Pizza at Frank Pepe's

I've been a pizza lover for probably as long as I was weaned off baby food. Thankfully, my taste for quality pizza has greatly improved. I can still remember that as a kid, I loved Pizza Hut because of that pan fried bottom. Years and pounds shed later, I now crave artisan pizza - that fluffy, chewy, crispy thin crust pizza.

So, when it comes to visiting pizza places I have a much higher marker than Pizza Hut. These days, Howie's Artisan Pizza is the place to beat. Going to New Haven, I was excited to try what is supposedly one of the best pizza places in the nation, as it is also one of the oldest pizzerias.

Frank Pepe's specializes in Napoletana-American pizza. It is hyped by many chefs and food writers as one of the best pizza places out there. I don't get it. It was just a decent pizzeria. The margherita pizza was pretty decent, and the best of the three pies we ate. Their specialty White Clam Pie was an oversalted, soggy mess. Perhaps it was the day I went there, but because of that one experience, I don't know if I could go back. I need to have that memorable first time experience in order to go back and further patronize a place.

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