Monday, August 15, 2011

Frank Pepe's Pizza Napoletano, New Haven, CT

We only had a brief time in New Haven this weekend while attending a wedding, so we wanted to hit some landmarks. Louis' Lunch (birthplace of the hamburger) sadly was closed on Saturday afternoon, so instead we went to the famous Pepe's Pizzeria.

We were lucky enough to arrive right at 2 pm, when they opened up The Spot (the small annex next door, which is the original location from 1925), so we jumped in there rather than into the long line.

We ordered 2 smalls of their signature pies: white clam and fresh tomato (only offered in the summer). Both pies arrived on a single long rectangular tray and we dug in, forgoing plates to just eat off the tray which took up our entire tabletop. The white clam was super garlicky and loaded with big breaded clams. The tomato pie was a nice contrast - fresh and more subtle. I think the biggest difference of Pepe's with other thin crust pizzas I've had is that the crust is much chewier - perhaps it's the Connecticut water.


And in keeping with eating local, I washed it all down with a lemon soda from Foxon Park, an East Haven beverage company who have been making soda since 1922. By the time we finished, there was already a line at both The Spot and the main location.

Frank Pepe's Pizzeria Napoletano
157 Wooster Street
New Haven, CT
203-865-5762

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