Don’t worry if New Haven-style pizza isn’t part of your personal culinary vocabulary or dining experience. The folks at White Pie Pizzeria are happy to explain how it differs from the more well-known New York or Chicago brands.
With apologies to Connecticut, I had no idea that it is home to a particular class of pie. Thin, less sauce, minimal cheese, imperfect shape and lots of char on the crust are what distinguish it from other types. Yet, the names of some pizzas on the menu evoke New Jersey. Consider, for example, “Fuggetaboutit” or “Paulie Walnuts.” There’s also the “Mootz,” which is strictly New Haven for mozzarella. Who knew?
Having some ’za at White Pie isn’t all about lessons, though. It’s lively, the service is excellent and the food hits all the right notes when it comes to flavor and ingredient combinations.
The pies are asymmetrical, except for the Sicilian style, which have thick crusts and are rectangular in shape. These are reminiscent of Detroit-style pizza.
We started with the House Puff ($5), best visually described as a partially inflated round balloon; it really is puffy. This round airy bread is flaky and coated with a blend of olive oil, butter and herbs. It’s easy to share, and when ordered with the meatballs ($13), it can be used to scoop up some of the house red sauce. The meatballs are a combination of ground beef, veal and pork.
The menu features eight New Haven-style pies and five Sicilian options. The Ava Angelini ($18) is a white pizza with dollops of fleur de latte (mozzarella), ricotta, garlic, paper-thin slices of prosciutto and fresh arugula. The creamy cheeses with the salty dry-cured ham and sharp garlicky flavors atop the thin crust make this exceptional. It does, however, take some getting used to the fact that charring the crust is intentional, not an accident.
The Mootz ($14) is a basic pizza with red sauce, basil and mozzarella. We ordered the Mootzy ($14) which is a Sicilian version, because we wanted to sample two variations. Although it had less of a char than the Ava Angelini, there were still blackened, not burnt (we were told), edges. This crust was thick and spongy with hints of olive oil and garlic. The fresh basil added color. More impressively, there was not an overload of cheese. It was there for texture, but not to the extent that it overwhelmed the other flavors.
White Pie could keep its focus on pizza but doesn’t. The menu includes several starters, salads and what it calls “Not Pizza.” The latter includes lasagna, spaghetti and a burger and fries. These might be good, but I’d stick with the pizzas.
A large, festive, well-lit patio is inviting, but the restaurant itself is warm with an industrial look featuring white brick, wooden tables and an open kitchen where the pizzas are handcrafted.
In case you’re wondering, The Paulie Walnuts ($18) is topped with mashed potatoes, bacon, mozzarella, garlic and candied walnuts. The Fuggetaboutit has no cheese. Clever.
White Pie Pizzeria
Description: New Haven-style pizza
Location: 330 S. Nevada Ave.
Contact: 719-755-4144; whitepie.com
Prices: $13 to $28
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Sunday
Details: Credit cards accepted. Alcohol. Wi-Fi. Patio.
Favorite dishes: House Puff and Ava Angelini
Other: Gluten-free and vegan options available.
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