OT: Best Pizza in CT

[upstater]

We had a NY style pizza in Columbus, Ohio last week.

Several of the people I came with from Buffalo hated it.

I asked why.

They said, they like the thick bready pizza, and they like sweet sauce.

And this is why, folks, good pizza doesn't exist in some places. It's not that people don't know how to make good pizza, it's that many people don't like good pizza.

 

[8893]

And this is why, folks, good pizza doesn't exist in some places. It's not that people don't know how to make good pizza, it's that many people don't like good pizza.

This is why I am curious about the RI shore area around Charlestown. There are more and more CT license plates there every year, apparently many of them belonging to CT people who have bought and/or built second homes there. There is enough "upscale" demand there to keep both the Matunuck Oyster Bar and Two Ten Oyster Bar packed all summer, but I don't know how they do the other nine months of the year. Perhaps that would be a gauge of whether there might be enough year-round demand. Different food, obviously; but likely a lot of overlap with the same types of diners.

 

[HooperScooper]

It's not like there is no good pizza in MA. Lots of brick oven type places opening up. As good as what I remember of NH? No. But pretty good.

RI people do seem to like that abomination. I live right on the border and my daughter goes to school in RI so we have many friends there.

Give me 5 good places in the Boston area. I do like Max and Leo's in Newton Corner and the Fenway area.

 

[HooperScooper]

Not sure how Chestnut Hill will be....but the Pepe's in W. Hartford does not compare to the NH original.

Have been a few times. Not as good as New Haven but it still does the trick. Better than most anything else up here.

 

[Huskybass]

Hit Pepe's in West Hartford for a white clam pie for lunch today. It was perfect. Very pleasantly surprised that it was every bit as good as a New Haven white clam pie. Absolutely delicious.

 

[AreBee1969]

So what is the deal with RI and MA? Have there been efforts to bring quality Neapolitan apizza there that have failed because there is not enough demand? Do the RI people, if given a choice, genuinely prefer the abomination they call "party pizza"? Do the MA people prefer something mediocre? Or have they simply not been exposed to the real deal?

I spent 6+ years in and around Boston. I worked in the financial district and frequented the North End for some great Italian food. As good as the Italian food was, the pizza was awful for the most part. People who grew up there swear by Pizzeria Regina, but my wife and I thought it was awful. soggy, rubbery crust, greasy cheese and canned toppings. The squirrel turds that they called sausage was a flavorless mess. The only decent pizza we found was at Santarpio's in East Boston. Still, it pales in comparison to what we can get here.

 

[HooperScooper]

I spent 6+ years in and around Boston. I worked in the financial district and frequented the North End for some great Italian food. As good as the Italian food was, the pizza was awful for the most part. People who grew up there swear by Pizzeria Regina, but my wife and I thought it was awful. soggy, rubbery crust, greasy cheese and canned toppings. The squirrel turds that they called sausage was a flavorless mess. The only decent pizza we found was at Santarpio's in East Boston. Still, it pales in comparison to what we can get here.

O.K. so at least you agree with me.

 

[smudubs]

I spent 6+ years in and around Boston. I worked in the financial district and frequented the North End for some great Italian food. As good as the Italian food was, the pizza was awful for the most part. People who grew up there swear by Pizzeria Regina, but my wife and I thought it was awful. soggy, rubbery crust, greasy cheese and canned toppings. The squirrel turds that they called sausage was a flavorless mess. The only decent pizza we found was at Santarpio's in East Boston. Still, it pales in comparison to what we can get here.

Since my son moved to Boston, I have been looking for good pizza. Pizzeria Regina was highly recommended, but I have to agree, it was awful. I expected it to be similar to Modern Apizza but I was very wrong. I would rather get a slice from a food court in Dallas than ever go back there.

 

[Danzz]

Not sure how Chestnut Hill will be....but the Pepe's in W. Hartford does not compare to the NH original.

True on West Hartford but I was never as impressed as most with PEPE's . Favorite pizza of all time is Geno's East in Chicago deep dish pizza.

 

[HooperScooper]

Since my son moved to Boston, I have been looking for good pizza. Pizzeria Regina was highly recommended, but I have to agree, it was awful. I expected it to be similar to Modern Apizza but I was very wrong. I would rather get a slice from a food court in Dallas than ever go back there.

Try Max and Leo's. Locations in the Fenway and Newton Corner. Not bad for around here.

 

[Huskybass]

True on West Hartford but I was never as impressed as most with PEPE's . Favorite pizza of all time is Geno's East in Chicago deep dish pizza.

Disqualified. Non pizza entry. 8893 and Captain Arby's will concur.

 

[boog204]

Disqualified. Non pizza entry. 8893 and Captain Arby's will concur.

I get the distinction... But... My wife got me a Lou Malnati deep dish once shipped from Chicago and it was incredible.

 

[Huskybass]

I get the distinction... But... My wife got me a Lou Malnati deep dish once shipped from Chicago and it was incredible.

I am just clowning around. I love anything that tastes great. But I am also a total Homer when it comes to whats best. In a weird way, the local favorites are like a team you root for.

 

[AreBee1969]

Back to locals...Since I live in Farmington, Naples is my go-to. I really like their thick Sicilian style. Their sauce can be a little acidic, but overall, they make a pretty good pie.

Other than Monaco's in Winsted which I mentioned before, in the NW Corner, another favorite is Berkshire Café in Torrington. Sauce with a little zing and crust that stands out straight. Really good family size salads with homemade parmesan/peppercorn dressing.

 

[shizzle787]

Back to locals...Since I live in Farmington, Naples is my go-to. I really like their thick Sicilian style. Their sauce can be a little acidic, but overall, they make a pretty good pie.

Other than Monaco's in Winsted which I mentioned before, in the NW Corner, another favorite is Berkshire Café in Torrington. Sauce with a little zing and crust that stands out straight. Really good family size salads with homemade parmesan/peppercorn dressing.

Try Luna's in Avon. It's way better than Naples.

 

[shizzle787]

Went to Bufalina's in Guilford tonight, per the recommendation of @8893. I must say I was surprised. The place was the size of a train car and had three people working there. There was one bathroom in the corner and about ten chairs around the kitchen style table. On to the pizza, it was really good. It was not quite as thin as advertised by the taste made up for it. I got the sausauge and spicy salami margherita. They only serve one size, a 12". Overall, the pie was chewy and you could taste a faint burnt taste (which I prefer). The salami was addictive, and I liked the sauce. One of the best pizzas I've had in a while and I think it is better than both Modern and Zuppardi's. I give it a 9/10.

 

[TRest]

Back to locals...Since I live in Farmington, Naples is my go-to. I really like their thick Sicilian style. Their sauce can be a little acidic, but overall, they make a pretty good pie.

Other than Monaco's in Winsted which I mentioned before, in the NW Corner, another favorite is Berkshire Café in Torrington. Sauce with a little zing and crust that stands out straight. Really good family size salads with homemade parmesan/peppercorn dressing.

Very early in the thread Berkshire got some love, enough for me to want to try it sometime.

 

[superjohn]

Back to locals...Since I live in Farmington, Naples is my go-to. I really like their thick Sicilian style. Their sauce can be a little acidic, but overall, they make a pretty good pie.

Other than Monaco's in Winsted which I mentioned before, in the NW Corner, another favorite is Berkshire Café in Torrington. Sauce with a little zing and crust that stands out straight. Really good family size salads with homemade parmesan/peppercorn dressing.

The Berkshire has always had great salads and the dressing is killer. Never really got into their pizza but it's a cool old building and an institution.

 

[8893]

Went to Bufalina's in Guilford tonight, per the recommendation of @8893. I must say I was surprised. The place was the size of a train car and had three people working there. There was one bathroom in the corner and about ten chairs around the kitchen style table. On to the pizza, it was really good. It was not quite as thin as advertised by the taste made up for it. I got the sausauge and spicy salami margherita. They only serve one size, a 12". Overall, the pie was chewy and you could taste a faint burnt taste (which I prefer). The salami was addictive, and I liked the sauce. One of the best pizzas I've had in a while and I think it is better than both Modern and Zuppardi's. I give it a 9/10.

Glad to hear you liked it. Yep, hard to appreciate how tiny the place is until you are there. Two of the three are usually the husband and wife, Matt and Melissa, who are the owners and really good people (and good taste in music, too). He mans the oven and she makes the pies, and as you can see it takes some serious synchronization for them all to move in that space. If my wife and I worked that closely on a regular basis one of us would have killed the other by now.

I love everything they do--crust, sauce, cheese, etc.--but I think it's their restraint and especially their meats that throw it over the top. The salame piccante and speck are so freaking good. I've been meaning to ask where they get their sausage; I think it's Lamberti but not sure.

 

[David 76]

I sent some New Yorkers to Buffalina recently. They were pretty blown away.

 

[storrsroars]

Give me 5 good places in the Boston area. I do like Max and Leo's in Newton Corner and the Fenway area.

Two of my three favorites closed last decade - The Alumni had a solid bar pie (and cheap) and X/O was our go-to when I lived in Quincy. Not sure why they went under with all the mediocre pizza there.

For the record, I wouldn't call Regina "awful". Just disappointing when so many recommend it. It's still an OK pizza. Santarpio's still rules up that way.

 

[uconnphil2016]

Got a pie from Pizzeria Sassano in Glastonbury last night. Had a white pie w/ tomato, basil and olive oil. Was the best I've had in Glastonbury (def better than Luna and Gios). Really good, but not the best I've had. Crust is a little weird--very doughy, tastes like a slice of ciabatta bread. Kind of nice at first, but you don't wanna get filled up on crust. I'm still a Sally's guy.

 

[Huskybass]

Got a pie from Pizzeria Sassano in Glastonbury last night. Had a white pie w/ tomato, basil and olive oil. Was the best I've had in Glastonbury (def better than Luna and Gios). Really good, but not the best I've had. Crust is a little weird--very doughy, tastes like a slice of ciabatta bread. Kind of nice at first, but you don't wanna get filled up on crust. I'm still a Sally's guy.

There's no shortage of good pizza in Glastonbury. I don't think any challenge the big 3 in New Haven, but there have to be at least a half dozen real good options in town. Even Angelo's makes a pretty good pizza for a Greek place.

 

[TampaHusky78]

True on West Hartford but I was never as impressed as most with PEPE's . Favorite pizza of all time is Geno's East in Chicago deep dish pizza.

It is more lasagna than pizza

 

[UConner]

This is why I am curious about the RI shore area around Charlestown. There are more and more CT license plates there every year, apparently many of them belonging to CT people who have bought and/or built second homes there. There is enough "upscale" demand there to keep both the Matunuck Oyster Bar and Two Ten Oyster Bar packed all summer, but I don't know how they do the other nine months of the year. Perhaps that would be a gauge of whether there might be enough year-round demand. Different food, obviously; but likely a lot of overlap with the same types of diners.

All us "locals, Mystic area" only go to Matunuck Oyster during the off months. Summer is too crazy. They do fine in the Winter.