New Haven's Little Italy

Kyle and I visited New Haven, CT a couple of weeks ago. I looked on foodnetwork for restaurant recommendations and found one for Frank Pepe's Pizzeria Napoletana. We drove down and quickly found ourselves in New Haven's own Little Italy. The restaurant itself was small, noisy, and a little bit dingy, but the smells were incredible. Our waitress was friendly as she took our order for a salad, two pizzas, and an Italian Gassosa.

 We learned while we waited that this restaurant began by Frank Pepe in 1925. The faded pictures of him in front of his restaurant attested to the authenticity of both the stories and the recipes. After a bit of a wait, our pizzas were served to us on a cookie sheet. They were charred from the brick oven but were unbelievable delicious. We can't wait to go back.

 

After dinner, we strolled down the street and discovered Libby's Pastry Shop. We ordered a chocolate filled cannoli and a New York cheesecake to go (delicious!).

Our stroll down Wooster Street culminated as we passed a group of Italian men sitting in white lawn chairs, chatting the night away. We felt at that moment far away in real Italy, taking our time to come back.