Chicago and New York-style pizzas are a must-try if you’re acquainted with either city, and their unique flavour profiles are almost synonymous with the cities themselves. The city of New Haven, Connecticut, is the same way. The food service industry, as well as the restaurants and home cooks that provide it, is responsible for more than just providing a fast meal. They’ve banded together to keep their traditions alive.
In other words, what is the definition of New Haven pizza?
When in New Haven, get a piece of what is called “apizza,” pronounced “ah-beets.” The crust is paper-thin and crunchy while the dough remains chewy on the interior.
In order to get the signature outer char around the crust’s edges, New Haven-style pizza is traditionally baked in a coal oven, as called for in the original recipe. A hot broiler may achieve the same outcome for certain performers.
When ordering apizza, you never have to worry about having too much sauce or cheese since the toppings are minimal. Because each batch of dough is individually shaped to produce the required end product, you will notice that they come in a wide range of forms.
In comparison to other types of pizza, what distinguishes New Haven style?
New Haven is home to two distinct kinds of Connecticut pizza: white and plain tomato. While some eateries focus only on one kind, others let you choose from both and add any toppings you want.
With the first selection, you can have a blend of garlic and Parmesan cheeses in a tomato sauce made from scratch. Mozzarella cheese is considered a topping in this area, so you’ll have to ask for it if you want it. The “Mootz” pie is a must-order.
The white pie is topped with garlic, mozzarella, Parmesan, and oregano and has an olive oil base. A New England classic, this apizza has fresh littleneck clams for a really local flavour.
BETTER-KNOWN RESTAURANT BRANDS THAT SPECIALIZE IN NEW HAVEN-STYLE PIZZA
When customers at restaurants around the United States learn that they’ve been served a “apizza” instead of a traditional pizza slice, demand for this Connecticut-style pizza skyrockets. Because it is usually cooked thoroughly, the pizza’s fresh-baked toppings make for a one-of-a-kind meal.
New Haven-style pizza has been well perfected by a number of establishments. If you’ve never tried apizza before, you should seek out these restaurants.
1. PEPE’S.
Since its inception, this restaurant’s family has used the same tried-and-true recipes. Gary Bimonte, grandson of the original Pepe, is the current owner. They pioneered the apizza idea in Connecticut, and their menu items reflect this commitment to heritage.
They were the first company to put clams on a pizza, and they continue to pioneer new apizza tastes. A guy was allegedly selling uncooked littleneck clams in an alley near their eatery in New Haven. Originally intended as an appetiser, their popularity soon forced the Pepe family to switch gears and offer them as a topping.
Pepe’s now serves some of the greatest pizza in the New Haven region and goes through up to 80 bushels of clams per week.
2. SALLY’S APIZZA
The first Pepe’s was located just down the street from where this business now stands. In keeping with the restaurant’s retro atmosphere, payment is only accepted in the form of cash. The queue that wraps around the block on any given day appears to settle the dispute regarding which is better among the locals.
If you’re craving tomato pie, stop by Sally’s. A nod to history is offered by the use of a New Haven-style pizza dough; fresh mozzarella, basil, zucchini, and tomato slices; and thick, flavorful slices of tomato.
3. THE MODERN APIZZA.
This restaurant shares a neighbourhood with Sally and Pepe, but it departs from convention by utilising a wood-fired oven to cook its pizzas rather than a coal one. There is a wider variety of toppings to choose from, and the traditional Italian menu supplements the apizza selections.
The lines are shorter than average since it updates the classic New Haven style pizza. On your first visit, we recommend ordering the Italian Bomb, which comes with seven traditional toppings including peppers, sausage, and bacon.
4. BAR.
There are plenty of other places to get New Haven pizza in the region, but don’t let the fact that this one is relatively new deter you. It serves food cooked in a gas-powered brick oven and beer brewed in-house, and then transforms into a nightclub when dinner service ends.
Tomato and white apizzas are also available, and you may customise your order by adding or omitting mozzarella. Additionally, you may customise your meal with one of thirty available toppings; mashed potatoes are a fan favourite.
5. ZUPPARDI’S APIZZA.
For those who are intrigued by the prospect of a New Haven-style pizza topped with littleneck clams, this business is worth a try. The clams on top of the pie aren’t chopped; they’re served whole, and the pie is accompanied with slices of lemon. If you’d like, you may also add a handmade sausage that’s been cooked from scratch.
Take into account that parking can be difficult during peak meal times if you plan on being in the vicinity. The option of ordering for pickup is also available. With this family-run company taking you to West Haven, you must visit Union Avenue while you’re there.
EXPLAINING THE NEW HAVEN PIZZA CRAZE
It was because to the original Pepe’s education in Italy in 1909 that pizza in New Haven adopted the traditional Neopolitan style. This apizza is consistently ranked as the top pizza style in the USA. People tend to prefer this version when given the choice between it and others, such as Chicago and New York.
1. YOU CAN ORDER A WIDER VARIETY OF INGREDIENTS.
When it comes to making New Haven-style pizza, simplicity and your tastes are prioritised. Potatoes, littleneck clams, and other seafood toppings like these are hard to acquire by anywhere in the globe.
2. IT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER.
People in Connecticut tend to stick together after eating pizza. Apizza is best enjoyed at a table, whether you use a fork and knife or just attempt to pick it up and eat it that way. It’s great for getting people together over a shared meal to catch up on each other’s lives and have a great time.
3. THE DOUGH HAS GOOD ELASTIC PROPERTIES.
The New Haven style of pizza is known for its remarkably soft dough despite its crisp outer shell. It undergoes a longer fermenting process than, say, Chicago or New York City styles, which may be to blame for this.
CONCLUSION
A slice of New Haven pizza is an experience in food that everyone should have at least once. While adopting an apizza strategy may seem unusual at first, you’ll soon learn that Connecticut’s take on the world’s most popular pie is among the finest.
Whether you get one loaded with clams, choose to load up on the mozzarella, or go “simple” with Romano, olive oil, and tomatoes, you’re certain to be blown away by the taste.
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