OT: Best Pizza in CT

[Hans Sprungfeld]

You've been to a lot of places I haven't. He was s-l-o-w and methodical; the line grew while I waited. The slice was an enjoyable capper to the theater...then back on my bicycle.

"Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" View attachment 74635

The two counter guys handled the full range of non-pizza-making details: line management, order-taking, bringing full pies to the 3 or 4 tables, cleaning up, cash register, and opening & closing the oven door every time Di Fara gave the quiet command.

The guy on the right did his work in near silence, flirting with women in line through his smiles, withheld smiles, and body flow. He wore a t-shirt with the Nintendo logo, but it read "no enteniendo"

 

[HuskyHawk]

Ok folks, need help. Will be in Westport Saturday to visit an ailing family friend from Marshfield who is staying near her son in her last days. Wife wanted to connect with an old College friend who lives in Cheshire after (we will need something more cheerful). Since we live in MA near I-95 and 495, taking 91 to 84 to the Pike isn't the plan. I suggested we meet her friend in New Haven and get pizza. My wife has never had NH pizza (and I have not in 30+ years except Pepe's at the casino).

Thinking Modern or Sally's, but I am concerned that the Wooster St. places will be mobbed. I hear of Zupardi's and other good pies via this thread. Is there a place to get the apizza experience, also be able to grab a decent beer nearby and not stand in line? Or is there a time of day that will be best? Early evening?

 

[Deepster]

Ok folks, need help. Will be in Westport Saturday to visit an ailing family friend from Marshfield who is staying near her son in her last days. Wife wanted to connect with an old College friend who lives in Cheshire after (we will need something more cheerful). Since we live in MA near I-95 and 495, taking 91 to 84 to the Pike isn't the plan. I suggested we meet her friend in New Haven and get pizza. My wife has never had NH pizza (and I have not in 30+ years except Pepe's at the casino).

Thinking Modern or Sally's, but I am concerned that the Wooster St. places will be mobbed. I hear of Zupardi's and other good pies via this thread. Is there a place to get the apizza experience, also be able to grab a decent beer nearby and not stand in line? Or is there a time of day that will be best? Early evening?

If your wife has never been there and you haven't been in that long, would it be that bad to go through the line and "experience" the wait at Pepe's or Sally's? Modern usually doesn't have quite the wait if that's really an issue.

I guess what I'm saying is, if it's her first time....don't mess around and go with one of the Big 3.

 

[methodology]

Ok folks, need help. Will be in Westport Saturday to visit an ailing family friend from Marshfield who is staying near her son in her last days. Wife wanted to connect with an old College friend who lives in Cheshire after (we will need something more cheerful). Since we live in MA near I-95 and 495, taking 91 to 84 to the Pike isn't the plan. I suggested we meet her friend in New Haven and get pizza. My wife has never had NH pizza (and I have not in 30+ years except Pepe's at the casino).

Thinking Modern or Sally's, but I am concerned that the Wooster St. places will be mobbed. I hear of Zupardi's and other good pies via this thread. Is there a place to get the apizza experience, also be able to grab a decent beer nearby and not stand in line? Or is there a time of day that will be best? Early evening?

Modern is your best bet and my go to of the 3

 

[8893]

Ok folks, need help. Will be in Westport Saturday to visit an ailing family friend from Marshfield who is staying near her son in her last days. Wife wanted to connect with an old College friend who lives in Cheshire after (we will need something more cheerful). Since we live in MA near I-95 and 495, taking 91 to 84 to the Pike isn't the plan. I suggested we meet her friend in New Haven and get pizza. My wife has never had NH pizza (and I have not in 30+ years except Pepe's at the casino).

Thinking Modern or Sally's, but I am concerned that the Wooster St. places will be mobbed. I hear of Zupardi's and other good pies via this thread. Is there a place to get the apizza experience, also be able to grab a decent beer nearby and not stand in line? Or is there a time of day that will be best? Early evening?

Sally's, Modern and Zuppardi's are all 100% legit apizza experiences.

Sally's is the highest ceiling, lowest floor in my experience. You could sail right in and have a transcendent experience, or you could be waiting for over an hour with indifferent service. It is highly variable, although less so since the new owners. If the weather is nice and the outdoor seating is open your chances will be better; although unless they changed something the beer offerings will be terrible.

Modern is still ol' reliable for me. You may experience a line, but it moves fast and the people are nice. Plenty of places to grab a beer on State Street, and iirc they always have a NEBCO and Counter Weight Headway on tap there. NB: I order my Modern pies "well done, light mozz" because I have often found them a little saggy for my preferences. PS: If you like eggplant on your apizza, you will find none better than here. Red pie with artichoke hearts and eggplant is our staple there.

There is nothing else around Zupp's, but you can't beat their fresh clam pizza and it will likely be the least busy of the three. Their house-made sausage is also excellent. I have never eaten on the premises there so I don't know what their beer offerings are.

 

[HuskyHawk]

If your wife has never been there and you haven't been in that long, would it be that bad to go through the line and "experience" the wait at Pepe's or Sally's? Modern usually doesn't have quite the wait if that's really an issue.

I guess what I'm saying is, if it's her first time....don't mess around and go with one of the Big 3.

Modern is your best bet and my go to of the 3

Seems @8893 deleted his post before I could reply. I did read it. Modern seems like the clear choice. I haven't been there. I'm over 50 so my tolerance for the "experience" when it involves standing in line or rude service is pretty low. The availability of a decent beer is a big plus. Neither of us will even drink crappy pale lagers. I think I had Genny Cream Ale my last time at Pepe's. We will also have the friend from Cheshire, and I can only assume she's more of a regular.

We might be staying the night. Any suggestions if we do?

 

[karstenkibbe]

Ok folks, need help. Will be in Westport Saturday to visit an ailing family friend from Marshfield who is staying near her son in her last days. Wife wanted to connect with an old College friend who lives in Cheshire after (we will need something more cheerful). Since we live in MA near I-95 and 495, taking 91 to 84 to the Pike isn't the plan. I suggested we meet her friend in New Haven and get pizza. My wife has never had NH pizza (and I have not in 30+ years except Pepe's at the casino).

Thinking Modern or Sally's, but I am concerned that the Wooster St. places will be mobbed. I hear of Zupardi's and other good pies via this thread. Is there a place to get the apizza experience, also be able to grab a decent beer nearby and not stand in line? Or is there a time of day that will be best? Early evening?

Just a suggestion based on our shared craft beer devotion….

If you don’t want to deal with lines, delays in service, etc, I would strongly consider Olde World Apizza in North Haven. IMO, it is the most underrated apizza and is consistently spectacular. It’s also less than 5 minutes away from Twelve Percent Beer Project, where you can enjoy delicious pours of Marlowe, Timber Ales, Evil Twin, etc. I consider this combo a no-brainer.

I’m not from the Cheshire area, but Counterweight Brewing just moved last week from Hamden to a huge space in Cheshire. They brew stellar heritage styles and IPAs. Their barrel program is also great. Only apizza I’ve ever had in Cheshire was Fuoco. Sadly, it burned down last year.

 

[methodology]

Just a suggestion based on our shared craft beer devotion….

If you don’t want to deal with lines, delays in service, etc, I would strongly consider Olde World Apizza in North Haven. IMO, it is the most underrated apizza and is consistently spectacular. It’s also less than 5 minutes away from Twelve Percent Beer Project, where you can enjoy delicious pours of Marlowe, Timber Ales, Evil Twin, etc. I consider this combo a no-brainer.

I’m not from the Cheshire area, but Counterweight Brewing just moved last week from Hamden to a huge space in Cheshire. They brew stellar heritage styles and IPAs. Their barrel program is also great. Only apizza I’ve ever had in Cheshire was Fuoco. Sadly, it burned down last year.

Olde world is fantastic is extremely underrated/overlooked

Great post with all the info. My wife use to work at bone in prime in Cheshire and I knew counterweight was moving there but wasn’t sure if they had opened yet. Headway is my go to IPA for home or whenever I’m out and a place has it

 

[8893]

Seems @8893 deleted his post before I could reply. I did read it. Modern seems like the clear choice. I haven't been there. I'm over 50 so my tolerance for the "experience" when it involves standing in line or rude service is pretty low. The availability of a decent beer is a big plus. Neither of us will even drink crappy pale lagers. I think I had Genny Cream Ale my last time at Pepe's. We will also have the friend from Cheshire, and I can only assume she's more of a regular.

We might be staying the night. Any suggestions if we do?

Hmmm...never deleted my post; maybe I'm on some super-special ignore feature?

In any event, I don't think I've stayed overnight in a New Haven hotel since I took the bar exam. An out-of-state lawyer with whom I have worked frequently stays at the Courtyard because it is clean and convenient. It's in a bit of a transitional neighborhood but generally fine. The Blake, the Study, New Haven Hotel or Omni are other reliable choices higher up the food chain. There is also a La Quinta on Long Wharf; and I just noticed that they turned the old Pirelli building into "Hotel Marcel," which is a Hilton property that looks interesting:

Hotel Marcel New Haven, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

Hotel Marcel New Haven, Tapestry Collection by Hilton and uncover the unexpected at our one-of-a-kind hotel. As part of Hilton's Tapestry Collection, we are perfect for guests seeking an uncommon experience and peace of mind.

www.hilton.com

Finally, further up the shore and a good deal more expensive, but nice, is the Madison Beach Hotel.

 

[elmcityboy]

Seems @8893 deleted his post before I could reply. I did read it. Modern seems like the clear choice. I haven't been there. I'm over 50 so my tolerance for the "experience" when it involves standing in line or rude service is pretty low. The availability of a decent beer is a big plus. Neither of us will even drink crappy pale lagers. I think I had Genny Cream Ale my last time at Pepe's. We will also have the friend from Cheshire, and I can only assume she's more of a regular.

We might be staying the night. Any suggestions if we do?

sally's has changed a lot since the business was sold and covid happened. the wait times are, in my experience, a lot shorter now that you can sit outside and the "rude" servers (part of the charm of sally's tbh) have mostly moved on in favor of younger staffers. they have legitimate draft beer options now (although i am always a big proponent of cheap beer with pizza). you can also put your name on the list and go for a walk/drink instead of standing in line for hours.

one thing that hasn't changed (at least in my opinion) is the pizza, and it is by far the best in new haven.

 

[huskymedic]

We might be staying the night. Any suggestions if we do?

Graduate New Haven

A local landmark, Graduate New Haven sits in the heart of downtown, across the street from the Yale School of Art and steps from all the best shops, restaurants, galleries and theaters.

www.graduatehotels.com

… and don’t listen to @8893 - avoid La Quinta on Long Wharf @ all costs. It’s a rat’s nest. His other suggestions are fine.

 

[methodology]

Graduate New Haven

A local landmark, Graduate New Haven sits in the heart of downtown, across the street from the Yale School of Art and steps from all the best shops, restaurants, galleries and theaters.

www.graduatehotels.com

I prefer the Blake hotel or the study

 

[karstenkibbe]

Olde world is fantastic is extremely underrated/overlooked

Great post with all the info. My wife use to work at bone in prime in Cheshire and I knew counterweight was moving there but wasn’t sure if they had opened yet. Headway is my go to IPA for home or whenever I’m out and a place has it

Headway is by far the best high-production shelfie IPA found in CT. Same with their Crucial Mass DIPA.

 

[8893]

Graduate New Haven

A local landmark, Graduate New Haven sits in the heart of downtown, across the street from the Yale School of Art and steps from all the best shops, restaurants, galleries and theaters.

www.graduatehotels.com

… and don’t listen to @8893 - avoid La Quinta on Long Wharf @ all costs. It’s a rat’s nest. His other suggestions are fine.

Good to know! I've never stayed there or even set foot inside, but I do know of people who have and didn't hear raves, but also didn't hear the rat's nest part, so now I know.

 

[husky429]

Anyone been to lemon and char in Oxford? Never heard of it until today--got an invite from a friend and I need to know if I should fake sick.

 

[imno1]

YoJust a suggestion based on our shared craft beer devotion….

If you don’t want to deal with lines, delays in service, etc, I would strongly consider Olde World Apizza in North Haven. IMO, it is the most underrated apizza and is consistently spectacular. It’s also less than 5 minutes away from Twelve Percent Beer Project, where you can enjoy delicious pours of Marlowe, Timber Ales, Evil Twin, etc. I consider this combo a no-brainer.

I’m not from the Cheshire area, but Counterweight Brewing just moved last week from Hamden to a huge space in Cheshire. They brew stellar heritage styles and IPAs. Their barrel program is also great. Only apizza I’ve ever had in Cheshire was Fuoco. Sadly, it burned down last year.

Olde World is solid but definitely a step or 2 below the main entries. Plus they have what, 3 tables? If you are going early afternoon the wait on any might not be bad but in the evening even Zuppardis might be packed. @HuskyHawk you've been waiting over 7 years for a tournament win you can wait in line for a little. I would drive by Sally's to see how long the wait is and if long Modern is 5 minutes away.

 

[karstenkibbe]

Olde World is solid but definitely a step or 2 below the main entries. Plus they have what, 3 tables? If you are going early afternoon the wait on any might not be bad but in the evening even Zuppardis might be packed. @HuskyHawk you've been waiting over 7 years for a tournament win you can wait in line for a little. I would drive by Sally's to see how long the wait is and if long Modern is 5 minutes away.

To each his own. I’d rather eat Olde World than Frank Pepe these days. I do agree with you on the table situation at OW. But @HuskyHawk can bring those pies to a very spacious and comfortable tap room at 12%.

 

[awfuldan]

As a North Haven resident, Olde World is my go-to. I do not think they have any tables available right now though, unless I'm mistaken. I picked up pizza there as recently as two weeks ago and it looked like it was take-out only. Guessing that was a COVID-related change.

 

[I Bleed Blue]

Oof

 

[storrsroars]

Oof

Probably knocking down a squid soda with that.

Good price for stadium food though. About $8.20.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Ended up getting pizza at a small brewery in North Stonington. Really cute place the whole area is historic and reminds me of Vermont. Pizza good. Beer good. Then drove the rest of the way through storms and I thought I was going to die.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Ok folks, need help. Will be in Westport Saturday to visit an ailing family friend from Marshfield who is staying near her son in her last days. Wife wanted to connect with an old College friend who lives in Cheshire after (we will need something more cheerful). Since we live in MA near I-95 and 495, taking 91 to 84 to the Pike isn't the plan. I suggested we meet her friend in New Haven and get pizza. My wife has never had NH pizza (and I have not in 30+ years except Pepe's at the casino).

Thinking Modern or Sally's, but I am concerned that the Wooster St. places will be mobbed. I hear of Zupardi's and other good pies via this thread. Is there a place to get the apizza experience, also be able to grab a decent beer nearby and not stand in line? Or is there a time of day that will be best? Early evening?

Actually Zuppardi’s just opened a new place in Ansonia. The wife and I tried it yesterday, it was the same old Zuppardi’s pie. It was EXCELLENT!!! One important note, the Ansonia location is pickup only. So either live in the area or bring a pizza warmer box.

 

[CTBasketball]

Last three times I’ve been to Modern the pizza has been undercooked. Getting demoted in my personal rankings…

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Graduate New Haven

A local landmark, Graduate New Haven sits in the heart of downtown, across the street from the Yale School of Art and steps from all the best shops, restaurants, galleries and theaters.

www.graduatehotels.com

… and don’t listen to @8893 - avoid La Quinta on Long Wharf @ all costs. It’s a rat’s nest. His other suggestions are fine.

I loved my experience at the Graduate in Storrs. I haven't seen the one at Yale, but it will have tons of Bulldogs and Yale whimsy in the decor. Great business concept.

For pizza, I recommend Zupp’s in East Haven. I love commercial spots grandfathered into residential areas and it’s close to the beach.

 

[elmcityboy]

Last three times I’ve been to Modern the pizza has been undercooked. Getting demoted in my personal rankings…

in my opinion, this is a regular thing at modern -- undercooked pizza with too much on top of it, so it gets soupy in the middle. if you order it "well done" and even with light cheese and it's as good as any of the other spots around, though.