And don’t forget...

Not all New Haven pizzerias are famous. The Yale Alumni Magazine asked alums for their memories of other Elm City pizza purveyors.

Yorkside Pizza and Restaurant, 288 York Street
yelp rating: 3 stars
Yorkside is a campus institution. Alumni told us its Greek-style pizza’s best features are proximity and availability late at night. “Yorkside was always my go-to for a quick two slices,” wrote Rafeal Clements ’90. “It was in walking distance and you never had to wait in line.” Dave Abrams ’84 told us, “What makes Yorkside special for me is not that it’s the world’s best pizza (although it’s better than people give it credit for) . . . but simply that it was and is the most cozy and comfortable and friendly place on the Yale campus.”

Est Est Est, 1166 Chapel Street
Yelp rating: 3.5 stars
Est has downsized since its heyday as a sit-down restaurant in the 1980s, but alums had some good words for the pizza. Eugene Auh ’99 called it “the best place for a slice of pizza very close to campus, especially now that Naples is gone.” Sarah Strong ’16 added, “I live in New York City and haven’t found a late-night pizza spot that measures up to Est Est Est. (And I don’t think it’s just in my head.)”

Town Pizza, 25 Whitney Avenue
Yelp rating: 4.5 stars
Not far from Timothy Dwight College, but off the beaten path for most students, Town Pizza has a loyal local following. Joshua Fitt ’17 came across it and fell in love: “In addition to the delicious New York–style pizza for a reasonable price, I loved the atmosphere: booths with patrons’ names on them, my favorite oldies playing on the speakers, homey service that only a small, no-frills joint like that can provide. . . . If you’re looking for a classic cheese slice in New Haven, there’s nowhere better.”

Pizza House, 89 Howe Street
Yelp rating: 4 stars
Pizza House has been serving up Greek-style pies—sliced into distinctive rectangles—since 1963. Michael Radway ’76 told us simply, “Pizza House is the best.” Kristin Bass ’94 has a sentimental attachment: “My dad [George Bass ’69]used to join his roommates in getting five takeout personal pizzas for $5. Four people pitched in $1.25, and the person who went to pick up the pizzas got his free. . . . As an undergrad, I didn’t go to Pizza House very often. . . . But every Parents’ Weekend, my parents and I would keep up our family tradition.”

Da Legna, 687 State Street
Yelp rating: 4 stars
Da Legna opened in 2013, down State Street from Modern Apizza, and earned a reputation among discerning locals for its sourdough crust. They’ve since moved closer to downtown, joining forces with the brewpub Nolo. New Haven native Lily Engbith ’17 said it’s “the best pizza in New Haven!”

Zeneli, 138 Wooster Street
Yelp rating: 5 stars
Even newer on the scene is Zeneli, which had the audacity to set up shop across the street from Pepe’s last summer. New Haven resident Cindy Haiken ’87 wrote, “the pizza is astonishingly good, and is done not in a New Haven style but in a true Naples style.”

Yale dining halls
Yale’s dining halls have stepped up their game considerably in recent years. One innovation: brick pizza ovens in Morse and Stiles and the newly built Murray and Franklin Colleges. “If you want pizza on the meal plan, head to the new colleges for sure,” wrote Woesha Medina-Hampson ’18. “They have great brick ovens that do not compare to Frank Pepe (how could they?), but they come damn close. Unfortunately for Stiles and Morse, Franklin and Murray have taken the gastronomic throne, with many consistently appetizing options available, as well as creative new ones.” Added Kyle Killeen Torres ’12: “I gained the senior 15 when Stiles put in a pizza oven. Always delicious.”

Yale Farm
There are plenty of places to find a brick-oven pizza in New Haven, but only one is outdoors on a one-acre farm. During the growing season, the Yale Sustainable Food Program serves up pies every Friday to volunteers at the Yale Farm, on Edwards Street near Science Hill. “The best pizza I ever had in New Haven was at the Yale Farm!” wrote Zeke Blackwell ’13. “Always unique toppings, always freshly picked, made in a brick oven and served immediately.”