Pizza Please! Our Favorite Pies
Pizza is one of my favorite foods and, lucky for me, I live surrounded by some of the best pies in the country! Here’s a rundown of favorites, separated into Old School (classic Neapolitan pie) and New School (modern takes on New Haven pizza).
New School:
Bufalina, Guilford
The first time I tried Bufalina was on the day they opened in 2011. I remember sitting at the teeny counter thinking how are these two adorable twenty-somethings gonna make it? It didn’t seem like a scalable idea due to the wee size of the place and the number of pies they can churn out in an evening. But that was then and this is now, and they are still piling the freshest seasonal toppings on up to 140 pizzas a night. Recently I pulled up a bright red stool to the white marble counter (seating for six!), and tasted my way through their ever-changing menu. I’m a fan of the classics, especially their version of the Margherita, a tomato, cheese and basil pie but with an addition of, well, more cheese! Gooey scamorza! But I branched out. The Primavera boasted the fresh tastes of spring: asparagus, pea leaves and blistered spring onions, embellished with a sprinkle of a light broth that’s tossed together from pecorino rinds and herbs. A drizzle gives the pizza more depth of flavor. Genius! Potato, fennel and sausage hit all the right notes of savory to slightly sweet. Don’t stop there. Order the Nutella for dessert. The pie they made famous, thickly spread with the stuff, and lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Over-the-top and irresistible! www.bufalinact.com
Good to know: if you’re planning take-out on the week-end, call ahead. Outdoor picnic seating available.
Bar, New Haven
Bar is famous for this: mashed potato and bacon pie. And there’s no wonder, because it IS a wonder of cracker-thin crust, loaded with garlic, parmesan, chunks of bacon and a shmear of creamy, silken mashed potatoes. It may sound over-the-top, but it’s one dee-licious pie. You’ll find plenty of other pies here, of course, plus their own house-brewed beer, and a vast cocktail menu but for me, it’s all about that mashed potato pie. The Yalies crowd the place (it’s a nightclub, too), so go early or skip the line and sit at the bar. Good to know: Every Tuesday a special pizza is concocted in collaboration with one of our favorite cheese shops/bistro: Caseus. www.barnightclub.com
Tarry Lodge, New Haven
The pies that are turned out of the 800 degree wood-fired oven every 90 seconds at Tarry Lodge are elegant and elevated, the sort of pizza you eat with a knife and fork. While their Margherita is commendable, we took a tomato and cheese break here. This is the place to experiment with unusual but considered topping combinations (after all, it’s Mario Batali at the helm). Slim slices of salty guanciale (pig jowls), an oozing sunny-side-up egg, with a dusting of truffle would make the perfect breakfast pie. My favorite? A refined combination of goat cheese, purple onion, pistachios with a drizzle of honey. Save room for dessert. The olive oil and Valhrona chocolate soft serve sundae with Marcona almonds and Amarena cherries is an absolute must. newhaven.tarrylodge.com
Nana’s Bakery, Mystic
The talented team that brought us Oyster Club, Grass & Bone, The Engine Room, and Stone Acres Farm has just given us one more reason to lure us to Mystic. The 85th Day Food Community (as the restaurant group is called) has just launched Nana’s Bakery & Pizza. Envisioned to provide the restaurants with the best scratch-baked goods, this outpost offers breads, pizza, and more, baked from organic grains milled in house. If you’re familiar with their trio of restaurants, you’ll know that the ingredients are not only local but mainly made in house, down to the sausage on the pizza. The name and humble signage belies the menu that is anything but standard breakfast and lunch fare.
Like many Nutmeggers, pizza is one of our very favorite foods, and here, you can even have it for breakfast. We rushed down last week to fill up on carbs, and that we did. Gluttony prevailed as we ordered the clam pie and a classic tomato on the most wonderful chewy sourdough crust.
See the menu here: www.nanasct.com
Otto, Chester (from The E List archives)
Krust, Middletown (from The E List archives)
Before I ended up in Lyme, I was lucky to live in some uber-hip neighborhoods: Harvard Square, Northampton, MA and Boston’s South End. And while I love it here, we lean fuddy duddy, not fashionable. If you, like me, yearn for a dose of youth, head straight to Krust in Middletown. Here, it’s all about bourbon, beards, and my favorite food, PIZZA. Cozy up to the bar lined with hundreds of small batch bourbons and order a wood-fired pie or two. I’m a purist (Red pie with San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and sea salt), my daughter lives for Meat (delicate chunks of pepperoni, pancetta and salami) and we were hard-pressed to save any leftovers for my husband. Next time, I’m having Sunny Side which, in the French style, features an egg cracked on top. And for dessert? Cupcakes from NoRa, of course, right next door.
Al Forno, Old Saybrook
Lucky for us, we have direct access to some of the best pizza in the US, right here on the Shoreline. And even luckier, this family-friendly trattoria, known for their New Haven-style brick-oven pizza, has now raised the bar by offering a sublime pie made in a 250 year old tradition (which requires certification to produce – no joke!) called Pizza Napolitano Vera. The caputo flour dough rises for two days at room temperature and is topped with house-made slightly sweet, light tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and ribbons of basil. The crust? A perfect ratio of chewy to char. (If you’re planning for lunch, call ahead to make sure the dough has risen.) Gluten-sensitive pizza lovers will be happy to know about their rice flour crust, an entirely worthy substitute. A bright, peppery arugula salad topped with shavings of parmigiano reggiano makes it into a meal.
Vincitori Apizza: Neapolitan Pizza in Niantic (from The E List archives)
We are already big fans of this sunny Neapolitan-style pizza shop in Niantic. We popped in to sample a few pies last week to find blistery and chewy sourdough crust with tangy, yummy cheeses and bright sauces. I love a salad on a pizza so we opted for the Arugula & Prosciutto. The peppery arugula, dressed with a lemony vinaigrette and topped after baking, paired perfectly with the salty prosciutto. We couldn’t resist a classic red-sauce pie topped with mozzarella, parmesan, and Pecorino.
Old School:
La Marea, Old Saybrook
Juliana and Nino own this Italian spot in a building on route 154 that morphs into a new eatery every few years. None of them stick and it’s the sort of place we think of as cursed. But not La Marea, because it’s got all the parts right: an interesting menu with lots to choose from for every kind of diner, sweet staff, and a renovation that took the structure back to the studs for a complete transformation, from white washed pine ceiling to hefty chandeliers, and an open kitchen. Let’s call it Haute Barn. From a starter of perfect Margherita pizza to my wood-fired roasted chicken with salty kale and fingerlings, every course that arrived at our table was competent and yummy. Kids will love watching the pizza master flip pies into the air and grownups should not miss the homemade Bailey’s. Stracciatella (chocolate chip) ice cream with a shot of espresso is the way to go for dessert. Maybe it was that Bailey’s, or the fact that the owner is Juliana, or perhaps the crispy biscotti, but it brought me back to a long-ago moment in Tuscany, when my husband and I spent hours in a romantic castello nibbling biscotti, sipping Vin Santo and trying to speak to our charming waitress, whose name was also Juliana. If a local joint can transport you to Tuscany, I think that means go.
Pepe’s, New Haven, established 1925
It’s been a long time since I’ve stood in a line for Pepe’s. With so much great pizza available, it hardly seems worth it. And I was so ready to dismiss this venerable pie. After all, with seven locations in Connecticut, they’re not exactly a mom and pop shop anymore. Was the quality still up to snuff? A hearty YES! If you’re a pizza purist like me, the tomato and mooozz (yep that’s how they say it!) pie has a nicely salted, skinny crust with just a bit of char. And no insipid sauce here, bursting with tomatoey flavor and a chunky texture amplify this pie. Expect a wait, or go 15 minutes before opening.
Modern Apizza, New Haven, established 1934
Modern was our first foray into New Haven pizza when we moved here, and I thought I found the runner up to Totonno’s in Coney Island. (And if you’re a pizza fanatic who’s never been to James Beard winning Totonno’s well, that’s just unforgivable). I still think Modern is the king of crust: charred, never burnt, irregularly shaped and flavorful. The place is not far off the beaten path of Worcester street, but still boasts a line most days. It’s straight up tomato and mooz for me here but regulars devour the Italian Bomb (Sausage, Bacon, Pepperoni, Mushroom, Onion, Pepper & Garlic). After Zuppardi’s pizza (see below) Modern’s clam pizza was a bit of a disappointment.
Good to know: small parking lot next door. www.modernapizza.com
Sally’s Apizza, New Haven, established 1938
Lots of folks call Sally’s their favorite, and if we were anywhere but New Haven, we might too. This old school, no frills joint offers up a classic New Haven skinny crust pie on an oblong metal platter, that clearly has legions of fans (John F. Kennedy and Frank Sinatra among them). When you can’t brave the lines for other New Haven pizza, head here for a veggie pie (hot peppers lend a welcome spicy bite), or salty anchovy, which make up for the rather plain tomato and mootz.
Good to know: cash only. www.sallysapizza.com
Zuppardi’s, West Haven
Because pizza is our favorite food, we thought it crucial that we add Zuppardi’s ballyhooed clam pie to our repertoire. Late on a Sunday afternoon, we were surprised to find the joint in West Haven empty. Was something amiss? We didn’t mind, it’s better than braving the line at Pepe’s. We ordered the clam pie and our sweet server recommended the sausage. We ordered that, too, and a plain for no good reason except to compare. The plain was plain, the sausage is fantastic (chunks of it, freshly housemade and cooked directly on the pie makes all the difference), but oh, the clam. Redolent of garlic, with plump, juicy bivalves studding a thin, slightly charred crust, this is one remarkable pie. A bit of clam broth and olive oil soaks into the crust, adding even more clam flavor. Just a squeeze of lemon completes this memorable feast. Pizza heaven. Call ahead to make sure the clam pie is available. Price varies depending on the availability of fresh clams; on our visit a large pie was $40.
Good to know: Zuppardi’s has a Pizza Truck for catering and parties.
zuppardisapizza.com
