Day 7, 2017: Ernie's Pizzeria (New Haven, CT)

Exterior

Interior

DAY 7: OCTOBER 7th, 2017

LOCATION: Ernie's Pizzeria (1279 Whalley Ave, New Haven, CT 06515)

GUEST(S): Robin Rothman, Kevin Danenberg, Jen MacNeil Danenberg, Clara

ORDER: 1 slice of red clam, 3 slices of cheese (with pecorino and garlic)

REVIEW: 
The friendly side of New Haven pizza. Known as one of the pizza capitals of the world, New Haven, Connecticut boasts some of the most renowned pizzerias in the country...and also Ernie's. This quaint, family-owned neighborhood institution, founded in 1971 has been winning over patrons by welcoming them in and serving some of the best under-the-radar pizza in the area. Expect to be greeted when you arrive, thanked when you leave and recognized when you return by the courteous and attentive staff. One of the friendly faces you're likely to see is Ernie's son and current owner, Pat DeRiso. As another lifelong pizza man he'll recommend the same thing I would:

"You gotta get a plain cheese so you know it's good," Pat encourages.

The plain cheese, by the way, is not "plain" at all with its melted whole milk Polly-O mozzarella, freshly grated pecorino and garlic seasoned thin crust. Not until you add clams does the moisture-heavy content start to threaten the crispiness of the secret dough recipe. My gluten free companions claims Ernie's serves the best gluten-less pizzas they have ever tasted. Add a salad and a Foxon Park Birch Beer, a local favorite, for a reasonably priced meal. In over forty five years of operation, Ernie's has earned the right to be considered amongst the best New Haven has to offer.  Until that happens, let's just keep Ernie's Pizzeria's excellence our little secret.


PHOTOS:

Cheese (w/ pecorino and garlic)

Clam (half red, half white)

Sausage (gluten free)

Underside

Slice of red clam

MISCELLANEOUS:

Robin, Clara, Jen, and Kevin

1. Jen MacNeil Danenberg loves apple picking and lives in the perfect place for it. She had a big bag of 'em and I got to eat an appletizer before pizza!

2. Kevin Danenberg has a sweet set-up in his backyard.  He has a net and a softtoss machine that flips up a perfect strike every time.  Kevin also has this mechanism for tracking a swing that connects the bat to your phone so you can see how you fast you swing the bat and when it contacts the ball.

One of my better swings (in slow motion)

Professional baseball players swing the bat between 85-110 mph.  67mph was the best I could muster.

67 mph swing

3. Robin Rothman was wearing a shirt with a pizza slice on it!  She got it in Newport, RI at a store called 4th Beach.

Pat DeRiso and Sean

4. I got to meet Pat DeRiso.  He's the son of the founder and the current owner. 

RATING:

 4.40/5

• VALUE:
   4/5


• AMBIENCE:
   3/3


• TASTE:
   8.5/10


• SERVICE:
  
•  3/3

18.5/21 = .881 x 5 = 4.40