Pepe's Pizza (New Haven, CT)

[CDNpielover]

Guy,

   Grand Rapids.  Planning on mid June.  Researching to find the best pizza.

well check out carbones in minnesota (there are several over the twin cities).  one of the best chicago style thin crusts I've ever had.   

[chamberi]

Is Pepe's considered a NY style pizza or some hybrid NY/neopolitan? That is, if I'm trying to recreate Pepe's pies, should I be following the NY style or the neopolitan style recipes & techniques on this site?

I also like Modern's a lot too (i think it's on state street). Sadly, I've never had Sally's (and now live on the left coast - so doubt i'll ever get the chance).

thanks.

[scott r]

chamberi,

I think you will have better luck making the NY style crusts, specifically those designed for high heat without oil or sugar.  I just spent the last 11 days in new york working, and I tried 11 pizzerias plus pepe's on the way down.  The Neapolitan style crusts are much softer than what pepe's is doing.  As you know, pepe's is actually a little tough, and somewhat brittle from the high heat.  The true Neapolitan dough that I tried (una pizza napolitana) was the absolute opposite end of the spectrum.  I could have rolled the dough into a pinwheel. All the famous NY coal oven joints that I tried were right in the middle, somewhat soft but also crispy.
If you really want to get the pepe's crust right buy yourself some Pillsbury full strength flour.  This is not their high gluten (all trumps) variety, but a variety with less protien.  I think it is their version of bread flour. I saw bags of it while I was there, so I know this is what they are using.  Make a fairly high hydration dough with no oil or sugar and crank that oven.  Even better, rig it to cook in the self cleaning cycle.

[chamberi]

Thanks Scott,

This is probably better suited for the NY Style pizza making forum, but... I had been making my pies with KASL, and just started to use Caputo 00. I'll have to try the pilsbury. Sadly, i have no self-cleaning... so 500-550 is tops in my oven (with quarry tile). I just tried the caputo on a outdoor grill, but it only got to 600 (550 on the stone). Oh, and I finally got a sourdough starter to work w/o additional yeast - improved crust flavor, but not as much as i would've hoped.

I'm jealous of your trek. Any surprises or new resaturant rec's?

Thanks for your help and the info, it's much appreciated.

[scott r]

I'll bet you used the starter dough too early.  Try a long room temp rise.   You will be able to get too much flavor with a starter if you want to.    It will get more sour than yeasty, but when done right it is really amazing and complex. 
When I have more time I am going to copy down my notes from my NY trip into a post.  Most of the places I tried were quite well known, but there was one very nice surprise.  The best sauce I had on the whole trip was from a place called Anconas on long island.  Fresh cryo pack mozzarella, and a fairly typical NY street pizza crust.   The whole package was a nice combination of styles.  They also had what they call a Grandma style (Sicilian) pie that had a thinner sauce, but I liked the round sauce better.  It was cool to have a Sicilian with fresh cheese, though.
The only other places that I tried that were surprises (just in that they are not famous) were Johnny's in Mt. Vernon and Brooklyn Coal Fired pizza, a small New Jersey Chain.  Johnny's was more addictive than cool ranch doritos, and Brooklyn CFP was pretty darn close to Grimaldi's in style and quality.

[PizzaBrewer]

Stopped in yesterday for a small white clam pie.  Very flat crust (no rise in the rim), chewy and tasty crust.  Clams were very fresh, lots of garlic, rosemary and romano (?) cheese.  I assume also olive oil, but I couldn't really taste it.

Also salt. Lots and lots of salt.  Way too much salt.

[Pizziaola]

Whenever I go to New Haven, I always have to eat 2 pies: a regular tomato and cheese pie from Pepe's and Sally's white clam pie.

I've always found Pepe's clam pie to be far too salty--but their standard pizzas are wonderful

I guess when it comes down to it though, I like Sally's better.

Unfortunately, I haven't been back there for quite some time, and Sally has since passed a way (quite a few years come to think of it), so who knows if it is as good as when he was still making the pies...

I've got to get back there...or, maybe I'll just have to make myself a clam pie this weekend 

[Lido]

I prefer Sally's too. I'll post a review and pics from my visit last week soon.

[Pizziaola]

drooling on the keyboard at the thought of a Sally's clam pie...       

[Jamie]

I am bringing back this thread because it seems Connecticut pizza isn't really represented enough here! I would have to disagree with Jeff about Sally's. I believe he is looking for a more NY style of pizza then what Pepe offers up. More char specifically. Although Sally's is good, the only time I go there is by accident (when I was in New Haven when Pepe's was closed). Abate Apizza right next to Libby's (2 doors down from Pepe's) also makes wonderful pie.
I think in the next couple of weeks I might do a pizza tasting (which will be to Cindy's chagrin I am sure) around the area. I'll get some pics. New Haven and New York styles are not the same. It's important for people to realize this.

[polishpizza]

Any more updates on this thread from a recipe, ingredients standpoint...or any comments in general?  I go there often and now going to try to figure some things out.  Maybe I'll go dumpster diving!!!