New Haven is America’s pizza heaven; whatever type of pie you like, you’ll find it here. New Haven-style pizza is often referred to as apizza, a name that denotes its own unique approach to the popular Neapolitan pie characterized by a crisp crust and intense heat all its own.
By far the pizza type most commonly associated with New Haven is the white clam pie. Invented by a Long Island Sound pizzeria named Pepe’s, the traditional white clam pizza found in New Haven is the ideal mixture of briny clams, aged and pungent cheese, and sweet garlic all baked to perfection on a paper-thin crust. Just to gild the lily, true white clam pizza lovers like this pie best when it has been garnished with a generous sprinkling of richly smoked bacon pieces.New Haven has a long history of pizza. In the late 1900s, the city was a ripe locale for Italian immigrants in search of the ideal place in which to settle and raise a family during a time of unrest. Several areas of New Haven became popular neighborhoods for these immigrants including Wooster Square. Over time, these families passed on their tradition of high-quality Italian cuisine, imbuing the New Haven landscape with one of their greatest gifts: the tradition of Neapolitan-style pizza baked on a perfectly thin, hand-stretched crust.Today, pizza in New Haven has its own characteristics that set it apart from pies found anywhere else in the world. The typical New England pie has a smoky flavor, a reminder of its history of being cooked over hot coal fires when coal was plentiful and inexpensive as a heating and cooking source. Today, New Haven’s best pies are prepared in a brick pizza oven, a cooking implement known for its extremely high heat. These ovens often left intense dark marks on crusts that instead of being referred to as burned are affectionately called “charred” and have become a hallmark of this region’s pizza pies.Another distinctive of the New Haven-style pie is that it does not automatically include mozzarella. Instead, New Haven pizza makers refer to this as “mootz,” and consider it a topping like any other. If you find yourself in New Haven and order a pizza, you’ll need to make sure to ask for “mootz;” otherwise, you’ll be in for a surprise. True New Haven-style pizzas go easy on the mozzarella even when it is requested as a topping.With so many different types of pizza to order in what is considered the ideal place to enjoy a pie, you can’t go wrong ordering a slice in New Haven!
Best Delivery Pizza in New Haven
If you’re looking for the best place for pizza delivery in New Haven, Family Mediterranean Pizza is the spot for you. Located in a storefront on a quaint downtown street, Family Mediterranean Pizza offers a diverse menu that includes authentic cuisine from Syria, Lebanon, and Italy. The décor inside this restaurant is warm and inviting. There is a small area for in-house dining that is clean, quiet, and comfortable.Family Mediterranean Pizza earns high marks for its beautifully prepared food, wonderful customer service, and reliable and efficient delivery. The pizzas on offer here run the gamut from the traditional New Haven-style pies to specialty pizzas and more. Among the fan-favorite slices found at this mom-and-pop pizzeria are the Brooklyn Bridge Pizz, the Clams Casino Pizza, and the Lamb Shawarma Pizza.There is a wide complement of menu items to be found at Family Mediterranean Pizza, allowing you to enjoy everything from pastas, sandwiches, starters, and pizzas to soups, salads, wings, and even shishkebabs.For quick delivery and some of the finest pizza in the city, you can’t go wrong by placing an order with Family Mediterranean Pizza.
Best Takeout Pizza in New Haven
For lightning speed takeout service and some of New Haven’s finest pies, it’s well worth your time to stop by Gennaro’s Apizza and Pasta. In close proximity to the Yale-New Haven Hospital, this popular pizzeria is the ideal spot to pick up a quick slice for your lunch or a pie to share with the family.
Gennaro’s Apizza and Pasta is your typical diner-style eatery, equipped with ample seating for indoor dining. Takeout, delivery service, and catering are also available. The menu offerings at Gennaro’s Apizza and Pasta are extremely diverse, offering lots of selection. Its pizzas are second class to none and are available as small as 12” and as large as the 24” party size for those with heartier appetites or who are feeding a crowd. Gluten-free crusts are available upon request.Gennaro’s takes great pride in offering a wide sampling of pizza toppings including sausage, eggplant, meatballs, clams, jalapenos, and much, much more. Among its most popular pizza pies are the loaded potato, the salad, and the house classic: the Gennaro’s Light that features spinach, tomato, feta cheese, and a white sauce. Choose from either white or red sauce as the base for your pizza toppings to ensure your ideal pie.Too busy for dining inside? Use Slice to place your order for Gennaro’s Apizza or Pasta today!
Best Pizza Near New Haven
Fair Haven
Just two miles from New Haven’s downtown core is the quaint town of Fair Haven, home to Modern Apizza, one of the region’s most popular pizzerias. Reminiscent of an old school, romantic trattoria, Modern Apizza makes the ideal spot for a family meal or date night. A charming red brick restaurant in the heart of town, Modern Apizza’s specialty is the New Haven take on the Neapolitan pie, complete with an extra crispy crust and hearty sauce.The menu found on Modern Apizza focuses exclusively on authentic Italian cuisine, offering a wide sampling of regional dishes such as calzones, strombolis, pizzas, appetizers, and more.
East Rock
With wood-fired pizzas good enough to make you weep, you’ll soon discover it’s well worth the time to travel to East Rock’s One 6 Three. A pizza parlor with an emphasis on New Haven-style pies, One 6 Three has been open to the public since 2016. Its approach to Italian cuisine focuses on the use of high-quality ingredients utilized in novel ways to provide an uncharacteristic spin on cherished classic dishes, presenting them in a new and interesting light. In addition to this, bacon, a favorite ingredient of the chefs and owners, plays a starring role in most of the dishes served at One 6 Three.
One 6 Three has a trendy, hipster vibe that is in keeping with the heart of the city in which it makes its home. The interior of the pizzeria has a slick, retro feel. The indoor seating offers views of the kitchen, treating you to the opportunity to observe the chefs hard at work creating your perfect pie.
West New Haven
Casa Bianca Pizza is a charming traditional Italian restaurant found in the midst of the bustling West New Haven downtown. Open to the public since 1999, Casa Bianca Pizza’s focus is not only the creation of exceptional, authentic Italian cuisine earmarked by New Haven flair but also a commitment to community investment.One of three Casa Bianca Pizza locations in New Haven and the surrounding area, the West New Haven chapter of this popular local chain offers a wide selection of pizza types with something sure to delight the senses of every member of the family. Among the must-try selections at this beloved eatery are the Broccoli Special, the Chicken Bacon Ranch, and the Seafood pizzas. For those looking for something a little different or a side dish to complement their slice, Casa Bianca Pizza’s menu also includes sandwiches, subs, pastas, appetizers, and much more.
