Hello,
Love your website. Just made it to Frank Pepe for the first time and thought I'd share.
Drove from New York City to Cape Cod this past Saturday and pulled over in New Haven. Couldn't remember the name of the pizza places in New Haven, so the first cop I saw I asked for directions to "that famous pizza place." He gave me directions to Frank Pepe.
I arrived there at 1:45 p.m., and even though it was 95 and humid, there was a line down the sidewalk. And even though I was alone, I had to wait 20 minutes for a table. I couldn't believe how many people were there. Hello, it's 95 and humid why aren't you all at the beach?
Anyway, waitress was super nice. I told her I was a "newbie." She suggested a bacon and onion pie. I wasn't feeling that, so I ordered two large pies: the original tomato and mozzarella and the summer special, fresh local tomatoes, garlic, mozzarella, and basil.
Waited maybe 15 minutes before the pies came out. Original tomato came out first, then when the summer special arrived, they moved me (from table 26 to table 11) because both pies wouldn't fit on the table! People were looking at me like I was a pig, but I didn't care.
The original pie was possibly the best pie I'd ever had. The summer special was good but not among the best. I still have some in my fridge and am going to eat some right now!
But thanks to you for the experience because I never would've known New Haven had great pizza without your website! Keep up the great work!
Dear Geoff,
Finally, a nice email this week! I'm glad you discovered some great pizza through Slice. That's what I started this site to do, and hearing stories like yours makes it all worth it.
And, yeah, some of the people might have looked at you funny, but I bet most of the people in there totally relate to your double-fisted pizza pie ordering. More power to you!
Thanks for the nice email and the intel on the summer special.
Geoff . . .Modern and Sally's in New Haven are worth trying too. But if on your next trip to the Cape you prefer not to go into the city, try Grand Apizza in Clinton--20 miles east of New Haven off exit 63. Same thin crust apizza, same Foxon brand soft drinks (birch beer is the best) and similiar menus (including clam & bacon pizzas). They also have spinach and other stuffed breads to go which are handy when on a trip. Grand used to be in New Haven (on Grand Avenue, hence the name) but moved out to Madison and then Clinton.
"Hello, it's 95 and humid why aren't you all at the beach?" - Clearly, you have not been to the beaches in New Haven before? =) All this Pepe's talk has me missing home though...
Totally cliche and yet still totally true: there are pizzas, and there is Pepe's. The original in New Haven is still like something else entirely, something that transcends pizza-dom and just becomes something so delicious it's almost other worldly. I turn into a drooling, inarticulate eating machine as soon as I enter the doors.
Dear Geoff,
Awesome story! In the recent past, I often ate entire pizza pies on solitary trips to my favorite local pie place so I definitely have a soft spot for brave, solo-eating pizza lovers. Have yet to venture to Pepe but happy to hear the original impressed!
They have some of the best pizza I've ever eaten. On weekends my college buddies and I would take a field trip down there just for that incredible pie. And we are talking one very serious field trip - 4 hours one way!
Me and my wife were on our way to Cape Cod for our honeymoon, and stopped by Pepe's in honor of her father, who grew up in New Haven. To cut a long story short, we also stopped by Pepe's on our way back from our honeymoon. The white clam pie pretty much is now intertwined in my mind with the start of my marriage...
I had my mother visit me from England recently (I'm in RI right now), and we made a trip to New Haven. It was a crafty way for me to get to Pepe's. We went on a Tuesday and got there around 2pm. Had to wait about 15/20 mins for a table.
Having read up I declined the waitress' offer of a menu and ordered a white clam and a pepperoni pie. Was really the best pizza I've ever had, same with my mother too (although pizza in England is awful, absolutely awful).
Ah yes, Frank Pepe's - my friend you found (one of the) best! Why equivocate? Sally's Apizza is pretty phenomenal, too. Giving pizza advice is like dispensing advice about love. When I first wrote about it pizza here, in Pizza - That's Amore! comments were flying! I think I'd have to have them side by side to be sure!
Jacqueline The Leather District Gourmet
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Hello,
8 Comments:
Geoff . . .Modern and Sally's in New Haven are worth trying too. But if on your next trip to the Cape you prefer not to go into the city, try Grand Apizza in Clinton--20 miles east of New Haven off exit 63. Same thin crust apizza, same Foxon brand soft drinks (birch beer is the best) and similiar menus (including clam & bacon pizzas). They also have spinach and other stuffed breads to go which are handy when on a trip. Grand used to be in New Haven (on Grand Avenue, hence the name) but moved out to Madison and then Clinton.
DavidinCT at 10:27AM on 07/31/08
"Hello, it's 95 and humid why aren't you all at the beach?" - Clearly, you have not been to the beaches in New Haven before? =) All this Pepe's talk has me missing home though...
cjingram at 10:43AM on 07/31/08
Totally cliche and yet still totally true: there are pizzas, and there is Pepe's. The original in New Haven is still like something else entirely, something that transcends pizza-dom and just becomes something so delicious it's almost other worldly. I turn into a drooling, inarticulate eating machine as soon as I enter the doors.
TastyNewEngland at 11:06AM on 07/31/08
Dear Geoff,
Awesome story! In the recent past, I often ate entire pizza pies on solitary trips to my favorite local pie place so I definitely have a soft spot for brave, solo-eating pizza lovers. Have yet to venture to Pepe but happy to hear the original impressed!
JustNancy at 2:00PM on 07/31/08
They have some of the best pizza I've ever eaten. On weekends my college buddies and I would take a field trip down there just for that incredible pie. And we are talking one very serious field trip - 4 hours one way!
Boscompb at 5:52PM on 07/31/08
Me and my wife were on our way to Cape Cod for our honeymoon, and stopped by Pepe's in honor of her father, who grew up in New Haven. To cut a long story short, we also stopped by Pepe's on our way back from our honeymoon. The white clam pie pretty much is now intertwined in my mind with the start of my marriage...
NoahLovesPizza at 6:07PM on 07/31/08
I had my mother visit me from England recently (I'm in RI right now), and we made a trip to New Haven. It was a crafty way for me to get to Pepe's. We went on a Tuesday and got there around 2pm. Had to wait about 15/20 mins for a table.
Having read up I declined the waitress' offer of a menu and ordered a white clam and a pepperoni pie. Was really the best pizza I've ever had, same with my mother too (although pizza in England is awful, absolutely awful).
Man I'd love to go back for some more.
neilb at 2:10PM on 08/02/08
Ah yes, Frank Pepe's - my friend you found (one of the) best! Why equivocate? Sally's Apizza is pretty phenomenal, too. Giving pizza advice is like dispensing advice about love. When I first wrote about it pizza here, in Pizza - That's Amore! comments were flying! I think I'd have to have them side by side to be sure!
Jacqueline
The Leather District Gourmet
jacquelinec at 6:32PM on 08/04/08