OT: Best Pizza in CT

[mauconnfan]

My memory is skewed bc I haven’t had Mondo in probably 10 years or so and Vero very recently, but Vero was much better to me.

I’ve only had Mondo of the two multiple times. You hear about others in Middletown as well but I’ve never heard about Vero and now need to try it because Mondo is very good and deserving of that ranking if not better. I will make my way there sometime soon.

 

[HuskyNan]

 

[mauconnfan]

Being in lower WesMass near Suffield I’m in between Caution is Advised and Eat at Your Own Risk which is spot on. We try to find a spot and occasionally say “this is pretty good for AROUND HERE…” but that’s the best we can get up here. That’s a solid map of pizza!

 

[HuskyNan]

Being in lower WesMass near Suffield I’m in between Caution is Advised and Eat at Your Own Risk which is spot on. We try to find a spot and occasionally say “this is pretty good for AROUND HERE…” but that’s the best we can get up here. That’s a solid map of pizza!

I live in Florida aka Pizza Hell. You can’t believe what they sell as “NY (or Northeast) Style” pizza here. The Buffalo chicken pizza is baked chicken on top of a gluey crust with barbecue sauce instead of red sauce. Every single pizza I’ve had here is undercooked. Ick.

 

[UCan3]

New Haven pizzerias lead the top vote-getters for the Connecticut Pizza Capital Trail

Gov. Ned Lamont declared Connecticut the “pizza capital of the world” earlier this year, and now we know that New Haven is the pizza capital of Connecticut. With the state […]

www.hartfordbusiness.com

Here is the list of the top 20 vote-getters:

1. Modern Apizza, New Haven
2. Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, multiple towns
3. Sally’s Apizza, multiple towns
4. Zuppardi's Apizza, West Haven
5. BAR, New Haven
6. Roseland Apizza, Derby
7. Tony’s Pizza, Willimantic
8. Colony Grill, multiple towns
9. Little City Pizza, Avon
10. Domenic’s & Vinnie’s, multiple towns
11. Pizzeria Marzano, Torrington
12. Ernie’s Pizzeria, New Haven
13. Little Rendezvous, Meriden
14. Vero Cucino Rustico, Middletown
15. Mangos Wood Fired Pizza Co, Mystic
16. Pizza Palace & Restaurant, Old Saybrook
17. Grand Apizza, multiple towns
18. Mondo, Middletown
19. Fuoco Apizza, Cheshire
20. Est Est Est Pizza & Restaurant, New Haven

Maybe I don’t like Pizza as much as I used to… 40 lbs ago I loved it but nothing adds those pounds quite like Pizza a couple time a week.

With that being said, we like to go to Wooster St. but no Modern, Peppe’s or Sally’s. Sit in line for an hour for a giganic pizza? On thanks, not anymore.

But across from Pepe’s there is a tiny little place, Zelini’s (sp?) with outdoor seating that serves brick oven delight. Thin crust, flavor, old country taste in every bite.

Difference, usually no line, pizza comes within 10 min of ordering, friendly service and you walk out of there full but not like when you consume 3000 calories at the other places on this list.

Pizza is like art we all have our favorite. This one is a good option IMO if you’re on Wooster St and want to try something new.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

New Haven pizzerias lead the top vote-getters for the Connecticut Pizza Capital Trail

Gov. Ned Lamont declared Connecticut the “pizza capital of the world” earlier this year, and now we know that New Haven is the pizza capital of Connecticut. With the state […]

www.hartfordbusiness.com

Here is the list of the top 20 vote-getters:

1. Modern Apizza, New Haven
2. Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, multiple towns
3. Sally’s Apizza, multiple towns
4. Zuppardi's Apizza, West Haven
5. BAR, New Haven
6. Roseland Apizza, Derby
7. Tony’s Pizza, Willimantic
8. Colony Grill, multiple towns
9. Little City Pizza, Avon
10. Domenic’s & Vinnie’s, multiple towns
11. Pizzeria Marzano, Torrington
12. Ernie’s Pizzeria, New Haven
13. Little Rendezvous, Meriden
14. Vero Cucino Rustico, Middletown
15. Mangos Wood Fired Pizza Co, Mystic
16. Pizza Palace & Restaurant, Old Saybrook
17. Grand Apizza, multiple towns
18. Mondo, Middletown
19. Fuoco Apizza, Cheshire
20. Est Est Est Pizza & Restaurant, New Haven

I’d drop Sally’s down to #7 nowadays. My top 4 are Zuppardis #1, Modern a very close #2, Pepe’s #3, Roseland #4, Bar #5, Ernie’s #6.

 

[boog204]

I live in Florida aka Pizza Hell. You can’t believe what they sell as “NY or Northeast Style” pizza here. The Buffalo chicken pizza is baked chicken on top of a gluey crust with barbecue sauce instead of red sauce. Every single pizza I’ve had here is undercooked. Ick.

Truth… a couple of years ago I was in Disney and my kid and I wanted pizza. So we scoured for a local, non-Disney place. It was absolutely horrible. Like terrible. Might have been only time in my life I threw away pizza.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Truth… a couple of years ago I was in Disney and my kid and I wanted pizza. So we scoured for a local, non-Disney place. It was absolutely horrible. Like terrible. Might have been only time in my life I threw away pizza.

I hate Florida, food sucks, rains at least once a day during certain times of the year, expensive……only reason I’d go there is to experience a CAT 5 hurricane. JK

 

[Purple Stein]

Florida pizza is awful.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Florida is awful.

FIFY

 

[huskymedic]

Florida pizza is awful.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Florida pizza is awful.

I hate Florida, food sucks, rains at least once a day during certain times of the year, expensive……only reason I’d go there is to experience a CAT 5 hurricane. JK

I have a few options which are decent out on the Panhandle.
Y'all inspired me to get this today.

Sun dried tomatoes, artichoke, feta and sausage.

 

[WrenchFan69]

Not CT but I finally had Town Spa Pizza in Stoughton, MA. Boston area bar pie. Was actually Dave Portnoy's first review nearly a dozen years ago.



It was really good. Definitely recommend if you're in the area.

 

[Husky Alien]

You have been warned.

 

[TheHorde]

View attachment 109283
You have been warned.

If someone opened a New Haven style pizza place that did it right on Cape Cod they’d make money hand over fist. I’m actually surprised that it hasn’t been done properly yet.

 

[mauconnfan]

If someone opened a New Haven style pizza place that did it right on Cape Cod they’d make money hand over fist. I’m actually surprised that it hasn’t been done properly yet.

You want to hear something crazy though I now live in the WesMass area. Some of the guys I met up here in the last 30 plus years coaching our kids, playing golf together and families hanging around, they grew up here. And when I ask them about opening a New Haven style pizza place in this area they say NO WAY, people around here like Roma’s, Nicky’s, Red Rose, Bruno’s and many others in this area. Not sure that’s automatic but I think with the fact the Cape is more tourist I would have to agree especially there for the summer. Maybe they zone them out?

 

[TheHorde]

You want to hear something crazy though I now live in the WesMass area. Some of the guys I met up here in the last 30 plus years coaching our kids, playing golf together and families hanging around, they grew up here. And when I ask them about opening a New Haven style pizza place in this area they say NO WAY, people around here like Roma’s, Nicky’s, Red Rose, Bruno’s and many others in this area. Not sure that’s automatic but I think with the fact the Cape is more tourist I would have to agree especially there for the summer. Maybe they zone them out?

My in laws live on the Cape and miss New Haven style pizza terribly. Whenever they come to visit, that’s the first thing they want because they have nothing close to it there. A place like Modern or Pepe’s on the Cape would do solid business from the year round residents. They’d do insane amounts of business from the summer tourists, especially with carry outs.

 

[upstater]

When I read about these Apizza outlets elsewhere in the country failing to make apizza the same way (usually because of crust thickness), I'm reminded that many people outside Connecticut aren't into thin pizza, nor into charring. They don't understand it really. They grew up on thick, doughy, undercooked pizza with a lot of sugar in the sauce, and a carpet of cheese on top (that usually slides right off the crust with your first bite).

If you took a classic Pepe's pizza from its heyday and dropped the store in the middle of most American cities or small cities or suburbs, they'd probably go out of business and they'd hear a ton of complaints about people feeling ripped off because:

#1. The crust is too thin, you're going light on the dough, they can't get their fill
#2. Not enough cheese, you're going light on the cheese
#3. Light on the toppings. Or you charge too much for toppings.

They might also say the tomato sauce is too tangy.

 

[TRest]

You want to hear something crazy though I now live in the WesMass area. Some of the guys I met up here in the last 30 plus years coaching our kids, playing golf together and families hanging around, they grew up here. And when I ask them about opening a New Haven style pizza place in this area they say NO WAY, people around here like Roma’s, Nicky’s, Red Rose, Bruno’s and many others in this area. Not sure that’s automatic but I think with the fact the Cape is more tourist I would have to agree especially there for the summer. Maybe they zone them out?

People like what they grew up eating. Greek style was the popular place in my home town, so that's what I measured all pizza against for years after leaving.

 

[nomar]

People like what they grew up eating. Greek style was the popular place in my home town, so that's what I measured all pizza against for years after leaving.

You just made me think of Yorkside Pizza (downtown New Haven) for the first time in 20 years. My grandparents used to take me there. We were a Sally's family but I enjoyed Yorkside's greasy, cheesy Greek pizza like it was fast food pizza.

 

[huskymedic]

You just made me think of Yorkside Pizza (downtown New Haven) for the first time in 20 years. My grandparents used to take me there. We were a Sally's family but I enjoyed Yorkside's greasy, cheesy Greek pizza like it was fast food pizza.

Hasn’t changed much in those passing decades: Yorkside Pizza

 

[boog204]

You just made me think of Yorkside Pizza (downtown New Haven) for the first time in 20 years. My grandparents used to take me there. We were a Sally's family but I enjoyed Yorkside's greasy, cheesy Greek pizza like it was fast food pizza.

That the place next to Toad's? If so, that hit soooo hard after a show/gig there.

 

[mauconnfan]

People like what they grew up eating. Greek style was the popular place in my home town, so that's what I measured all pizza against for years after leaving.

Yeah no doubt I agree. Honestly a good greasy Greek pizza isn’t bad once in a while. There’s one near us over the CT line in East Granby CT which I have no problem having their pies as well as their entrees, great spot good people.

J&G Restaurant and Lounge in East Granby, CT - J&G Restaurant

Located in the heart of East Granby, J&G Restaurante is a restaurant and lounge that has been a go-to place for locals for over 40 years.

jgrestaurant.com

 

[Husky Alien]

If someone opened a New Haven style pizza place that did it right on Cape Cod they’d make money hand over fist. I’m actually surprised that it hasn’t been done properly yet.

Its pretty seasonal on the Cape and they would need to make their money during that time, though if they were to open one I'm sure they would meet their quota for the year in that time period with out a problem.
I would love to see New Haven style pizza on the Cape since we go every year around June and July, there is nothing that even comes close there, imo.
Even the resturants are eh, people will argue that Arnold's is great but it's no better than a Lenny and Joe's.

 

[TheHorde]

Its pretty seasonal on the Cape and they would need to make their money during that time, though if they were to open one I'm sure they would meet their quota for the year in that time period with out a problem.
I would love to see New Haven style pizza on the Cape since we go every year around June and July, there is nothing that even come close there, imo.
Even the resturants are eh, people will argue that Arnold's is great but it's no better than a Lenny and Joe's.

There aren’t a ton of places open year round there, but the ones that are generally are very good and have a loyal following from the locals. The glut of quality pizza there would definitely be a fertile ground for a place that makes it right to do very well.