The Tri-State area has no shortage of pizza joints that people can’t get enough of. And while NYC spots seem to always get a heaping portion of the praise and attention, Connecticut has been stealing the spotlight as of late. The Daily Meal’s 101 Best Pizzas in America of 2015 ranked 9 CT pies (Roseland, Ernie’s, Domenick and Pia’s, BAR, Zuppardi’s, Colony Grill, Modern Apizza, and Sally’s) on their list with Frank Pepe’s of New Haven taking the #1 spot. Oh, and last year? Yeah, they took the #1 spot also. As if that weren’t recognition enough for our good ‘ole Nutmeg state, Andrew Zimmern is also in love with CT pizza, placing both Sally’s and Pepe’s on the top of his favorite pizza list. And, Food & Wine placed Pepe’s on their Best Pizza Places in the U.S. list, too.
It’s awesome for CT to get so much (deserved) love. So awesome, in fact, that the Connecticut Office of Tourism created the Connecticut Pizza Trail so you can experience all of our state’s pizza glory. And, as official CT Food Correspondents for Connecticut, we wanted to help get the word out. The list below is a compilation of expert advice and customer love from social media. If you feel like your favorite pizza shop needs to be on this list, then throw your slice into the ring, like their Facebook page, then share your fave to their timeline or even send them a message to @CTVisit on Twitter. Our faves not on this list are Bar Sugo in Norwalk, ReNapoli in Greenwich, and Amore in Stamford.
The Connecticut Pizza Trail List with Descriptions from CTvisit.com
New Haven. Any Connecticut Pizza Trail has to begin in New Haven. It just does. In New Haven we are at ground zero for pizza in the state, the country and, some would say, the world. And when we begin in New Haven we must further begin with a couple of Wooster Street legends: Pepe’s and Sally’s. Formally known as Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, Pepe’s is celebrating 90 years of producing what many believe to be the best pies on earth, including the wonderful white clam pizza. And now there are branches in Fairfield, Danbury, Manchester, West Hartford and Mohegan Sun as well. Sally’s, meanwhile, has long vied for supremacy with Pepe’s; its crispy, coal-oven pies have many, many admirers. You can finish off your New Haven Pizza Trail with visits to Modern Pizza, Da Legna and BAR. All spectacular! And one of our social-media correspondents, Lee Cruz, calls Grand Apizza in the Fair Haven part of town a “best kept secret.”
New Haven Outliers. New Haven’s influence is felt in neighboring and nearby towns, where pizza also reigns supreme. Zuppardi’s in West Haven is much beloved, especially for its sausage and fresh clam toppings. Roseland in Derby has long been mentioned in the same breath with Pepe’s and Sally’s. Rossini’s in Cheshire makes knockout pies, and Paul & Eddy’s in Hamden is very good, too.
And Elsewhere:
In Stamford, Coalhouse Pizza, as its name implies, uses a coal-fired oven to produce its highly praised pies, while Colony Grill’s very distinctive thin-crusted hot oil pizza has led to branches in Fairfield and Milford.
Waterbury seems to have a pizzeria on every corner. Locals love Mario’s Pizza and Domenick & Pia’s, a “best hidden gem” where you “can’t have just one slice,” according to Janice Cretella Gasparri.
Bufalina in Guilford is a relative newcomer that has quickly found favor among pizza lovers, as has Otto in Chester, where the margarita pie is a particular favorite.
Among the favorites recommended through social media, Joanna Moore Ward calls Luigi’s in Old Saybrook the “best I’ve ever had,” Julia Villegas likes the new E&D Pizza Company in Avon as “the best pizza around” and @jason_indo says Berkshire Café in Torrington is “a hidden gem.”
One of our Connecticut Correspondents, Shawna Gale from Out and About Mom suggests Pizzaworks in Old Saybrook for families. The view of the Old Saybrook train station outside the restaurant is great for kids and the large menu makes it great for groups of all-ages.
Some local favorites include:
Glastonbury – Luna Pizza’s thin crust gets high ratings from Google and TripAdvisor.
West Hartford – Harry’s Bishops Corner. “God bless Harry’s Bishops Corner,” says the Hartford Courant, and thousands agree.
Meriden – The Little Rendezvous. An 1888-vintage brick oven dominates this tiny spot that steadily wins huge praise.
Danbury – Stanziato’s. The wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas get a 4.5/5.0 Yelp rating.
Bridgeport – Mario the Baker gets top ratings for its pizza, called “heavenly,” “delicious” and “great” on TripAdvisor.
New London – The Recovery Room. A longstanding local favorite featuring red and white pizzas.
OmNomCT 
Great article and absolutely agree Brick + Wood should be on the list! Connecticut has been in the (much deserved) spotlight as of late but Connecticut’s great pizza isn’t anything new. Join the community at the ORIGINAL Connecticut Pizza Trail and show your love to the country’s best pizza! http://www.connecticutpizzatrail.com
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I threw Brick + Wood a bone via twitter, but this looks like a pretty solid roundup to me!
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Cool, B+W isgood, too. I think CT Visit did a nice job with this list, definitely solid as you say. Thanks for writing!
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