OT: Best Pizza in CT

[bear]

Nobody has ever tried Domenick and Pia's in Waterbury? Phenomenal old school pizza joint that has been around forever.

 

[husky91]

I have to try this. Sister lives that way and we always go to Lenny & Joe's. great place with carousel, picnic tables, BYOB.

NE Fried seafood platter with whole bellies is the best meal in the country. Nothing touches it, except maybe a gr8 lobster roll.

Looks like a beautiful feast. Yeah, for my tastes everything at Johnny Ad's is just a bit better than Lenny & Joe's. Their lobster roll is hands-down the best imo (although the guy with the food truck here--can't remember the name of the truck, but there's a huge lobster on it--may be close; I've only had his once and it was a great as advertised, but I've had so many great ones from Johnny Ad's that I have to try the food truck guy again before I consider awarding the top slot).

Johnny Ad's fried seafood always seems a little fresher to me. I usually go for the scallop roll when I get fried seafood. I like the whole bellies, too, but I can't eat a full order, and no one else in my family likes them (wife and the one kid who eats seafood go for the strips).

Rhode Island clam chowder is my favorite, so I like Johnny Ad's better for that, too--although Lenny & Joe's has only a touch of cream and is also very good.

Johnny Ad's also has a pretty good hot dog, but that's a whole 'nother discussion, and I don't think they enter the pantheon of great Connecticut hot dogs.

On my most recent visit to Johnny Ad's I noticed that they now sell beer and wine, which I assume means that BYOB is no longer an option. That could be an issue, because that is a very big attraction for us at Lenny & Joe's.

Speaking of fried whole belly clams, I always wonder about the Clam Castle across from Lenny & Joe's. I've never been there, nor do I know of anyone who has. But they claim to be famous, and they draw a crowd in the summers. If anyone here has ever eaten there, I would be interested in a review.

 

[TheChamps990411]

zorbas or pizza express in meriden. id go with zorbas.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

We are looked upon as Pizza snobs by are fellow Arizonans.
Chicago style is popular here since there are so many midwesterners
The saucees and quality of the cheeses used is so so.
Simalar to the Greek stores in Connecticut.
My high school classmate who lives in San Diago has been searching for good Pizza for 20 years
He found a guy who sells New Haven Style Pizza its not to bad
When I'm back in Ct I go to PEPES and Richs Farm
Don't get Pizza at my home boys Roseland.
An antipasta with the best bread ever made my the hands of man.
And Veal Parm
To die for
These aren't trips they are pilgrimages
If only your weather didn't suck.

 

[huskyjawz]

Red Tomato is in Madison across from Zhangs on route 1 going towards Guilford. I think its the best pie in Madison. Portofinos is a consist spot in North Madison. Nuzzos is pretty good but not as good as his brothers spot Grand Apizza in Clinton.

Grand is the best pizza in the Madison, Guilford, Clinton area.

Marcos in branford is pretty good also if you are down that way. The guy who runs it use to work at Pepes for a long time.

Tollis along with John and Maria's are good places for pie in East Haven if you dont want to deal with the wait for one of the new haven places

I am going to Tweed, tomorrow to pick someone up and want to try East Haven pie. Never been. Which is the best, in your opinion, if I can only try one?

 

[Dove]

Thanks, Dove. This summer I will make a point to try the Clam Castle.

The lobster truck guy parks downtown off the green, either in front of Memorial Town Hall, or on the backside of the green in front of the Congregational church.

We went to Friends & Company a few times during our first few years in town, because it was one of the few places where everyone could find something they liked well enough even when we were all in the mood for different things, including kids' meals, grown up meals and a full bar. I tired of it after a little while because there were limited options of interest to me and nothing that really wowed me, and then we had one meal there where a few of us thought our food was below average and we haven't been back since. Basically, it occupies a place on the restaurant spectrum that I don't have much use for. I'd rather scale it down to a place like Chip's Pub (Clinton) or scale it up to a place like Bar Bouchee.

I saw Bar Bouchee by accident as I was slowing down to enter the Audubon Shop. It's on the list to hit, too. And I hear what you're saying about Friends and co. We're still shoreline noobs.

 

[storrsroars]

My high school classmate who lives in San Diago has been searching for good Pizza for 20 years
He found a guy who sells New Haven Style Pizza its not to bad

Gotta be Urban, across the street from the right field fence at Petco. It's good.

You have Pizzeria Bianco out there in PHX. Is it better than Pepe's?

 

[CAHUSKY]

Gotta be Urban, across the street from the right field fence at Petco. It's good.

You have Pizzeria Bianco out there in PHX. Is it better than Pepe's?

Bronx pizza in SD isn't too bad

 

[zls44]

I have literally written down these clam shack suggestions. I never knew about Johnny Ad's and the BYOB thing, but I suspect that was before I was even of legal age (you old bastards). I did order a Sam Adam's with the clams because, really, why wouldn't you? It may have been the finest meal I have ever had the pleasure to enjoy. I didn't want it to end.

Is it strange that I'm not a big Lenny and Joe's fan? It is, right? The whole place just seems a bit too cheesy to me with the commercialism and the insane lines. It's solid food, but not worth the wait, IMO.

Give me the trashy seeming brilliance of Johnny Ad's or give me death. Although eating enough Johnny Ad's will help greatly with the latter.

8893 put it perfectly- there are other great places, but at JA's, the whole bellies taste fresher than anyplace else I've ever had them. You notice.

 

[8893]

I saw Bar Bouchee by accident as I was slowing down to enter the Audubon Shop. It's on the list to hit, too.

Bar Bouchee is run my the chef and part-owner of Union League. It is very, very small. I prefer sitting at the bar (made of zinc) or even better, outside when weather permits. I was not a huge fan when they first opened, as they were pitched as a more casual and less-expensive version of Union League and I thought they didn't come close (except in price). But they have since added some of the menu staples from Union League, as well as the outside tables, both of which lend to a much better experience imo. If you sit at one of the tables inside, you are essentially dining with the people next to you. It can be a good or bad thing, depending, but private conversation is impossible.

 

[upstater]

Bar Bouchee is run my the chef and part-owner of Union League. It is very, very small. I prefer sitting at the bar (made of zinc) or even better, outside when weather permits. I was not a huge fan when they first opened, as they were pitched as a more casual and less-expensive version of Union League and I thought they didn't come close (except in price). But they have since added some of the menu staples from Union League, as well as the outside tables, both of which lend to a much better experience imo. If you sit at one of the tables inside, you are essentially dining with the people next to you. It can be a good or bad thing, depending, but private conversation is impossible.

That's how it is in Paris. Your body is literally touching the person next to you.

 

[8893]

That's how it is in Paris. Your body is literally touching the person next to you.

Yep, and there the bastards can talk about you in French and you have no idea what they're saying (or at least I don't). Of course, they understand your English perfectly well, too...until you try to ask them a question.

 

[upstater]

Yep, and there the bastards can talk about you in French and you have no idea what they're saying (or at least I don't). Of course, they understand your English perfectly well, too...until you try to ask them a question.

They are really nice about English now. Everyone is really helpful. Paris has changed. On the other hand, I find French to be one of the most difficult languages. I speak 3 other languages, and I simply can't fathom French. I struggle to read it but I can get by pretty well, but there is little correlation between the sounds they make with their mouths and the words you see on the page compared to other European languages.

 

[8893]

They are really nice about English now. Everyone is really helpful. Paris has changed. On the other hand, I find French to be one of the most difficult languages. I speak 3 other languages, and I simply can't fathom French. I struggle to read it but I can get by pretty well, but there is little correlation between the sounds they make with their mouths and the words you see on the page compared to other European languages.

That's good to know. I haven't been there in a long time. I agree with you about the difficulty of the language as compared with other European languages. I took Latin in high school and so never really learned a modern foreign language (but boy am I good at deciphering words from their roots!). We went to Italy two summers ago and I was able to get by pretty well with what I learned from an introductory Michel Thomas lesson on CDs, but French eludes me. We're thinking of going to France this summer or next, and I fear I'm going to have to rely on my oldest daughter, who is in her second year of French in school.

 

[Calhoun's Court]

I have literally written down these clam shack suggestions. I never knew about Johnny Ad's and the BYOB thing, but I suspect that was before I was even of legal age (you old bastards). I did order a Sam Adam's with the clams because, really, why wouldn't you? It may have been the finest meal I have ever had the pleasure to enjoy. I didn't want it to end.

Is it strange that I'm not a big Lenny and Joe's fan? It is, right? The whole place just seems a bit too cheesy to me with the commercialism and the insane lines. It's solid food, but not worth the wait, IMO.

Give me the trashy seeming brilliance of Johnny Ad's or give me death. Although eating enough Johnny Ad's will help greatly with the latter.

8893 put it perfectly- there are other great places, but at JA's, the whole bellies taste fresher than anyplace else I've ever had them. You notice.

Been going there since I was 3. Great food and great memories.

The place used to have no inside seating just a couple picnic benchs outside.

Used to get pizza from Luigi's too.

And italian ice from the Vecchitto's lemon ice truck out of Middletown. They would drive by our shore cottage a few times a day(along with Good Humor).

 

[8893]

Is it strange that I'm not a big Lenny and Joe's fan? It is, right? The whole place just seems a bit too cheesy to me with the commercialism and the insane lines. It's solid food, but not worth the wait, IMO.

It's not strange. The place looks like a zoo in the summer, and the parking lot alone can be enough to scare people off. But I have to say, even on the busiest days, I've been amazed that we've always gotten a parking spot and a table, and that the wait for our food has never been nearly as long as I expect. They have it down to a science there. I often remember our number for the pick up and then listen to see what numbers they are on by the time we leave. It is astounding that on peak days they are often hundreds of numbers past ours by then.

The bottom line for us is the ease with the kids. If the kids are happy, we're happy. Or more accurately, when the kids are not happy it's hard to have a good time, even with BYOB.

And you can't beat a $6, 100% cotton t-shirt or $5 hat.

 

[guyergym]

Dominic and Vinnies (Southington/Waterbury/Middlebury)

Absolutely!

 

[Waquoit]

I read that Lenny and Joe's took over the old Rusty Scupper in New Haven. Or as my friend called it Rusty's Cupper. Prompting the question WTF is a cupper?

 

[8893]

I read that Lenny and Joe's took over the old Rusty Scupper in New Haven. Or as my friend called it Rusty's Cupper. Prompting the question WTF is a cupper?

Yes, they opened recently. I haven't been there and don't really have a strong desire to, except for curiosity to see if they've done anything different with the space (which was most recently Leon's). I hope they do well there.

Not touching the cupper.

 

[methodology]

I am going to Tweed, tomorrow to pick someone up and want to try East Haven pie. Never been. Which is the best, in your opinion, if I can only try one?

John and Maria's is up route 80 going towards north branford so Tolli's would be the option since you are going to tweed. Its on Main St behind the bowling alley.

 

[methodology]

Yes, they opened recently. I haven't been there and don't really have a strong desire to, except for curiosity to see if they've done anything different with the space (which was most recently Leon's). I hope they do well there.

Not touching the cupper.

If you go to Sports Haven at all its a good place to stop after placing some bets on ponies.

I have heard they did change things inside and its looks nice. Im not a seafood person so I have no opinion on L&Js or Johnny Ads. I will say the Madison L&J is better than the Westbrook one.

Also if anyone is looking for a good lobster roll then you should check out the little lobster hut by clinton marina before aqua. I believe the guys name is bocce who runs it and he makes very large lobster rolls that are great. Obviously 2nd hand info since I dont eat much seafood . He catches his own lobsters.

 

[methodology]

A guy I have dealt with through work says the Clam Castle defies the exterior look of the joint. He says very good things.

Now I know I have to try Johnny Ads, Grand APizza and Cafe Routier. Also, that lobster truck dude was written up in the local paper. I never saw him, tho.

8893, have you been to Friends and Company?

I know the owner of Cafe Routier. He is a good person. I have never eaten there but I know of a lot of people who have and really like it while others say it is so so.

Cafe Allegre in Madison is pretty good and for a less expensive place Donahues has pretty good food. I would go before 9 on friday, saturday to eat though so you dont have to deal with the sound from the bands that start at 930. Their french onion, lobster bisque, and chowder are all good and their tuna nachos (every female I know loves them).

Elizabeth's Cafe I also hear is decent but I have never been. The owner is the mother of the the person who owns Cafe Routier.

 

[Excalibur]

Yes, they opened recently. I haven't been there and don't really have a strong desire to, except for curiosity to see if they've done anything different with the space (which was most recently Leon's). I hope they do well there.

Not touching the cupper.

I didn't even realize that Leon's moved/closed. We had gone to brunch there on Mother's day, which wasn't bad. Tried dinner there and was disappointed.

 

[8893]

I didn't even realize that Leon's moved/closed. We had gone to brunch there on Mother's day, which wasn't bad. Tried dinner there and was disappointed.

Yeah, I believe that was the third incarnation of Leon's. They have now moved to a new building in North Haven. I haven't been there and don't know anyone who has. I have fond memories of their original spot over near YNHH; my Dad took me there when I graduated law school. Also had one very memorable feast at their Hamden location. They were closed for a while when they left there, apparently something to do with a labor dispute. I had a few meals and a few events at their Long Wharf location and it was okay, but too big imo. I think that's a big part of why they moved. It's a huge space.

 

[ctchamps]

It's not strange. The place looks like a zoo in the summer, and the parking lot alone can be enough to scare people off. But I have to say, even on the busiest days, I've been amazed that we've always gotten a parking spot and a table, and that the wait for our food has never been nearly as long as I expect. They have it down to a science there. I often remember our number for the pick up and then listen to see what numbers they are on by the time we leave. It is astounding that on peak days they are often hundreds of numbers past ours by then.

The bottom line for us is the ease with the kids. If the kids are happy, we're happy. Or more accurately, when the kids are not happy it's hard to have a good time, even with BYOB.

And you can't beat a $6, 100% cotton t-shirt or $5 hat.

I went to school with Joe and knew his brother as well. I'm really happy for their success but never was a fan. Always loved Dino's in North Haven for fried clams and shrimp. my mouth is watering just writing this and being a thousand miles away from a fried food fix.