Modern Apizza
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox Restaurant
| name = Modern Apizza
| image = Modern Apizza in New Haven, CT.jpeg
| image_caption = Modern in 2007
| established = {{start date and age|1934}} (as State Street Apizza)
| current-owner = Bill and Barbara Pustari
| head-chef =
| food-type = New Haven-style pizza
| street-address = 874 State Street
| city = New Haven
| state = Connecticut
| zip = 06511-3925
| country = United States
| seating-capacity =
| dress-code = Casual
| rating =
| reservations = Not taken
| other-information = Credit cards are accepted.
| website = {{URL|http://www.modernapizza.com/}}
}}
Image:Pizza baking in brick oven, New Haven.jpg]]
Modern Apizza is an American pizza restaurant in New Haven, Connecticut. Along with Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana and Sally's Apizza, Modern forms what is informally referred to by locals as the "Holy Trinity" of New Haven-style pizza; the three pizza parlors are consistently ranked by food critics as some of the best pizza places in the world.
History
Originally called State Street Apizza,Ed Levine (2005). Pizza: A Slice of Heaven. Universe Publishing Modern Apizza was founded in 1934 and has been in the same location ever since. Unlike Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana and Sally's Apizza, the other well-known New Haven pizzerias, Modern Apizza is not located on New Haven's famous Wooster Street but rather on nearby State Street in the East Rock neighborhood. In 2011, the restaurant was visited by Adam Richman on the first episode of the Travel Channel show Man v. Food Nation.
Specialties
Like the Wooster Street pizzerias, Modern serves New Haven-style thin-crust apizza (closely related to Neapolitan-style Italian pizza). Unlike the Wooster Street pizzerias which use coal-fired brick ovens, Modern uses an oil-fueled brick oven.{{cite web | url=http://www.newenglandriders.org/BestOfNewEngland/Restaurants/Connecticut.htm | title=Connecticut's Best Restaurants | publisher=New England Riders | accessdate=November 29, 2012 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120903201346/http://www.newenglandriders.org/BestOfNewEngland/Restaurants/Connecticut.htm | archive-date=September 3, 2012 | url-status=dead }}[http://blog.scottspizzatours.com/post/1368942122/pizzaraodtrip-new-haven Scott's Pizza Journal, Pizza Road Trip - New Haven, CT][http://www.varasanos.com/PizzaRecipe.htm Jeff Varasano's NY Pizza Recipe] The restaurant also sells Foxon Park soft drinks, made in East Haven, Connecticut, which many locals argue are the perfect beverages to accompany New Haven-style pizza. Modern's specialties include the Clams Casino (Clams, Bacon & Peppers) the Italian Bomb (Sausage, Bacon, Pepperoni, Mushroom, Onion, Pepper & Garlic) and a classic Italian variation: Pizza Margherita, made with fresh mozzarella from Liuzzi Cheese in North Haven, Connecticut. Modern Apizza also uses fresh littleneck clams for their white clam pies; the only difference between Modern and Pepe's is that Modern uses pre-shucked clams while Pepe's shuck their clams on location. Yet another coastal favorite is a white tuna pie.
Awards and accolades
File:"Large mootz!" (452597713).jpg In a blind taste test conducted by two Yale University undergraduates in 2008, Modern Apizza finished in first place ahead of five other New Haven pizzerias.{{cite news | author=Pannell, Courtney | url=http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2008/11/06/taste-tests-prove-that-brand-does-matter/ | title=Taste tests prove that brand does matter | date=2008-11-06 | publisher=Yale Daily News}} It has also won the New Haven Advocate’s Best of Reader’s Poll for “Best Pizza” twelve years in a row. Playboy magazine named Modern Apizza as one of the ten best in the country.{{cite news|author=Shouse, Heather |url=http://www.playboy.com/articles/best-pizza-in-america-top-10-pizza-restaurants/index.html |title=The A-List: Best Pizza in America |date=2010-08-18 |publisher=Playboy Enterprises, Inc. |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100305035814/http://www.playboy.com/articles/best-pizza-in-america-top-10-pizza-restaurants/index.html |archivedate=March 5, 2010 }}{{cite web|title=Playboy's Top 10 Pizzerias in the U.S.|url=http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/03/playboys-top-10-pizzerias-in-the-us.html|work=Slice|publisher=Serious Eats|accessdate=3 November 2013}} In 2017, The Daily Meal ranked Modern as one of the ten best pizza restaurants in the country, from a sampling of over 1,000 pizza restaurants by food critics and pizza experts. In 2023, Pizza Today magazine named Modern its 2023 Pizzeria of the Year.{{cite web |last1=Greer |first1=Denise |title=2023 Pizzeria of the Year: Modern Apizza, New Haven, Connecticut |url=https://pizzatoday.com/topics/people-pizzerias/2023-pizzeria-of-the-year-modern-apizza-new-haven-connecticut/ |website=Pizza Today |publisher=Emerald X, LLC. |access-date=3 August 2023}}
Documentary
Modern is one of three pizza restaurants featured in the documentary film Pizza A Love Story, directed by Gorman Bechard. The love story to New Haven's holy trinity of pizza restaurants, Pepe's, Sally's, and Modern, had its world premiere at IFFBoston in April 2019.{{Cite web|title=Pizza, A Love Story|url=https://prod1.agileticketing.net/websales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=206939~a237b910-f867-48f1-bae1-19794b59b1f0&epguid=e023c1f6-6702-44d4-88c0-5b5350dc61bc|access-date=2020-10-07|website=IFFBoston|language=en}} The film was released on DVD and pay-per-view on September 29, 2020.{{Cite web|date=2020-09-24|title="Pizza" Party Planned For Parking Lot {{!}} New Haven Independent|url=http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/pizza_party_planned_for_parking_lot/|access-date=2020-10-07|website=www.newhavenindependent.org|language=en}} In reviewing the film, Deborah Brown of The Swellesley Report called it “An important film of staggering genius that needed to be made.”{{Cite web|date=2019-07-30|title=Beyond Wellesley: the Woods Hole Film Festival on Cape Cod, Massachusetts|url=https://theswellesleyreport.com/2019/07/beyond-wellesley-the-woods-hole-film-festival-on-cape-cod-massachusetts/|access-date=2020-10-07|website=The Swellesley Report|language=en-US}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
Further reading
- [https://stellaspizzapie.wordpress.com/2011/07/14/roadfood-connecticut/ Article from Gourmet Magazine]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110714161946/http://www.nearhome.com/needfoodnow/ct/newhaven/nhstate/modernapizza/bestof.jpg Article from New England Travel & Life Magazine]
External links
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
- [http://www.modernapizza.com/ Official website]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20071215043041/http://www.newhavenadvocate.com/best/best.cfm?pitid=3735&pc=182 Modern's review at New Haven Advocate.com]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080603122929/http://connecticut.metromix.com/restaurants/article/modern-apizza/258957/content Modern's review at Metromix]
- [http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=526 Modern's review at Roadfood.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060516072020/http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=526 |date=2006-05-16 }}
- [https://maps.google.com/maps?q=874+State+Street,+New+Haven,+CT&spn=0.022909,0.040525&t=h&hl=en Location on Google Maps]
{{div col end}}
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Category:Italian-American culture in Connecticut
Category:Pizzerias in the United States
Category:Restaurants in Connecticut
Category:Tourist attractions in New Haven, Connecticut
Category:Economy of New Haven, Connecticut
Category:Buildings and structures in New Haven, Connecticut
Category:Restaurants established in 1934