I thought this topic would be a breeze, but I realized that I don't go to that many pizza joints. So here is my attempt at a Top Ten Pizza.....freestyle.
1.) Colony Grille, Stamford, CT.
This place is fantastic. Both for it's thin-crust, new york style pizza(especially the sausage!) and for it's old neighborhood "ambience".
With bartenders that go by the name Skeets and Fitz, who will point a sausage-shaped finger ominously your way if you curse when
ladies are present, how can you go wrong? There are many old time regulars....and when I say old, I mean OLD. Once, I sat and listened
to three old guys talk about watching Babe Ruth play for the Yankees in god knows what year. They could easily have been in their low 90s.
The walls are plastered with framed photos of the owners and their relatives. All of whom were either in some branch of the service, the police
department, the fire department.....or some combination of the three! Skeets and Fitz will share some great stories(and worldviews) when in
the right mood, but watch your language! Laugh as newbies to Colony ask if they serve salad, or even a beer that's not Budweiser or Guinness.
And be sure to try a hot oil pizza sometime. It's got a real kick to it. Oh, and one more thing. Don't go during primetime dinnertimes expecting
instant gratification. Belly up to the bar and prepare for a wait....sometimes up to an hour if it's REALLY poppin'. But it's worth the wait.
2.) Pepe's Pizza, New Haven, CT.
I think the true name of this place is Frank Pepe's or something. In case you want to look it up online. Depending on who you talk to, Pepe's is supposed
to be the first pizza joint outside of New York City. Dunno about that, but it's been there since the 20s or 30s at least. Their claim to fame is the clam
pizza, but I'm not really nuts about that one. I love their attitude about slices, though. When pizza parlors started popping up all over the country, Pepe's
refused to conform to the perfect triangular slice and, to this day, slice up some pretty random freestyle shapes. Occasionally, you'll get a triangle, but it's
definitely an accident. Sometimes the pizza is perfect, sometimes it's a little too burnt from the brick ovens. Also, be prepared to wait in line if you show up
close to dinnertime, especially on friday or saturday nights.
3.) Sally's Pizza, New Haven, Ct.
I haven't been to Sally's in a long time, but I remember it being quite amazing. There's a bitter rivalry between Sally's and Pepe's, as Sally's splintered from Pepe's
way back when and opened up across and up the street from it's parent joint. And everyone who goes to either place swears that their respective joint is the best!
4.) Modern Pizza, New Haven, Ct.
Modern is the answer to the "which is better....Pepe's or Sally's?" question. Answer: Neither. Go to Modern. While I found Modern to be really great pizza, I still prefer
Pepe's on a bad day to Modern on its best. But maybe that's just habit. I'll have to continue my research.
5.) Pepe's Pizza, Fairfield, Ct.
Ok, this is kind of cheating on my part, but I'm seriously running out of places here. I can't think of many more pizza joints that I can recommend highly. When Pepe's
expanded and opened a joint up the street from me, I was psyched. No more driving all the way the hell to New Haven to wait in long lines. I could wait in long lines
in the comfort of my own neighborhood, thank you very much. But, because it's so close, I'm more likely to go there at odd times; times when there are much less
likely to be lines. At first, this branch wasn't so hot. I blame the brick oven for not being cured. Or maybe the dudes running the show just weren't as slick as their New
Haven brother. Now, though, Fairfield rivals New Haven more often than not.
6.) Luigi's Pizza, Fairfield, Ct.
Now I'm really running low on ideas. While not spellbinding, Luigi's looks like a standard pizza parlor from the outside. But there's something about their particular combination
of cheese and sauce that keeps me coming back year after year. You probably ain't gonna read about them in Zagat's anytime soon, but it's a good solid new york-style pizza.
7.) Bar, New Haven, Ct.
I haven't been to Bar in New Haven in way too long, but my sources tell me that it is still outstanding thincrust pizza. Check it out. Now that I'm thinking about it, I will again, too.
8.) Beverly Pizza, Bridgeport, CT
I have to include the Beverly as an honorable mention. First, because it is truly unique and it means something when you say it's a Beverly pizza. Second, because the locals all have
stories about going to Beverly all through high school, etc....and there's nothing like a Beverly pizza. Don't know what it is. This place has sadly gotten WAY more rundown in recent years
and has faced some tough competition since Pepe's moved in around the corner, but it still has the charm of a greasy spoon pizza joint.
9.) Two Boots, NY, NY.
Another honorable mention, this place is all over the city, but I'm most partial to the one down on Bleecker. It's a great place to get a slice, or three, especially before catching a movie around the corner at the Angelika.
Ok, I can't come up with any others. I'm sure there are a bunch I'm forgetting. But, for the most part, the other places around are either crappy chains like Papa John's, Pizza Hut, Dominos, Little Caesar's or Chicago-style deep dish pizza(which, to me, isn't even pizza). Deep dish is good sometimes, but don't call it pizza. It needs it's own name. There are also tons of pizza made greek-style, which is usually not a good thing.
That is all.
The Steve