My husband, you know how much he likes to research things, right?
Well lately he’s been online researching the best pizza places around the country and somehow he got it in his head that we needed to drive to New Haven, Connecticut to try Frank Pepe’s coal fired pizza.
And so on Monday morning, we did just that. We drove FOUR HOURS for a pizza.
Who does that!?
Apparently us.
At first I wasn’t so sure I wanted to go, but when I pulled up the map on my phone I realized we could hit Mystic, Connecticut on the way back {and a really good bakery I had gone to 7 years ago} so I was game.
Frank Pepe’s Pizza is the real deal and has been in business for 100 years and is currently run by the third generation!
I love that!
You can sit inside and enjoy your meal table side or go to the back building {named “The Spot} and get a pizza to go… Which is what we did.
The HH is all about cheese pizza so that’s what we ordered.
I would have ordered a pizza with pineapple and ham but there wasn’t any pineapple on the menu. Which was probably a good sign that this was a serious pizza establishment. HA HA HA.
A coal fired brick oven!
I noticed the guy who was making our pizza was using sliced cheese instead of grated. My husband said they do that so the pizzas are more consistent. Interesting!
From the time we ordered our pizza to the time we had it in our hands was only about 10 minutes! We were shocked.
We didn’t even look at it until we were back at our car.
And it was a BEAUTY!!! All those crispy edges! Just look at it.
The HH said it was a 10/10 and you know what? I totally agreed. That pizza simply could not be improved upon.
Or at least we were pretty sure it couldn’t be improved upon. 😉
Apparently there are several pizza joints along Wooster Street in New Haven and so we decided to try another one that had a line outside the building.
Sally’s Apizza.
The line was for indoor dinning so we ordered a pizza to go from there too.
We ordered a small cheese, just like we did at Frank Pepe’s so we could compare the two pizzas.
And immediately we could tell there was a BIG difference between the two. For starters, Sally’s had way more tomato sauce and very little cheese.
The crust was a little different too. It wasn’t as crispy as Frank Pepe’s.
And honestly, it didn’t taste as good either. We both agreed that Sally’s pizza was a 7.5 and Frank Pepe’s was a full on 10.
It’s funny.
You wake up thinking you’re going to have a normal day and then you find yourself 4 hours away judging the merits of a crispy crust coal fired pizza ovens in the middle of a parking lot on an overcast day.
If you love Neapolitan style pizza and you ever find yourself in New Haven, Connecticut make your way down to Wooster Street and order yourself a pizza from Frank Pepe’s. You’ll be so glad you did!
Have an awesome day everyone,
~Mavis
Beth says
So the real question is what did you get at Sift Bake Shop? Inquiring minds want to know…
Sue S. says
Yes!
Ilene Feldman says
Next time try Modern Pizza on State Street in New Haven and Roseland Pizza in Derby. And make sure that you stop at Sift Bakery in Watch Hill (RI), Niantic and Mystic!
debbie formerly from new haven says
the white clam pie from modern!! so good.
debbie formerly from new haven says
Aww welcome to New Haven. I worked in New Haven for many years – there is no shortage of excellent food there! Or excellent architects (I worked for one). Clair’s bakery has the world’s best Lithuanian coffee cake. I still dream about it 16 years later.
debbie formerly from new haven says
the white clam pie from modern!! so good.
Dawn says
I also prefer Frank Pepe’s but I go to the one near where I work In Burlington, MA. We have a Sally’s near here in Woburn but I think it’s overrated.
Holley says
Wow, you can see the difference! I would pick Frank Pepe’s from the looks alone! If you go back to NYC you can go on a pizza tour (scottspizzatours.com)! There are walking tours and bus tours. Scott is the consummate authority on all things pizza! I highly recommend taking one of his tours!
Ashely B says
I’m from CT and don’t actually like that style of pizza at all!!
And now, to be your South Eastern CT tour guide!
A lot of the pizza places in the South Eastern corner of the state have a unique vibe all their own. I don’t know what the style name is but it’s amazing. If you want to stop a few towns over next time you do Mystic, Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun etc… Stop in Norwich, CT. Some cool places to visit are The Slater Museum at NFA (my alma mater), Uncas Leap at Yantic Falls (ask a local, there’s a few ways to see the falls. Never go alone, or when icy), the Leffingwell Inn (look up their re-enactment days), The Rose Arts Festival in Summer (lots of bands, really neat day culturally), AND my favorite and completely unsuspecting pizza place Occum pizza in Occum. The sauce, the crust, the ratio, the people. My second favorite pizza place in town is Irene’s Pizza on Town st. My childhood friend’s family owned it but sold it about twenty years ago, the new owners kept most of the original recipes including the pizza, it’s AMAZING.
There’s also a Norwich walking trail (you could drive) which includes houses and spots in Norwich that are historical to the town – like Benedict Arnold’s original home site. It’s kind of neat. I would also check out Meeting House Rock behind First Congregational Church on Town St. You can climb up the rocky area and it’s a gorgeous lookout point, especially in Fall. Again, don’t go if it’s icy and have good footwear.
City Hall is also beautiful especially in Winter when they put up white Xmas lights. It has been featured in three different films.
Some other cool things to see are Gillette’s Castle, and not far from there the Devil’s Hopyard – only do the Hopyard in warm months or you’ll slip and fall!!! =)
It’s fun!!!
There’s also the Mark Twain house (which I admit I’ve never been to).
Didn’t think I would type this much….
And, if you’re that close….stop by Sturbridge Village in Mass if you haven’t before, it’s a colonial re-enactment town and it’s huge! I believe it’s closed in Winter.
sandy says
My husband is from Mystic-my dream to move there. I love it! His family had a summer resort in Moodus CT -it turned into a 4H camp and it is now a fancy trendy NY run “glamp” place. Yuk. I tried to get him to buy it from 4H…
Just like Dirty Dancing-a bit smaller-but sooooo cool! Your day sounded perfect. What fun
Dianne says
I enjoy just cheese and red sauce on my pizza as well. Pineapple does not belong on a pizza menu and certainly not on a pizza. Pepe’s looks so delicious in your pictures. I was also impressed with the price. You can’t get a wood-fired 12″ pizza here for less than $25+ dollars. I’m glad you got to take some on the road. I bet that made for a better trip.
HollyG says
I’ve always wanted to visit New Haven. My ancestors settled there in 1639 and there is a house that was built by the family in 1790 that still stands. . . . . .some day (followed by a big sigh).
Sue S. says
I drive 4 hours for a rug hook-in or class but not for pizza. I admire your fortitude! Especially in almost-summer traffic. It has already started here on the Cape. The CT travel guide was excellent-thank you.
Sue says
I am also not crazy about Pepe’s Pizza. Call me picky, but I just don’t like the charred crust. I can burn my pizza at home, y’know? I do enjoy a good white (clam) pizza, so checking out Modern is now a thing.
My favorite pizza of all times was Bertucci’s Basilica. Roasted eggplant, 2 types of white cheese, no red sauce. It was a revelation. They took it off the menu decades ago, though.
It’s too bad you missed Mystic Pizza! I had to visit because of the movie (which is so stinkin’ cute). The pizza was good. And I think I know what the secret ingredient is. :^)
Mavis Butterfield says
Went to Mystic Pizza 10 years ago and while the place was cute, I didn’t feel the need to go back for their pizza. 😉 https://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/is-mystic-pizza-in-mystic-connecticut-any-good/
HH wants to try the clam pizza at Modern as well!