Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana | |
---|---|
| |
Restaurant information | |
Established | 1925 |
Owner(s) | Frank Pepe's Grandchildren |
Food type | New Haven-style pizza |
Dress code | Casual |
Street address | 157 & 163 Wooster Street |
City | New Haven |
State | Connecticut |
Postal/ZIP Code | 06511-5709 |
Country | United States |
Coordinates | 41°18′10″N 72°55′01″W / 41.302907°N 72.916933°W |
Reservations | Not taken |
Website | PepesPizzeria.com |
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, commonly known as Frank Pepe's or simply Pepe's ( /ˈpɛpiz/), is a popular pizza restaurant in the Wooster Square neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut, at 163 Wooster Street. Opened in 1925, it is one of the oldest and best known pizzerias in the United States. [1] [2]
Frank Pepe (April 15, 1893 – September 6, 1969) was born in Maiori, Italy, [3] and immigrated to New Haven in 1909 when he was a teenager. He worked alongside other Italian Immigrants in Wooster Square in local factories, such as Sargent & Co., a manufacturer of locks and hardware. [4]
During World War I, Pepe returned to Italy to fight for his native country. [5] After his honorable discharge, he married Filomena Volpi who is also from Maiori, Italy. [6] They left Italy for New York in 1919.
Upon returning to the United States, the Pepe's returned to Wooster Square. [7] Frank began working at a Wooster Street bakery. [8] He was known for walking through the Wooster Square market selling his "tomato pies" off of a special headdress. After saving enough money, he was able to buy a wagon from which he sold his pizzas. [9]
Pepe's continued success selling pizzas in the area enabled him to take over his employer's business and turn it into the "Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana" on June 16, 1925 at 163 Wooster Street (which is now known as "The Spot.")
The Boccamiello family initially owned the building at 163 Wooster Street (now known as "The Spot"). In the mid-1930s, the Boccamiello family forced Frank Pepe out of 163 Wooster so they could start their own pizzeria at the establishment, which they renamed "The Spot."
Frank Pepe purchased the building next door, 157 Wooster Street, and moved his restaurant to its current location next door to The Spot in 1936. Pepe and his family lived in the apartments above the building, and made the pizzeria the center of their entire lives.
Boccamiello's nephew, Bear, would open clams and sell them on the half shell to passersby in the alleyway between The Spot and Pepe's. [5]
Pepe's restaurant began serving littleneck clams on the half shell at the bar. It was only a matter of time before he decided to put the clams on the pizza. The white clam pie is just crust, olive oil, oregano, grated cheese, chopped garlic, and fresh littleneck clams. [8] The restaurant will serve the pizza with or without mozzarella cheese, but they try to discourage customers from ordering it with mozzarella because they feel that it makes the pizza too heavy and rich. They are also adamant on using freshly shucked clams instead of canned clams; if fresh clams are not available, they will not serve the white clam pie. Three men are employed by Pepe's just for shucking the clams on location. Since its invention, the white clam pie has become the signature pizza of pizzerias in New Haven.
Pepe's originated the New Haven-style thin-crust apizza [10] [11] [12] (closely related to Neapolitan-style Italian pizza) which he baked in a coal-fired brick pizza oven. Originally, Frank Pepe only made two varieties of pizza: the "tomato pie" (tomatoes with grated pecorino romano cheese, garlic, oregano, and olive oil) and the other with the addition of anchovy. [13]
The Pepe family bought back The Spot from the Boccamiello family in between 1977 and 1978, [14] and later opened it back up to the public in 1981. "The Spot" now serves the same menu as the older restaurant. [5]
Pepe's is a major tourist attraction in New Haven. [15]
Since opening a Fairfield, Connecticut location in 2006, Pepe's has expanded to sixteen locations in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland, Virginia, and Florida. [16] A seventeenth location is slated to open in Stamford, Connecticut during Summer 2024.
All Pepe's ovens are coal-fired and built in exactly the same manner from brick, based on the original. They measure 14 feet (4.3 m) by 14 feet (4.3 m) and cook pizzas in approximately 8 to 10 minutes. [17] The oven cooks at 650 °F (343 °C). [18]
All of Pepe's locations feature the same menu. [19] Salads and desserts are offered on the menu. Since 1925, Pepe's has exclusively served Foxon Park bottled sodas from East Haven, Connecticut. The restaurant offers soda, beer, wine, and several varieties of pizzas and toppings.
Pepe's has expanded outside of New Haven as a small family-owned chain. Frank Pepe's grandchildren are co-owners of the chain, including Gary Bimonte (1959–2021) [20] [21] and Francis Rosselli.
All locations feature the same green and white design of their building and fixtures, a replica of the coal-fired oven, serve on the square pizza pans, and use the same suppliers for their ingredients.
Additionally, Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana serves slices out of the Mohegan Sun Arena when there are events.
Also known as 163 Wooster Street, The Spot is where Frank Pepe's original 1925 oven is. The Spot operates on limited hours with the same menu as 157 Wooster Street. Often, The Spot has shorter lines than the main Frank Pepe building.
Another Wooster Street pizza restaurant, Sally's Apizza, was founded by Pepe's nephew Sal Consiglio in 1938. Sally's and Pepe's have a long friendly rivalry and pizza fans are divided over which serves the better pizza. [22] [23] Frank Sinatra, for example, was a fan of Sally's, while Ronald Reagan preferred Pepe's. [24]
Pepe's is one of three pizza restaurants featured in the documentary film Pizza A Love Story, directed by Gorman Bechard. The film had its world premiere at IFFBoston in April 2019. [34] The film was released on DVD and pay-per-view on September 29, 2020. [35]
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana | |
---|---|
| |
Restaurant information | |
Established | 1925 |
Owner(s) | Frank Pepe's Grandchildren |
Food type | New Haven-style pizza |
Dress code | Casual |
Street address | 157 & 163 Wooster Street |
City | New Haven |
State | Connecticut |
Postal/ZIP Code | 06511-5709 |
Country | United States |
Coordinates | 41°18′10″N 72°55′01″W / 41.302907°N 72.916933°W |
Reservations | Not taken |
Website | PepesPizzeria.com |
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, commonly known as Frank Pepe's or simply Pepe's ( /ˈpɛpiz/), is a popular pizza restaurant in the Wooster Square neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut, at 163 Wooster Street. Opened in 1925, it is one of the oldest and best known pizzerias in the United States. [1] [2]
Frank Pepe (April 15, 1893 – September 6, 1969) was born in Maiori, Italy, [3] and immigrated to New Haven in 1909 when he was a teenager. He worked alongside other Italian Immigrants in Wooster Square in local factories, such as Sargent & Co., a manufacturer of locks and hardware. [4]
During World War I, Pepe returned to Italy to fight for his native country. [5] After his honorable discharge, he married Filomena Volpi who is also from Maiori, Italy. [6] They left Italy for New York in 1919.
Upon returning to the United States, the Pepe's returned to Wooster Square. [7] Frank began working at a Wooster Street bakery. [8] He was known for walking through the Wooster Square market selling his "tomato pies" off of a special headdress. After saving enough money, he was able to buy a wagon from which he sold his pizzas. [9]
Pepe's continued success selling pizzas in the area enabled him to take over his employer's business and turn it into the "Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana" on June 16, 1925 at 163 Wooster Street (which is now known as "The Spot.")
The Boccamiello family initially owned the building at 163 Wooster Street (now known as "The Spot"). In the mid-1930s, the Boccamiello family forced Frank Pepe out of 163 Wooster so they could start their own pizzeria at the establishment, which they renamed "The Spot."
Frank Pepe purchased the building next door, 157 Wooster Street, and moved his restaurant to its current location next door to The Spot in 1936. Pepe and his family lived in the apartments above the building, and made the pizzeria the center of their entire lives.
Boccamiello's nephew, Bear, would open clams and sell them on the half shell to passersby in the alleyway between The Spot and Pepe's. [5]
Pepe's restaurant began serving littleneck clams on the half shell at the bar. It was only a matter of time before he decided to put the clams on the pizza. The white clam pie is just crust, olive oil, oregano, grated cheese, chopped garlic, and fresh littleneck clams. [8] The restaurant will serve the pizza with or without mozzarella cheese, but they try to discourage customers from ordering it with mozzarella because they feel that it makes the pizza too heavy and rich. They are also adamant on using freshly shucked clams instead of canned clams; if fresh clams are not available, they will not serve the white clam pie. Three men are employed by Pepe's just for shucking the clams on location. Since its invention, the white clam pie has become the signature pizza of pizzerias in New Haven.
Pepe's originated the New Haven-style thin-crust apizza [10] [11] [12] (closely related to Neapolitan-style Italian pizza) which he baked in a coal-fired brick pizza oven. Originally, Frank Pepe only made two varieties of pizza: the "tomato pie" (tomatoes with grated pecorino romano cheese, garlic, oregano, and olive oil) and the other with the addition of anchovy. [13]
The Pepe family bought back The Spot from the Boccamiello family in between 1977 and 1978, [14] and later opened it back up to the public in 1981. "The Spot" now serves the same menu as the older restaurant. [5]
Pepe's is a major tourist attraction in New Haven. [15]
Since opening a Fairfield, Connecticut location in 2006, Pepe's has expanded to sixteen locations in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland, Virginia, and Florida. [16] A seventeenth location is slated to open in Stamford, Connecticut during Summer 2024.
All Pepe's ovens are coal-fired and built in exactly the same manner from brick, based on the original. They measure 14 feet (4.3 m) by 14 feet (4.3 m) and cook pizzas in approximately 8 to 10 minutes. [17] The oven cooks at 650 °F (343 °C). [18]
All of Pepe's locations feature the same menu. [19] Salads and desserts are offered on the menu. Since 1925, Pepe's has exclusively served Foxon Park bottled sodas from East Haven, Connecticut. The restaurant offers soda, beer, wine, and several varieties of pizzas and toppings.
Pepe's has expanded outside of New Haven as a small family-owned chain. Frank Pepe's grandchildren are co-owners of the chain, including Gary Bimonte (1959–2021) [20] [21] and Francis Rosselli.
All locations feature the same green and white design of their building and fixtures, a replica of the coal-fired oven, serve on the square pizza pans, and use the same suppliers for their ingredients.
Additionally, Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana serves slices out of the Mohegan Sun Arena when there are events.
Also known as 163 Wooster Street, The Spot is where Frank Pepe's original 1925 oven is. The Spot operates on limited hours with the same menu as 157 Wooster Street. Often, The Spot has shorter lines than the main Frank Pepe building.
Another Wooster Street pizza restaurant, Sally's Apizza, was founded by Pepe's nephew Sal Consiglio in 1938. Sally's and Pepe's have a long friendly rivalry and pizza fans are divided over which serves the better pizza. [22] [23] Frank Sinatra, for example, was a fan of Sally's, while Ronald Reagan preferred Pepe's. [24]
Pepe's is one of three pizza restaurants featured in the documentary film Pizza A Love Story, directed by Gorman Bechard. The film had its world premiere at IFFBoston in April 2019. [34] The film was released on DVD and pay-per-view on September 29, 2020. [35]