Packing for Adventure

Since we were coming by train from NYC and couldn’t miss our train back, we only had about 4 hours in New Haven. It was really hard to pick as New Haven has some very heated competition for best pizza. Fans are loyal, opinions are intense, and ratings across the board are sky-high. However, these four are generally considered the best.

The Top Contenders:

• Sally’s Apizza
• Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana
• Modern Apizza
• BAR

We were originally going to try Sally’s and Frank Pepe’s. They are old family rivals. Frank Pepe’s Apizza opened in 1925, and then Frank Pepe’s nephew Salvatore Consiglio opened a competing restaurant in 1938…. across the street.

It seemed fitting to compare the two. Remember how the night before we were packed like sardines at Lazzara’s in NYC? Well to one side of us was sitting some enthusiastic pizza lovers from Colorado, and to the other side of us was sitting another enthusiastic pizza loving couple from none other than New Haven, CT! They all loved hearing about our pizza crawl and offered their favorites. The couple from Colorado is who suggested we try Carnegie Pizza. The couple from New Haven told us we HAD to go to Modern Apizza. They seemed to have a similar passion for pizza and we decided to trust them.

So do we cut out Sally’s or Frank Pepe’s? This was a HUGE struggle of a decision. Frank Pepe’s came first, and we tried the first Chicago and Detroit style pizza. But we ultimately went with Sally’s because it just seemed like the reviews were slightly better.

The Final Lineup:

• Sally’s Apizza
• Modern Apizza

New Haven Apizza

Apizza (prounounced ah-BEETZ) is a pizza style distinct to New Haven. It is a source of well-deserved pride among the locals. Its roots go back to Italian immigrants from the late 19th/early 20th century. The term “apizza” is derived from the Neapolitan dialect.

Upon first glance, it will appear similar to New York Style. They are both thin and crispy. However typical New York Style pizza is baked in a gas-fired oven* around 500–600°F. New Haven Apizza is baked on a coal-fired oven at 600-700°F+. Apizza has more of a charred crust and is more dry and blistered. It is also often irregularly shaped.

*Interestingly, John’s of Bleecker Street, our favorite from NYC Day 1, is also baked in a coal-fired oven.

Sally’s Apizza Review: Pizza Crawl 2024 Stop #9 | 237 Wooster St, New Haven, CT 06511

This place is very popular and we were lucky to arrive shortly after they opened for the day and found a seat pretty quickly. The pizza was good, but I do not love the taste of char that was prevalent in the crust. Some people love the char – this is the place for them!

Modern Apizza Review: Pizza Crawl 2024 Stop #10 | 874 State St, New Haven, CT 06511

This pizza was AMAZING! It’s been Chris’s favorite pizza from the whole trip as of yet, and I also loved it. There’s nothing bad to say about it. It’s like pizza from Sally’s but without the heavy taste of char. We were not originally planning to come here, but destiny intervened when some New Haven locals heard about our trip and talked us into coming here instead of one of the other famous New Haven pizza places. We are so happy we came!

We were seated quickly, our waitress was great, and we just loved everything about it!

Final Verdict:

Chris: Sally’s Apizza 8.3 | Modern Apizza 9.1
Rosie: It was no question for me – Modern Apizza was far superior!

We didn’t make any reservations, but try to do it if you can!

When we headed to the train stop to head back to NYC, we noticed tons of people also heading there holding pizza boxes from Frank Pepe’s. Should we have stuck with our pattern of picking the original? Maybe next time, Frank.

BONUS PIZZA

When we got back to NYC, we found time and room in our bellies to try one more pizza place for the day.

Denino’s Greenwich Village Review: Pizza Crawl 2024 Stop #11 | 93 MacDougal St, New York, NY 10012

This has been my favorite pizza of the whole trip so far, which is saying a lot since I’ve had a lot of pizza the last few days!!
It’s obviously similar to many of the other NYC pizza places, but it’s done really well! I have zero complaints. I loved the crust, which additionally helps it stand out. It was greasy and packed with flavor and just super delicious!

Chris: Deninos 8.7
Rosie: FAVORITE PIZZA OF THE DAY! (Chris felt this was blasphemous as he preferred Modern Apizza, and I had to remind him that his ranking system is arbitrary and I eat as much pizza as he does….)

Overall a VERY STRONG DAY for pizza!

Next post: Tourism in New Haven, CT

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