DAY 29: OCTOBER 29th, 2009
LOCATION: Modern Apizza (874 State St, New Haven, CT)
ORDER: 2 slices of bacon and crushed garlic, 3 slices of Margherita
GUEST(S): Mark Feinberg
REVIEW:
Yet another reason to rely on oil. Modern Apizza (uh-beetz) churns out delicious oil-fired brick oven pies by the dozen - a well-oiled machine (pun intended). Since 1934 this large pizzeria has been satisfying countless New Haven residents, serendipitous tourists, and dedicated pizza enthusiasts.
The first pie to arrive at our table was loaded with bacon and crushed garlic. In addition to the creamy mozzarella ("mootz" in CT) and savory tomato sauce, there were actual pieces of perfectly cooked bacon. Not until the first bite does the garlic let its presence be known. And, well, it won't soon be forgotten. That's just garlic being garlic. This is good garlic too. For all you garlic lovers, make sure you order it.
Personally, I preferred the Margherita. Do not expect the flag of Italy as Queen Margherita received from chef Raffaele Esposito in 1889 (thanks, wikipedia). Served with a blended fresh mozzarella and without basil, the pie looks like a typical cheese pizza. But, in this case, looks are definitely deceiving. Modern's Margherita is atypically delicious. Shimmering with olive oil and grease from the cheese applied to the base of the deeply charred crust, the pie almost completely conceals the tomato sauce. Not only does the sauce lie beneath the melted cheeses but it lies in the perfect amount.
Bite after bite, I just craved more. That being said, a personal pie will more than fill you up. Eat a $10 personal pie and wash it down with a thirst quenching Foxon Park white birch beer and enjoy every second of it. No need to send me a thank you card, I'm probably in the booth adjacent to you.MISC.:
1. I met Mark because of pizza. He loves it. He noticed my blog and saw Modern had not been covered yet so he invited me up, picked me up at the train station, and paid for my pizza. Needless to say, this is the beginning of wonderful friendship.
2. I did the post pizza analysis on the train while I typed reviews. People thought I was weird. They were right.
VIDEO CLIP:
RATING:
4.64/5- VALUE:
4.5/5 - AMBIENCE: 3/3
- TASTE:
9/10 - SERVICE: 3/3
19.5/21= 0.929 x 5 = 4.64
1 comment:
When it comes to New Haven "Ah beetz", one is merely splitting hairs between Pepe's, Sally's and Modern.
One key is the 700+ degree coal or oil fired ovens which makes a big difference from wood fired brick or typical commercial gas pizza ovens.
Modern is the most spacious of the 3, Pepe's is spread out too and has "The Spot", while Sally's can get cramped.
All 3 are GREAT! I HAVE had a "less than perfect" pie at Modern ONCE! It was merely EXCELLENT! Certainly NO reason to cross it off my list!
At this level of "Apizz-ology", it can be as simple as a suppliers ingredients not being 100% up to snuff that particular day, to a few seconds of under or overcooking in those incredibly hot ovens even to WHO personally is working the oven! A friend of mine SWEARS that when Tony Consiglio on occasion made pies at his brother Sally's they were better than Sal's or the other guys pies who worked there. We'll never know, they have both passed...
I go to all 3 places but lean towards Sally's. It's a friendly rivalry and Healthy Competition to have 3 truly exceptional places in such close proximity!
Enjoy them ALL! "Salsiccia his own"!
Walt Andrus
p.s. I have NOT yet tried any of Pepe's satellite locations.
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