Connecticut—the tiny, unassuming state that somehow belongs to both the tri-state area and New England—is known for more than you’d expect: fall foliage, buttered lobster rolls, Yale University, Mark Twain and is both the insurance and submarine capital of the world. But what if I told you it’s also home to the pizza capital of the United States? That’s right. New Haven, Connecticut (this writer’s hometown), serves up some of the best pizza in the country, and it has the loyal fan base (and history) to back it up.
Don’t believe me? Connecticut has more pizza places per capita than any other state—more than 1,600 shops serving a population of just 3.5 million. And get this: the New Haven area alone boasts more than 400 pizza joints for its 850,000 residents. Even better? Most of them are family-owned. We talked to some New Haven pizza experts to get a slice of what it’s really like, where to get it and answers to the eternal debate of how it differs from New York pizza.
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What Is New Haven Pizza?
Chances are, if you’ve heard of New Haven pizza, you’re probably thinking about the big three, or as locals like to call them, the holy trinity: Sally’s, Modern and Pepe’s. And if we’re breaking it down even further, any true New Havenite will have a very strong opinion about where their loyalty lies—you’re either a Sally’s family or a Pepe’s family.
Bill Jacobs, New Havenite and owner of Piece Pizzeria & Brewery in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood for the past 24 years, says there are some rules when it comes to New Haven pizza. “New Haven apizza is intended to be eaten with your hands,” he says. “Pick up a slice, hold it, fold it and enjoy. No utensils needed. A New Haven pizza has a great chew and crunch. It is thin, but not paper thin, foldable, and baked on the darker side, which is charred, but not burnt.”
According to Colin M. Caplan, pizza guru, author of Pizza in New Haven and founder of Taste of New Haven, the original New Haven pie was round, thin, crispy and cooked well done with simple ingredients; either a tomato pie with grated cheese, or “the option for anchovies,” if that’s your thing (he prefers garlic on his), he says. “The baseline pizza for New Haven-style is a plain tomato pie, which is just sauce and grated cheese.”
I also recommend the signature white clam pie, which is just chopped little neck clams, garlic, grated cheese, olive oil and oregano. Caplan says trying a mozzarella (or what others may call a “plain”) pizza is also a standard order in the Elm City.
What Are Some Myths About New Haven Pizza?
Perhaps the biggest myth is that New Haven-style pizza must be baked in a coal oven and must be oblong or oval.
Caplan says while this may be how the style started, “These shapes and methods are also not indicative of the style but reflective of the variations of particular pizzerias.” (For example: Pepe’s is noted for slicing various sizes and shapes based on their slicing method and Sally’s is noted for their oval-shaped pies.)
Jacobs offers up even more info on the cooking methods: “While Piece is a direct descendant of Sally’s, our oven is gas-fired. Sally’s (and Pepe’s) are fired by coal,” he says. “It should be noted that many of the great New Haven pizzerias are also fired by gas, such as Ernie’s and Zuppardi’s; Modern is fired by oil.”
Caplan says charred or well-done pizza is beloved by many in the New Haven area, but that’s less about the pizza style and more about the taste of its fans. When the crust is charred, some people will think it’s burnt, but Caplan explains the difference: “Charred crust is caramelized and the sugars in the flour actually melt and sweeten, whereas burnt crust is carbonized and bitter to taste.”
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What’s the History of New Haven Pizza?
According to Caplan, pizza began its New Haven journey in the late 19th to early 20th century by Southern Italian immigrant bakers who would make thin round pies in coal-fired ovens as a side business to their bread bakery. “Much of the early sale of pizza here was by delivery on the street, in the produce markets, and to factory workers as well as a snack for hungry saloon goers,” he says.
After the repeal of Prohibition, Italian bakers converted to pizzerias offering beer and pizza to a city that was one-third full of Italians. “With 400 pizza places in greater New Haven, the area is 1745693722 a mix of established historic pizzerias and newer styles,” he says.
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana (“Pepe’s”) is the oldest running pizzeria in Connecticut and one of the five oldest pizzerias in the United States. Caplan says their pizza has been made consistently with the same ingredients, method and bake since 1925. “Other historic pizzerias in the New Haven area, like Zuppardi’s Apizza (1934), Modern Apizza (1934), Roseland Apizza (1935), Sally’s Apizza (1938) and Mike’s Apizza (1946) have kept their pizza-making traditions going. While these are all definitely New Haven-style pizzerias, they all vary from each other in subtle and noticeable ways.”
There are a number of origin stories surrounding New Haven’s oldest pizzeria, Frank Pepe Pizzeria, according to Caplan. “One persistent rumor that gets repeated in articles is that Frank Pepe invented New Haven-style pizza. He most definitely did not invent it, and was making the pizza he learned from bakers in his hometown of Maiori on the Amalfi Coast.” Caplan says he has interviewed and heard from numerous people whose families claimed to have taught Frank Pepe how to make pizza, as most of these stories are passed down. “[It] mixes an actual family pizza legacy with an embellished story that becomes convoluted together like a game of telephone,” he says.
For New Havenites, pizza is a way of life and is deeply intertwined with their memories growing up in and around the Elm City.
“Sally’s was my family’s favorite pizza without question,” Jacobs says. “My parents were friends with Sally and Flo Consiglio (owners of Sally’s) and my dad had his first Sally’s pizza in 1938 when he was 8 years old. Sally’s was our place, and we would frequent it once or twice a week. When I would return from college for a weekend or vacation I would go there before going home to see my folks.”
“The pizza of my childhood and still my all-time favorite is Ernie’s Pizzeria,” shares Caplan, “an unassuming pizza parlor since 1971 run by Ernie’s son Pat. One of my favorite pies here is a white pie with broccoli rabe and garlic, extra grated cheese, extra olive oil, no mozz.”
And some of my best memories growing up revolve around trips to Sally’s on Wooster Street with my extended family. My grandmother knew Flo Consiglio—Sally’s wife—and we had the secret number to call in our order ahead of time (since the mainline was always off the hook). We always had the same order, which included my favorite, a large mozz (that’s “muhtz,” IYKYK) with peppers and onions and a pitcher of ice cold Foxon Park birch beer.
We’d sit on the long, tattered leather benches glazed over in total pizza bliss staring at the framed, crooked pictures of Frank Sinatra and Bill Clinton, never knowing what time it really was since the wall clock was perpetually stuck at 5:41pm for years (time really did stand still at Sally’s). Afterward, we’d head to the park next door, swing on the swings, and head down the street to Libby’s for a squeeze cup of lemon ice that would leave you sticky for the ride home. It was simple. It was perfect. It was New Haven pizza.
Why Is It Called ‘Apizza’?
And as for the very popular (and often mispronounced) term “apizza”? Caplan says history explains this one: “Since most Italians in New Haven are from the Amalfi Coast, Benevento and other areas surrounding Naples, they spoke the Napoletana language…[pizza was] written ‘a’pizza’ and pronounced ‘ahbeets.’ This was carried over to all U.S. Southern Italian communities, but only survived in New Haven because of the large and cohesive community keeping the language and culture of their grandparents. This area acts like a time capsule preserving the food, culture, language and traditions that have changed or evolved in Italy.”
How New Haven Pizza Is Made
Jacobs says that the hardest part of making New Haven pizza is the training process. It starts with an understanding of what New Haven-style pizza is: crunchy, chewy and foldable, with the right sauce-cheese-toppings ratio for the right balance. “[Training pizza chefs] on mixing, fermenting, stretching, topping and baking to the appropriate doneness is the key to making it true to style,” he explains.
Having a connection to New Haven is also helpful when it comes to making an authentic pie. “When we opened, my friend Ray Peck moved to Chicago to train us to make pies,” Jacobs says. “Ray worked for years at Sally’s, so his experience was the very best…our sauce, cheese and many of our toppings have a connection to Sally’s.”
And as for the home pizza chef? Reddit threads and pizza-making message boards are full of tips for replicating the perfect New Haven-style pie at home, from what kind of oven to use (Redditors love a baking steel in a 500° oven or an outdoor Ooni oven) to what kind of sweet sauce to source (it’s a toss-up between San Marzano DOP, Stanislaus Tomato Magic Ground Peeled Tomatoes or Stanislaus 7/11 Ground Unpeeled Tomatoes—with the latter rumored to be what Sally’s used).
Related: The Unexpected Kitchen Item That Took My Homemade Pizzas to the Next Level
What Does New Haven Pizza Taste Like?
Caplan nails the delicious description better than this writer ever could: “When one bites into a New Haven slice of pizza, there’s an initial meeting of salty, tangy and umami of the grated cheese and olive oil dissolved into the slightly pulpy crushed tomatoes which leads the teeth into the firm crisp crust providing textural solidity and chew, and bringing a slightly sweet, salty and yeasty crunch from the carmelized charring,” he says. “If mozzarella is added to the pie, it brings a sublime buttery viscosity that coats and melds all of these flavors and textures together in gastronomic alchemy.”
Note that traditional New Haven apizza doesn’t have any additions post-bake, like extra grated cheese, oils, herbs or garnishes. At the table, the customer can choose extra grated cheese to sprinkle on top (which is always the same Pecorino Romano cheese that goes on the pizza, not Parmesan, Caplan notes) or red pepper flakes.
How Is New Haven Style Pizza Different from New York Style Pizza?
While both styles have thin crusts and big reputations, there are differences. Caplan says New Haven style is thin, crispy, chewy, and has a charred crust topped with crushed tomatoes, grated pecorino Romano cheese and served by the pie (not by the slice). Also, the crust edge, or cornicione, is often prepared with a less pronounced ridge or none at all.
New York style pizza is considered thin, cheesy and always sold by the slice, often large slices that are less crisp than New Haven style. New York style is most commonly cooked in a gas steel deck oven and the cornicione is more pronounced on a New York pie.
The last difference is that New Haven pizza is a complete event. It’s the kind of meal you plan your entire day around, while a New York slice is commonly eaten on the go or while standing up in a crowded pizza shop.
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Where To Find the Very Best New Haven Pizza in Connecticut
Here’s a short list of New Haven-area pizza places to hit on your next trip to the Elm City. This is by no means a complete list, but it’s a good jumping-off point. And before we jump into the list, please note that these spots are in no particular order!
- Sally’s Apizza: Part of the holy trinity, Sally’s is prized for their traditional tomato pie (no mozzarella) and has six locations in New England. As of 2017, it is headed by a restaurant investment group, with input from the original Consiglio family.
- Modern Apizza: The last of the big three that’s still a standalone location on State Street in New Haven, this is the spot to grab a classic mozzarella. Modern has been family-owned and operated by Billy Pustari and his family since they purchased it in 1988.
- Da Legna at Nolo: With a sleek, modern interior and an eye-catching logo (with matching merch to boot), Da Legna’s specialty is a wood-fired, thin-crust sourdough. They’ve also been on State Street in New Haven since 2012.
- Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana: Frank Pepe’s has 17 locations in seven states and is still run by the family. Their claim to fame is the white clam pie that you’ve probably seen all over the internet.
- BAR: This is the place in New Haven to grab a pint of house-brewed beer to go along with your thin crust. BAR’s most famous brick oven pizza is their mashed potato pie with bacon and garlic.
- Ernie’s: On the outskirts of New Haven in the Westville neighborhood is Ernie’s, long lauded by locals as one of the best in the state (and part of many childhood memories). Ernie’s has been family-owned since 1971 and is still churning out the classic mozz pie every day.
- RoselandApizza: Not technically in New Haven but in nearby Derby, Roseland is well-known by locals and has been serving up pies and Italian specialties under their bright, pink neon sign since 1935. And in true New Haven pizza fashion, they do not accept reservations.
- Zuppardi’s Apizza: Another old school spot since 1934, Zuppardi’s in nearby West Haven is the place to grab a pie for a sunny beach day (or you can track their pizza truck). Anthony Zuppardi passed away in 1988, but his children and grandchildren continue to operate the restaurant.
- Grand Apizza: With ties to Modern Apizza, Grand Apizza (owned and operated by the Nuzzo family) has been in operation since 1955. Their New Haven location has closed, but they have restaurants in nearby Guilford, Madison and Clinton.
- Dayton Street Apizza/First Street Apizza: Dayton Street Apizza, also located in the Westville section of New Haven, has been giving the top three a run for their money since 1998 when they opened their doors. They have since opened a second shop in nearby Seymour, First Street Apizza. One of the best pies here is the Margherita, a white pie with crushed plum tomatoes, basil, garlic and mozzarella.
Where Can You Find New Haven-Style Pizza Outside of Connecticut?
New Haven-style pizza can be found worldwide thanks to Caplan’s Google Map that lists all places that serve it around the world. “Outside of Connecticut, there are 176 pizza places in 36 states and 11 countries presently making New Haven-style pizza,” he shares. Caplan says most of the places he’s tried outside of Connecticut have nailed it. “The biggest factor to me for what affects quality and taste is actually my memory and whether the pizza I am eating at that very moment meets, exceeds or diminishes my best memory of a pizzeria,” he explains.
What’s Next for New Haven Pizza?
New Haven pizza isn’t just confined to Connecticut anymore. As the word has gotten out, more and more people are jumping onto the charred magic bandwagon. The Pizza Gavones on YouTube break down how to make a pie at home and the podcast Charred: A New Haven Pizza Show, hosted by pizza pros Kevin Begley and Frank Zabski, features news and interviews with pizza industry guests plus lively debates about all things pizza.
Caplan is also on a mission to make sure the world knows what locals already do: This city is the true Pizza Capital. He’s behind everything from the Pizza Capital Trail to food tours to coveted pizza-themed license plates. His travel series Slice of America and documentary Pizza, a Love Story can both be found on YouTube. His pizza advocacy has even reached the halls of Congress (literally—there’s a proclamation in the Library of Congress). Next up is the A-1 Toyota APIZZA FEAST in September with slices, live music and, perhaps most importantly, a Guinness World Record attempt for the Largest Pizza Party.
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