Pizza Mania

One of Patrick's friends from undergrad is from Meriden, CT, a town just north of New Haven. The first thing he told Patrick upon hearing he was going to YDS was which pizza place in New Haven was the best. He was impassioned about it, and it was a little terrifying. Esther understands this type of pizza fervor because pizza is her favorite food group, and because she's from Philadelphia where everyone is impassioned about nearly everything.

New Haveners take their pizza very seriously. New Haven-style pizza is its own separate thing, different than New York-style and definitely different than Chicago. Here, pizza is called apizza (say "uh-BEETS"). Mozzarella cheese is a topping, not included, so if you want what would normally be a cheese pizza, you have to order a mozzarelle, or a mozz (say "moots.") There are two different bases of the "pie": white (with just olive oil and pecorino romano) and red (also with marinara). The pies are cooked in white brick ovens, which produce super thin, often blackened crust.

Mostly significantly, people divide into very entrenched camps along the various different restaurants. Everyone has a definitive opinion, and can give it to you without even having to think about it. There are many pizzerias in New Haven (many of which offer delivery), but four take-out/dine-in restaurants reign supreme.

Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana (157 Wooster St.)

Pepe's is easily the most famous of all four of the top contenders, in part because it is the oldest. Opened in 1925, Pepe's is one of the oldest pizzerias in the United States. Pepe was born in a town south of Naples and decided to start selling what was then a relatively unknown humble product from his homeland in his bakery in the heavily Italian neighborhood of Wooster Square. His tomato pie was instantly a hit. A close contender is the "white clam pie," complete with fresh littleneck clams and garlic, with lemons on the side. If this sounds weird, you just have to try it. The line at Pepe's typically wraps around the block for all meals, so come prepared to wait for a while. Luckily, Pepe's service is nothing if not efficient. This means, however, that the service is not altogether personable or patient: you should be prepared to sit down and figure out what you want quickly.


Sally's Apizza (237 Wooster St.)

Sally's was founded by Frank Pepe's nephew, Sal Consiglio, right down the block from his uncle's original restaurant. Everyone knows how that kind of family rivalry turns out: the competition here persists to this day as the major divide in New Haven among the Italian-American population. Sally's is small and dimly lit, which makes it easy to miss because it is a hole-in-the-wall, but these atmospheric touches are part of the reason that Sally's is Esther's choice for best pizza in New Haven! Sure, Sally's is only open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday and most of the waitstaff seems to have been there since it opened, but it's all part of the charm. Like Pepe's, it is known for having long lines, but the pizza is also worth the wait. Sally's prides itself on being a small pizzeria and it is not trying to win any awards for flash: it only serves soda, beer, and pizza, and does not accept credit cards. Bring cash, bring your patience, but definitely check it out.


Modern Apizza (874 State St.)

Modern is the closest of the four to the Divinity School with its location in East Rock, and for that reason tends to be a go-to for divvies, especially when ordering pizza for YDS events. It is much larger than Pepe's or Sally's, which means that the lines are shorter and the waitstaff is nicer. They have a great Veggie Bomb pizza (for the vegetarians, or vegetable-lovers out there) and an absolutely incredible Clams Casino pie, which is a riff off of the original "white clam pie" but with bacon (which frankly makes nearly everything even better unless you're a vegetarian like Esther, in which case it's irrelevant because you wouldn't be eating a clam pie anyway). They also have a fairly efficient take-out window, although you might get a busy signal a few times first. If you drive to Modern, be aware that there is very, very limited parking at Modern and its small parking lot is an utter nightmare 99.9% of time. Our recommendation? Just walk!


Bar (254 Crown St.)

Bar is located on Crown St., the main drag for bars and nightclubs in New Haven, and therefore offers a drastically different atmosphere than the other pizzerias. It is primarily - surprise! - a bar. It is also...well...different. Bar specializes in two things: craft beer and craft pizza. First, it is a brewpub that serves its own beer, all of which are pretty good and decently priced for a Crown street bar. Second, it offers toppings for its pizzas that are off-kilter, the most famous of which being mashed potatoes. Yes, that's right, mashed potatoes on a pizza. Esther recommends getting them on a white pie, maybe with some hot cherry peppers and onions - yummy. The atmosphere at Bar is easily the most relaxed, but it is also definitely a bar, so late nights and weekend nights in general mean that it definitely takes on a downtown New Haven bar vibe, complete with all the charming accessories (Patrick likes to point out all the Guidos). If you are heading to Bar for pizza more than you're heading to Bar for the bar, go on a weeknight unless you want to be waiting at the bar for well over an hour while a table becomes ready.

As you can see, this is something you're going to have to explore for yourself - everyone has their opinions and their favorites, and you will, too. One great thing about New Haven pizza is that it's pretty easy to get vegan or dairy-free pies since cheese is not necessarily included. There are also several places in New Haven that offer gluten-free pizza options, as detailed by our illustrious student body President, Nicholas Lewis, in his introductory post. There is something for everyone! And really, the best part of trying to figure out which place you like best is trying some great pizza from places all over town.