fennel, asiago cheese, sausage
CIPOLLE $16
Caramelized red onion, blisteredscallions,gorgonzola, mozzarella, bacon
BROCCOLI $16
Heirloom broccoli, roasted garlic oil, straciatella

Had the Patate and Maialino Alpino tonight. Patate is a revision to a special they had earlier this year, the Asiago cheese replacing whipped chive creme fraiche, and sausage instead of bacon. While still great for potato lovers, this is not quite as exciting to me as the initial version.

The Maialino was good, the mushrooms and pork rib were great, the juniper and rosemary flavors are interesting, but I found myself not wanting more than a few bites. It was just too much.

I’ll give the other two new ones a test drive next weekend

 

[8893]

New winter menu at Bufalina:
MAIALINO ALPINO $17
Braised pork ribs, juniper, rosemary, mushrooms, fontina cheese, herb gremolata
PATATE $15.50
Roasted potatoes, wild fennel, asiago cheese, sausage
CIPOLLE $16
Caramelized red onion, blisteredscallions,gorgonzola, mozzarella, bacon
BROCCOLI $16
Heirloom broccoli, roasted garlic oil, straciatella

Had the Patate and Maialino Alpino tonight. Patate is a revision to a special they had earlier this year, the Asiago cheese replacing whipped chive creme fraiche, and sausage instead of bacon. While still great for potato lovers, this is not quite as exciting to me as the initial version.

The Maialino was good, the mushrooms and pork rib were great, the juniper and rosemary flavors are interesting, but I found myself not wanting more than a few bites. It was just too much.

I’ll give the other two new ones a test drive next weekend

Funny, I read the new menu the other day and was deflated because none of the new seasonal pies appealed to me based on the description.

Mrs. 8893 hates rosemary so we'd have to skip the Maialino Alpino or ask them to omit it, and I don't get the juniper either.

Agree with you re the Patate; I liked that other version and this one doesn't sound like it pops.

I think I remember last year's Cipolle was a little different, too, but that's probably the one I'd settle for if I had to choose one of the four.

IIRC we added sausage to the Broccoli pie last year and were glad we did. Some of their chili oil, too.

 

[Balker]

Funny, I read the new menu the other day and was deflated because none of the new seasonal pies appealed to me based on the description.

Mrs. 8893 hates rosemary so we'd have to skip the Maialino Alpino or ask them to omit it, and I don't get the juniper either.

Agree with you re the Patate; I liked that other version and this one doesn't sound like it pops.

I think I remember last year's Cipolle was a little different, too, but that's probably the one I'd settle for if I had to choose one of the four.

IIRC we added sausage to the Broccoli pie last year and were glad we did. Some of their chili oil, too.

Had the exact same thought on the broccoli. Sausage would round that out nicely! But yeah, otherwise not my favorite menu. My wife is pretty sad about the truffle pie going, too.

 

[glastonbury50]

I can't stand when people call it a pie.

 

[Deepster]

I can't stand when people call it a pie.

Whats worse? Pie or Za?

 

[glastonbury50]

Whats worse? Pie or Za?

Pie but za is wierd too

 

[methodology]

I can't stand when people call it a pie.

You're from Glastonbury you're opinion is omitted

 

[8893]

Whats worse? Pie or Za?

If you are ordering from any of the New Haven joints, they will will expect you to use the former and have no idea what you are talking about if you use the latter.

 

[mauconnfan]

Joeys garlic in farmington is not bad

Joeys not bad was better when it was Rossini’s though in Farmington!!

 

[ClifSpliffy]

'pie' = pretty much every northeastern, coastal, factoryish city, where the whole pizza napolitano thing began. apizza pie!
'za' = kali. apparently, everybody there is always pressed for time, so words often get shrunkified, even their own name, California. take 'rad,' 'kix,' 'shrooms,' or 'bolt,' for examples. the one-syllable state!
some would say 'pop' or 'hoagie' for other outstanding foods, but those are always soda and sammiches for me.
that list including juniper, gremolata, heirloom broccoli (whats wrong my stuff growing out back? it's not on the mayflower registry?), and gorganzola made me ill. good thing that they dropped 'whipped chive creme fraiche.' dodged a bullet on that one...

 

[8893]

Some love for Mikey Nuzzo here; I rate it just a notch below the Big Three, but these guys have them at the top:

 

[Balker]

If you are ordering from any of the New Haven joints, they will will expect you to use the former and have no idea what you are talking about if you use the latter.

I would love to see someone order a ‘za at Pepe’s or Zeneli’s. Matt at Bufalina would roll with it.

 

[superjohn]

If you are ordering from any of the New Haven joints, they will will expect you to use the former and have no idea what you are talking about if you use the latter.

Have no idea what these guys are talking about, everyone calls it a pie.

 

[methodology]

If you are ordering from any of the New Haven joints, they will will expect you to use the former and have no idea what you are talking about if you use the latter.

Anyone from new haven area calls it a pie that's just what it is.

Have no idea what these guys are talking about, everyone calls it a pie.

Seriously it's been called a pizza pie since its inception. What else do you call it? My whole life it's let's get some pies

 

[Balker]

Have no idea what these guys are talking about, everyone calls it a pie.

Yeah, “pie” as a way to describe a pizza is almost as old as American pizza itself. There are a few good write ups on the origins of it: Why Is Pizza Called Pie? All About The Other Name For Pizza - Crust Kingdom

But in short, Italian immigrants were referring to “tomato pies” over 100 years ago. My great grandparents, who were both born in New Haven in 1916 called them that since they were born. Their parents arrived there a few years before that from Italy, not sure if they would have used the word since English wasn’t their native language.

‘Za, on the other hand, is a ridiculous term that best describes pizza acquired from a mall food court.