A couple of decades ago, New Haven’s “Big Two” pizzerias, Sally’s & Pepe’s, began to be regarded as a “Big Three” with the addition of Modern, which many people found much easier to gain access to. In the last decade or so, the rise of BAR’s pizza has turned New Haven pizza hegemony into a “Big Four.” Never mind that Pepe’s itself has long been two pizzerias—The Original Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletano and The Spot–and now includes five more joints in Fairfield, Manchester, Mohegan Sun, Danbury and Yonkers, NY.
But there are plenty of good pizza options around New Haven besides the Big Four. Today, we look at a couple of joints emphasizing artisan pies. We visit Kitchen Zinc, an offshoot of Zinc that replaced Chow a couple of years ago, and we visit the more recent Da Legna.
Kitchen Zinc proves different concepts by the same restaurateur can exist side by side, or actually, front to back. Located behind Zinc, Kitchen Zinc is accessed off of the alley that runs alongside Zinc or from Temple Plaza, that vibrant space that runs from the Omni Hotel to the Schubert Theatre.
Even at night, Kitchen Zinc’s patio seating is popular this time of year,
but we find the interior even more welcoming,
with its convivial bar area
and comfortable booths.
Blackboard signage reveals the menu
and specials
Even gluten-free pizzas
may emerge from Kitchen Zinc’s pizza ovens.
We keep it simple—pizza and salad being a favorite combination. The salads are fresher than fresh.
A simple cheese pie keeps our vegetarian daughter happy,
while we go for pizzas
that feature prosciutto
and Andouille sausage,
each as delicious as it appears.
A lunchtime visit to Da Legna on State Street also yielded serious pleasures on a parallel theme.
Da Legna’s chef is likeable David Foster, who previously had the new American restaurant Foster’s in the Ninth Square neighborhood.
My three friends and I split two sparkling salads (pictured are mere half portions, as the kitchen was kind enough to split the salads for us in advance).
Then our friendly waitress brought out our pizzas,
a margherita
and a mashed potato pie with spinach, bacon, corn, Mozzarella and Gouda.
Da Legna’s also offers an imaginative selection of small plates and sandwiches, but no conventional entrées.
Kitchen Zinc, 966 Chapel Street, New Haven, 203-772-3002, www.kitchenzinc.com
Da Legna, 858 State Street, New Haven, 203-495-9999, www.dalegna.com