Ill-Timed Roadtrips: New Haven, Connecticut

Occasionally, despite overwhelming outward confidence, I can be a little too bold for the sake of a good meal. For a week we had planned a short day trip to New Haven, but the forecast incomprehensibly predicted snow. "Snow?" I scoffed. If Hurricane Irene was overrated, then certainly this snowfall would, at most, consist of a few flurries falling on overeager weathermen.

Not so. Amidst the pouring rain, we picked up our rental car, which was armed with suspiciously weak headlights, for what was supposed to be a fairly short drive. I'll avoid describing our first stop, Cannelle Patisserie, for the sake of narrative consistency. Suffice to say, everything I tried out of the $30 worth of pastries Melissa and Emily purchased was pretty damn good.

By this time, the freezing rain had turned into heavy snow as we headed north on I 95. As the self-designated driver, I was determined to show off my hardcore driving skills, but before we reached New Haven, I had to pee. Also, we needed gas.

Luckily, Colony Grill in Stamford was only an exit away. Stepping out of the car, I sunk to my ankles in slush. We scattered and ran inside, sliding into a long booth, hoping in vain to dry off. The bar style pizzas here are only $8.50, plus $1.50 a topping. Resolved to pace ourselves, we ordered one pie with hot oil, which is the draw.

True to its reputation, the hot oil had a slow burn, but the ripper did not. It had a quick, intense burn. The thin crust was nice, but not better than Star Tavern, the gold standard in bar pizza. Good pizza, but I'd probably hyped it up a bit too much in my mind. Slightly disappointed, we trudged out of the bar and sprinted to the car, continuing our journey.

Colony Grill
172 Myrtle Avenue
Stamford, CT 06902
(203) 359-2184

New Haven Pizza Rivalry: Sally's vs. Pepe's

When asked where to find the best pizza, most New Yorkers don't bother looking past Manhattan, let alone, the other boroughs, which are superior in my opinion. Pose the same question to the usually mild mannered mid-westerner and they'll surprise you with how passionately they defend Chicago deep dish. Whereas L.A. is home to the grilled pizza, made famous by Wolfgang Puck and further north in San Francisco, newcomer, Flour and Water, has received critical acclaim. But those in the know turn to New Haven, Connecticut as home to some of the very best pizza in all of America.

Unfamiliar with New Haven pizza? I forgive you, but also implore you to try this regional specialty that has earned a James Beard Award. While the world is more familiar with the thin-crusted New York style of pizza, as Italian immigrants settled in the Wooster Square neighborhood of New Haven they brought with them their culture as well as their food. Opened in 1925, Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napolentana or "Pepe's," as the locals call it is the birthplace of this style of pizza that's characteristically oblong in shape and cooked in coal ovens bestowing a uniquely charred and chewy thin crust. Having sampled Pepe's multiple times whenever I visited my older sister when she worked in New Haven, I was long overdue for a return trip and was accompanied by MW, YW and JC for a taste of this specialty treat.