New Haven-style pizza is a style of thin-crust, coal-fired

Neapolitan pizza Neapolitan pizza (; ) is the version of the round pizza typically prepared in the Italian city of Naples and characterised by a soft, thin dough with high edges. The tomatoes are traditionally either San Marzano tomatoes or , which grow on t ...

common in and around

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is List ...

. Locally known as apizza (; from

Neapolitan Neapolitan means of or pertaining to Naples, a city in Italy; or to: Geography and history * Province of Naples, a province in the Campania region of southern Italy that includes the city * Duchy of Naples, in existence during the Early and High ...

, ), it originated in 1925 at the Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana and is now served in many other pizza restaurants in the area, most notably Sally's Apizza and Modern Apizza. This pizza style has been favorably regarded by national critics. What makes New Haven-style pizza distinct is its thin, often oblong crust, characteristic charring, chewy texture, and limited use of melting cheeses. It tends to be drier and thinner than, but closely related to, traditional

New York–style pizza New York–style pizza is a pizza made with a characteristically large hand-tossed thin crust, often sold in wide Pizza by the slice, slices Take-out, to go. The crust is thick and crisp only along its edge, yet soft, thin, and pliable enough ...

, both of which are close descendants of the original

Classic types

In a New Haven-style pizzeria, a classic or "plain" pizza is a crust,

oregano Oregano (, ; ''Origanum vulgare'') is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It was native to the Mediterranean region, but widely naturalised elsewhere in the temperate climate, temperate Northern Hemisphere. Oregano is a ...

, tomato sauce, and a little bit of grated ''

pecorino romano ''Pecorino romano'' (; ) is a hard, salty Italian cheese made from sheep milk, often used for grating over pasta or other dishes. The name ''pecorino'' means 'ovine' or 'of sheep' in Italian; the name of the cheese, although protected, is ...

'' cheese. A New Haven–style pizza without extra toppings may also be called a "tomato pie".

Mozzarella Mozzarella is a Types of cheese#Semi-soft cheese, semi-soft non-aged cheese prepared using the ('stretched-curd') method with origins from southern Italy. It is prepared with cow's milk or buffalo milk, taking the following names: * or mozz ...

is considered an optional topping. Pepe's restaurant is credited with inventing the white clam pie: a pizza of crust,

olive oil Olive oil is a vegetable oil obtained by pressing whole olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea'', a traditional Tree fruit, tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin) and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking for frying foods, as a cond ...

, oregano, grated cheese, chopped garlic, and fresh littleneck clams. It first served littleneck clams on the half shell at the bar, which Pepe later added to the pizza.

Baking and serving methods

New Haven-style pizza is traditionally baked in a coal-fired oven at extremely hot temperatures above . It is sold whole rather than by the slice.

Availability

New Haven-style pizza is widely available in New Haven and the surrounding area, especially

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnock River on Long Is ...

and other nearby coastal cities and towns. New Haven-style restaurants have opened across the United States, though there are some states and many large cities which still have none. New Haven-style pizza has also gained significant popularity internationally in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

in recent years, particularly in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, where several establishments have emerged as prominent purveyors of this distinctive style.

In media

Henry Winkler Henry Franklin Winkler (born October 30, 1945) is an American actor, producer, director, and author. Widely known as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on the sitcom ''Happy Days'' (1974–1984), Winkler has distinguished himself as a character acto ...

Lyle Lovett Lyle Pearce Lovett (born November 1, 1957) Lyle Lovett Pageat Allmusic – Lovett's Genre and Styles. Retrieved February 2, 2007 is an American country singer and actor. Active since 1980, he has recorded 14 albums and released 25 singles to dat ...

Chris Murphy Christopher Scott Murphy (born August 3, 1973) is an American lawyer, author, and politician serving as the junior United States senator from the state of Connecticut since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the U ...

and

Michael Bolton Michael Bolotin (born February 26, 1953), known professionally as Michael Bolton, is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton performed in the hard rock and heavy metal music genres from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, both on his early solo a ...

discuss the history of New Haven Pizza in Gorman Bechard's documentary ''Pizza: A Love Story''. In the film the black char imparted from the ovens is described as adding a smoky barbeque flavor not found elsewhere. A recurring phrase spoken by several in the movie is, "It's not burnt, it's charred." In

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

's '' Ugly Delicious'',

David Chang David Chang (; ; born August 5, 1977) is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, author, podcaster, and television personality. He is the founder of the Momofuku restaurant group. In 2009, his restaurant Momofuku Ko was awarded two Michelin st ...

says, "I think New Haven pizza, as a community, has the best pizza in America." On the show, Mark Iacono takes the train from New York City to New Haven to try tomato pie and white clam pizza at Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana.

References

External links

Documentary about New Haven–style pizza
(February 22, 2022) {{New England cuisine Pizza in the United States New England cuisine Culture of New Haven, Connecticut Italian-American cuisine Italian-American culture in Connecticut Pizza styles