I’ve already been to Pepe’s and Sally’s a few times. Came to New Haven this time for the Apizza Feast run by A Taste of New Haven annually by Colin Caplan, local pizza historian.
I got to try slices from a bunch several reknown pizzerias beforehand for comparison, so I was pre-gamed to compare them to Modern.
Here’s my takeaway: Modern is the most cheese forward of the big 3 (I’m a sauce guy) and its crust is somewhere in between the crunchiness of Sally’s and the crispiness of Pepe’s…on a good day. I liked it.
The crust is thin the whole way through with barely any of a cornicione—the signature of an apizza crust. I know for a fact they use olive oil in their dough recipe and that leads to a more tender chew, which I also like.
That’s the opposite of Sally’s crust, which is thin, *crunchy*, *chewy* crust and a more charred pie. That’s stoolies like crusts. Modern also contrasts with Sally’s in how Sally’s is the most sauce forward (mozzarella) plain of the Big 3.
That’s gonna be a plus to some and a minus to others in cheese to sauce ratio. I, myself, really appreciated, at least, how strong the cheese flavor was in the dry mozzarella and how it lacked oiliness. It’s got to be one of the best quality low moisture mozzarellas I’ve had.
Crust had a tasteful amount of leoparding and char around the edge and bottom crust. They use cornmeal or semolina rather than flour, which I often prefer because they toast nicely if you do it right.
I feel like the biggest downfall to this pie though is how the sauce just gets lost in the amount of cheese on top. They ladled a big scoopful on but it’s honestly hard to distinguish for the mix.
I could tell the sauce was on the watery side. And I’m guessing there’s some oregano in the sauce and olive oil dressed on the pie before launch, but it doesn’t standout. I did see them top the pie before the oven launch with grated cheese and I think that partly explains it’s standout flavor.
I honestly feel like the tomato pie is New Haven’s real “plain” and how it should be judged.
Final word: Modern won Pizzeria of the Year this year. I’d *kill* to have it around the corner from me. I have way too many generic slice shops around me with *zero* passion for their product and this pizza is just better, even if it’s not my ideal pie.
