Ok, so I’ll start by saying that I’m a hard core fan of The Original Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana on Wooster St in New Haven, CT. Their white whole clam pie with bacon and garlic is pure awesomeness. Their plain tomato pie is excellent as well. Thus, the bar was set high. That being said, Umberto’s cheese pie is a good pie. It’s not greasy, it’s easy to hold a slice without it dropping, and the sauce is not bitter. I was hoping for a bit more flavor. There could have been a little more saltiness in the cheese. The pizza is thin crust and the crust is crunchy, which I like. What I also miss is the coal fired , blackened semolina flour underside that one gets with a Pepe’s Pizza. I’ve lived in Florida since 2004 and have yet to find any pizza that comes close to Pepe’s. Thus, whenever we travel back to CT to visit my family, we’ll always include a visit to the Original Pepe’s in New Haven.
