OT: Best Pizza in CT

[boog204]

This is a very important review as "travels well" and pizza very rarely go together. Hard to find a pie which leaves the restaurant which is even close in taste when you arrive home, especially when you live more than a few minutes from the location. One that travels decent from Meriden is Sal's on the east side of town. I live about 55-60 minutes from there and every couple weeks after visiting mom I will pick one up for my son as it's his favorite. Quick few minutes in the oven and it's still very good. I think the thinner the pie the more chance of retaining flavor.

I've eaten in at all three but have never done take out. Next week, take out is really the only option as I tight time-frame. So while I will indulge in a few slices on the half hour ride (if not the whole thing), I'd like to be able to reheat and not lose too much at home.

 

[mauconnfan]

I've eaten in at all three but have never done take out. Next week, take out is really the only option as I tight time-frame. So while I will indulge in a few slices on the half hour ride (if not the whole thing), I'd like to be able to reheat and not lose too much at home.

Pretty close to impossible not to indulge while driving, the aroma drives you too crazy!

 

[Huskybass]

Pretty close to impossible not to indulge while driving, the aroma drives you too crazy!

I usually have a couple slices on the ride home. Its a guy thing.

 

[sledog]

Is BAR a pizza place, or a dance bar? Does that sculpt the timing to go there? And how easy is take-out to manage?

 

[intlzncster]

Reheat in the oven

Reheat on a skillet. Pro tip.

 

[intlzncster]

This is a very important review as "travels well" and pizza very rarely go together. Hard to find a pie which leaves the restaurant which is even close in taste when you arrive home, especially when you live more than a few minutes from the location. One that travels decent from Meriden is Sal's on the east side of town. I live about 55-60 minutes from there and every couple weeks after visiting mom I will pick one up for my son as it's his favorite. Quick few minutes in the oven and it's still very good. I think the thinner the pie the more chance of retaining flavor.

I thought you lived in Agawam. You moved.

 

[mauconnfan]

I thought you lived in Agawam. You moved.

Live in Feeding Hills/Agawam which is 50-60 minutes from Meriden where I picked up the pie on the way home.

 

[61cygni]

Anybody have any recommendations for New Haven style pizza in Stamford?

 

[August_West]

Anybody have any recommendations for New Haven style pizza in Stamford?

Maybe not pure new haven but colony is great. I could go for a hot oil pie right now.

 

[zyron]

Maybe not pure new haven but colony is great. I could go for a hot oil pie right now.

Or if you like it hotter the stinger pizza is great too.

 

[8893]

Is BAR a pizza place, or a dance bar? Does that sculpt the timing to go there? And how easy is take-out to manage?

The dance floor is in the back room. Technically the pizza is from the Bru Room, the adjacent brewpub and pizza place owned by the same people, and they also serve it in the front room of BAR, but the crowd that is there for the dancing does not affect the pizza timing. I'm not wild about their own beers but they usually have a decent slate of guest beers. They have a side window inside where they sell slices, and that's the only place that you're likely to see the dance crowd.

Have never done take out from there, but imo the thinner the crust the less well it travels, and BAR's crust is about as thin as possible. That's great for maximum slice consumption because you don't get weighed down, but when I have brought pizza home from there it is not as good the next day imo as the others are.

 

[intlzncster]

.

Final rating:

Modern > Pepe's > BAR

however, BAR does get bonus points for beer, ambiance, beer, hot waitresses, and selling individual slices. Therefore, I declare BAR the best drinking pizza.

I wasn't wild about Pepe's white clam pie, and I'm a seafood man through and through. It was good, but not exceptional.

Modern just had great pizza. I don't like sausage on my pizza, but I got the Italian pie there, and the homemade sausage was fantastic. Huge bonus: we had a forty minute wait, but were allowed to go inside order draft beer and take it out on the street while waiting. Made all the difference.

Skipped Sally's.

 

[August_West]

Final rating: Modern > Pepe's > BAR however, BAR does get bonus points for beer, ambiance, beer, hot waitresses, and selling individual slices. Therefore, I declare BAR the best drinking pizza. I wasn't wild about Pepe's white clam pie, and I'm a seafood man through and through. It was good, but not exceptional. Modern just had great pizza. I don't like sausage on my pizza, but I got the Italian pie there, and the homemade sausage was fantastic. Huge bonus: we had a forty minute wait, but were allowed to go inside order draft beer and take it out on the street while waiting. Made all the difference. Skipped Sally's.

You did this on same day?

 

[intlzncster]

You did this on same day?

Dinner Sat and lunch Sunday. Almost fit Sally's in too, but decided on ice cream instead. Still have some take home from Pepe's, but after that, it's salad for a week.

EDIT: scratch that last thought. Forgot about Thanksgiving. Salad for a week in mid January then.

 

[August_West]

Dinner Sat and lunch Sunday. Almost fit Sally's in too, but decided on ice cream instead. Still have some take home from Pepe's, but after that, it's salad for a week.

EDIT: scratch that last thought. Forgot about Thanksgiving. Salad for a week in mid January then.

1) You are my new hero
2) Save the pepes for Thanksgiving and eat it in place of the Turkey. #winning

 

[intlzncster]

1) You are my new hero
2) Save the pepes for Thanksgiving and eat it in place of the Turkey. #winning

Just can't let it go.... hahahah

 

[August_West]

Just can't let it go.... hahahah

Never. I am on a crusade. I will not rest until they can accurately put on my grave stone:

August West
1967 - 20xx
saved humanity
rid the world of Turkey

 

[8893]

2) Save the pepes for Thanksgiving and eat it in place of the Turkey. #winning

I'm pretty sure that I've detailed in this thread or another one a Thanksgiving tradition of ours that goes back 20+ years now: The day after, we make Thanksgiving leftover pizzas, with people bringing their leftovers over to add to the pizza ingredients. I use gravy as the "sauce" and add anything and everything else as the toppings, but turkey itself is probably the least represented item.

I've converted several haters of leftovers, to the point where it has now become an annual gathering of friends who look forward to the Thanksgiving pizzas more than the Thanksgiving meal itself, with many of them actually making extra of certain special sides, or stashing something special that a family member brings over to ensure that they can bring it for the pizza party. I grill the pies and no two are the same, and I usually just get inspired in the moment for each one, and I start throwing stuff on there like paint splats on a blank canvas. Veggies of all sorts. Tubers of all sorts and in all styles. Crazy cheesy appetizers from your great Aunt Betty, etc., etc. You get the picture. It is by far the best vehicle for delivery of Thanksgiving meal stuff that I have ever experienced. And the only real reason for using turkey, which doesn't even make it on several of the pies, is to add some protein. And it can be easily masked under heaps of other goodness.

 

[intlzncster]

I'm pretty sure that I've detailed in this thread or another one a Thanksgiving tradition of ours that goes back 20+ years now: The day after, we make Thanksgiving leftover pizzas, with people bringing their leftovers over to add to the pizza ingredients. I use gravy as the "sauce" and add anything and everything else as the toppings, but turkey itself is probably the least represented item.

I've converted several haters of leftovers, to the point where it has now become an annual gathering of friends who look forward to the Thanksgiving pizzas more than the Thanksgiving meal itself, with many of them actually making extra of certain special sides, or stashing something special that a family member brings over to ensure that they can bring it for the pizza party. I grill the pies and no two are the same, and I usually just get inspired in the moment for each one, and I start throwing stuff on there like paint splats on a blank canvas. Veggies of all sorts. Tubers of all sorts and in all styles. Crazy cheesy appetizers from your great Aunt Betty, etc., etc. You get the picture. It is by far the best vehicle for delivery of Thanksgiving meal stuff that I have ever experienced. And the only real reason for using turkey, which doesn't even make it on several of the pies, is to add some protein. And it can be easily masked under heaps of other goodness.

Just so you know, @Deepster will be showing up at your house this year. And it's your fault.

 

[August_West]

Just so you know, @Deepster will be showing up at your house this year. And it's your fault.

With a waffle iron

 

[Deepster]

With a waffle iron

I think I'm going to try deep fried stuffing balls this weekend.

 

[August_West]

I think I'm going to try deep fried stuffing balls this weekend.

chorizo in that stuffing?

 

[imno1]

I think I'm going to try deep fried stuffing balls this weekend.

It's a good way to eat balls if that's your thing

 

[imno1]

Dinner Sat and lunch Sunday. Almost fit Sally's in too, but decided on ice cream instead. Still have some take home from Pepe's, but after that, it's salad for a week.

EDIT: scratch that last thought. Forgot about Thanksgiving. Salad for a week in mid January then.

Better make it February. Maybe March

 

[intlzncster]

Better make it February. Maybe March

Actually, the Finals are in the first week of April this year...and I will hopefully be celebrating.

So mid April it is!