OT: CBS-TOP 10 PIZZA RESTAURANTS IN AMERICA

[Icebear]

You made me rethink my original Occam's Razor comment. True pizza really consists of four distinct elements (not, as posited, three): crust; tomato sauce; cheese; beer.

There are a lot of great zas without tomato sauce. I love bacon, spinach, garlic and oil. Another is sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella slices and artichokes on thin crust which I had in Solerno. It was fantastic.

We have a great stone hearth wood fired place in State College called Facia Luna. The make their own sausage and pepperoni and fantastic fresh ingredients. They, also, have a place in Georgetown.

 

[vtcwbuff]

Occam’s Razor - not to be confused with Occum Pizza in Norwich, one of my personal big three along with Midway Pizza and the Recovery Room, both in the Groton – New London Metroplex.

Sadly I live in the other end of Connecticut...

Andy - At one time the Recovery Room served what was IMO the best pizza in CT. Midway also makes a very good pie but I think the best pizza in the area is Fireside in Gales Ferry.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

There are a lot of great zas without tomato sauce. I love bacon, spinach, garlic and oil. Another is sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella slices and artichokes on thin crust which I had in Solerno. It was fantastic.

We have a great stone hearth wood fired place in State College called Facia Luna. The make their own sausage and pepperoni and fantastic fresh ingredients. They, also, have a place in Georgetown.

OK, if I'm reading you correctly, you're saying that pizza can be reduced to just two essential ingredients: crust and beer. However, I know I often don't eat that edge part which is crust alone. At its most basic, pizza is beer.

 

[vtcwbuff]

OK, if I'm reading you correctly, you're saying that pizza can be reduced to just two essential ingredients: crust and beer. However, I know I often don't eat that edge part which is crust alone. At its most basic, pizza is beer.

The trick to eating that tough, crunchy edge is to dunk it in your beer.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

There are a lot of great zas without tomato sauce. I love bacon, spinach, garlic and oil. Another is sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella slices and artichokes on thin crust which I had in Solerno. It was fantastic.

We have a great stone hearth wood fired place in State College called Facia Luna. The make their own sausage and pepperoni and fantastic fresh ingredients. They, also, have a place in Georgetown.

I don't mean to dismiss your points, Ice. I've had and enjoyed those things that have a crust with stuff piled on top of it that doesn't include sauce and/or cheese. I just don't consider them pizza in the same way I consider pizza pizza. When somebody says, "Let's get a pizza" my mind doesn't immediately go to a seafood based product. For that to happen they'd have to say, "Let's get one of those things that's like a pizza but made with clams instead of pizza sauce."

 

[RegisteredUconn]

The trick to eating that tough, crunchy edge is to dunk it in your beer.

OK, I'm back to pizza = crust + beer.

 

[Geno-ista]

All interesting comments. Great thread. Just saw it. Born and raised on Pepe's appiza. My father died at 85- never ate another pizza.
There is a reason there are 2 very long lines outside Pepes at 11:30 and starting around 4:30-5 until 8-9 . This really isn't subjective- u all seam very nice. I like Sallys, Modern, Tollis in East Haven, Capatortos in East Haven, but Pepe's is the Bomb. Every out of town friend from Jersey and New York- the Pizza argument ends at Wooster St in New Haven. The franchises do a great job matching sauce, cheese and decor. But they and no one cant duplicate the coal fired ovens that run 365 days a year, since the 20's. An inside birdy tells me an even bigger difference between Pepes and franchises and others is the crust - because their wooden trays that the dough rests in have not been allowed by health codes for many many years. I guess the plastic trays that everyone uses make the dough sweat and tougher, maybe drier.
I love any good pizza- but Pepe's NH is the best! Bar in New Haven is also great!
I also know exactly how tall the original Frank Pepe was!! Don't know his weight though!!! Wink wink and smiley face- don't know how to do those yet! Hope I didn't offend! Go Huskies!

 

[uconnfan68]

Any list of best pizza joints that doesn't mention the Berkshire Cafe in Torrington, Ct
is definitely in need of revision.

I always preferred Two Guys (North End), but then my wife started making her own. Her's is better.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

This is the full list...lots of neat places to try as we travel. No Giordanos in Chicago?

Topping the list is Frank Pepe's, of New Haven, Conn., with its White Clam pizza, made with clams, grated Parmesan, olive oil, garlic, and oregano.

At No. 2 is Brooklyn's Di Fara, whose Classic Round Pie is made with mozzarella, parmesan, plum tomato sauce, basil, olive oil, sausage, peppers, mushroom, onion.

Rounding out the top three is Pizzeria Bianco, in Phoenix. Its Marinara pizza uses tomato sauce, oregano, garlic - but no cheese.

Are any pizza places near you on the list?

Below is the rest of the top 20 of The Daily Meal's best. For complete results, click on the link above.

4) Una Pizza Napoletana, San Francisco, Calif. (Margherita)

5) Pizzeria Mozza, Los Angeles, Calif. (Squash blossoms, tomato, burrata mozzarella,tomato sauce)

6) Roberta's, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Margherita)

7) Sally's Apizza, New Haven, Conn. (Tomato Pie: Tomato sauce, no cheese)

8) Flour + Water, San Francisco, Calif. (Margherita)

9) Motorino, New York, N.Y. (Brussels Sprout: Fior di latte, garlic, Pecorino, smoked pancetta, olive oil)

10) Al Forno, Providence, R.I. (Margherita)

11) Modern Apizza, New Haven, Conn. (Italian Bomb: Bacon, sausage, pepperoni, garlic, mushroom, onion, pepper, tomato, mozzarella)

12) Totonno's, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Margherita)

13) Paulie Gee's, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Regina: Mozzarella, tomatoes, Pecorino Romano, olive oil, fresh basil)

14) Apizza Scholls, Portland, Ore. (Apizza Amore: Marinara, fresh and aged mozzarella, Pecorino, grana, olive oil, cured pork shoulder, basil)

15) South Brooklyn Pizza, New York, N.Y. (New York Style Pizza: San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, grana padano, fontina, basil, olive oil)

16) Kest, New York, N.Y. (Keste: Tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto di Parma, arugula, gran cru, olive oil)
17) Co., New York, N.Y. (Popeye: Pecorino, Gruyre, mozzarella, spinach, black pepper, garlic)

18) Papa's Tomato Pies, Trenton, N.J. (Tomato Pie)

19) The Cheeseboard, Berkeley, Calif. (changes daily)

20) 2Amy's, Washington, D.C. (2amys: Tomato sauce and mozzarella)
null null null

 

[jsloanjr]

Choices, Choices...........They are all good, but you need ice cold 7 oz Rolling Rocks to wash it down.........I was just back in State College for the Penn State Michigan game and we grabbed 3 cases of 7 oz's for the trip back to CT......

 

[Geno-ista]

Choices, Choices...........They are all good, but you need ice cold 7 oz Rolling Rocks to wash it down.........I was just back in State College for the Penn State Michigan game and we grabbed 3 cases of 7 oz's for the trip back to CT......

Oh my god-JS- I was at P State vs Michigan. My first Penn. State game and first big football game. What an experience- no words. My very close friends are grads/ season tick holders! My hair was on fire most of the game- 108k white out- wow!!! My new son in laws - one is A & M grad , and the other is in doctorate program at clemson. Arranging games now for 2014 & 2015. We r making one State game sn annual event!!!

 

[Icebear]

Oh my god-JS- I was at P State vs Michigan. My first Penn. State game and first big football game. What an experience- no words. My very close friends are grads/ season tick holders! My hair was on fire most of the game- 108k white out- wow!!! My new son in laws - one is A & M grad , and the other is in doctorate program at clemson. Arranging games now for 2014 & 2015. We r making one State game sn annual event!!!

Just think, Geno-Ista, that is most weekends in the fall here in Central PA. Amazing isn't it.

 

[Icebear]

Choices, Choices...........They are all good, but you need ice cold 7 oz Rolling Rocks to wash it down.........I was just back in State College for the Penn State Michigan game and we grabbed 3 cases of 7 oz's for the trip back to CT......

Have you been to Facia Luna? If not, try it while you are in town sometime.

 

[vtcwbuff]

I was a bit surprised at the large number of Margherita pizzas on the list. Supposedly the mother of all pizzas, the traditional Margherita is simply bread, cheese, sliced tomato (preferably San Marzano) a drizzle of olive oil and fresh basil. It is probably the only decent pizza I have had in Italy.

 

[Icebear]

OK, I'm back to pizza = crust + beer.

See, it wasn't that hard.

 

[boontonbomber]

I always preferred Two Guys (North End), but then my wife started making her own. Her's is better.

Yes, Two Guys was / is very good . For a change, and for more really good pizza, we would drive south to Watertown to Ro's. They've been there since 1947.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

See, it wasn't that hard.

and, I learned that even if it is hard, just dunk it in the beer.

 

[AndyCT]

OK, if I'm reading you correctly, you're saying that pizza can be reduced to just two essential ingredients: crust and beer. However, I know I often don't eat that edge part which is crust alone. At its most basic, pizza is beer.

So wait – I’m just getting a grip on this brilliant theory about how pizza is made of just four essential elements: crust, tomato sauce, cheese, and beer, kind of like the universe is made of Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water – but now you’re sayin’ Pizza actually is Beer? (makes that annoying “head exploding” gesture)

This beer-pizza thing is confusing my understanding of the entire nature of man, the universe, and the time-space continuum in general. For instance, I had always thought hot pizza went with cold beer, and then warm beer went with cool pizza the next morning. Now you’re telling me that hot pizza is cold beer? If that’s true then, that means...one tiny atom in my fingernail could be - could be - one little...tiny universe.

VTCW - I’ll have to give Fireside a shot next time I’m up in Norwich. Midway and Occum (and back in the day, Rena’s) always seemed like regular neighborhood “pizza joints”, just really really good ones; when I moved back east, one of my sisters told me to keep away from Mystic and just hit Midway. By the way, the sign in front of Mystic Pizza got three times bigger after the movie.

The Recovery Room was a little different – a little less neighborhood-y and a little more creative maybe. It’s where my sister turned me on to white pizza – and done well, white pizza is pretty amazing. But I’ve got to admit that “pizza bianca” occupies an uncertain, murky spot in the pizza universe. Still, the one place that I cannot go is Chicago deep dish. I’m not sure what that is – it looks like pizza but it isn’t. This I know.

Unfortunately, I’m in Chicago every weekend this fall…


P.S. Today's trivia fact (in my best Cliff Clavin voice): It's a little known fact that Midway Pizza lies in the Midway section of Groton, so named for the freight yard that once existed there on the New Haven Railroad that was almost exactly midway between Boston and New York.

 

[vtcwbuff]

and, I learned that even if it is hard, just dunk it in the beer.

I suppose that could be applied to many things.

 

[vtcwbuff]

Midway Pizza lies in the Midway section of Groton, so named for the freight yard that once existed there on the New Haven Railroad that was almost exactly midway between Boston and New York.[/quote]


I did not know that. I've lived here 20 years, knew that there is a street across the road named Midway Oval and did not have a clue about a railroad connection. Amazing what you can learn here on the BY.

I did Mystic Pizza once. That was enough. No Julia Roberts and a ho hum pizza. If you visit Fireside Pizza I recommend passing on the cutesy named sandwiches stick to the wood fired pies.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Midway Pizza lies in the Midway section of Groton, so named for the freight yard that once existed there on the New Haven Railroad that was almost exactly midway between Boston and New York.

I did not know that. I've lived here 20 years, knew that there is a street across the road named Midway Oval and did not have a clue about a railroad connection. Amazing what you can learn here on the BY.

I did Mystic Pizza once. That was enough. No Julia Roberts and a ho hum pizza. If you visit Fireside Pizza I recommend passing on the cutesy named sandwiches stick to the wood fired pies.

Midway, Pizza Palace and The Chinese Kitchen on rte. 12 are the oldest/longest continuously run restaurants in town

 

[RegisteredUconn]

I suppose that could be applied to many things.

Could and has, I'll wager.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

So wait – I’m just getting a grip on this brilliant theory about how pizza is made of just four essential elements: crust, tomato sauce, cheese, and beer, kind of like the universe is made of Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water – but now you’re sayin’ Pizza actually is Beer? (makes that annoying “head exploding” gesture)

This beer-pizza thing is confusing my understanding of the entire nature of man, the universe, and the time-space continuum in general. For instance, I had always thought hot pizza went with cold beer, and then warm beer went with cool pizza the next morning. Now you’re telling me that hot pizza is cold beer? If that’s true then, that means...one tiny atom in my fingernail could be - could be - one little...tiny universe.

Use your new powers wisely. Plus, now, on your death bed, you're eligible to receive total consciousness.

 

[Pearlstreetbb]

Had a similar thread on the ESPN board but the discussion was hot dog joints in CT. When you think about it Connecticut is a mecca for some of the best fast food in America from the whole belly clams at Fred's Shanty in New London, the numerous quality hot dog stands including from New Britain's Capital Lunch and Frankie's in Waterbury and all the aforementioned Apizza's places. Having been apart of the state law enforcement community, sometimes the most dangerous part of the job was having lunch at one these establishments, often and unabated.

 

[AndyCT]

Use your new powers wisely. Plus, now, on your death bed, you're eligible to receive total consciousness.

So I got that goin' for me, which is nice.