Summertime Eats in CT, Chapter 16

Roadfood connoisseurs had better visit the famous pizzerias in New Haven with an empty stomach, because they sell only whole pies. Where does one go for individual slices, then, in such a renowned city? There are three excellent stops in the downtown area, and Brick Oven is the most hidden of all. Located two blocks from the hustle ‘n’ bustle of the Broadway shopping district, this small, family-run business sits on a quiet corner of Howe and Elm Streets. Two bucks and some change get you a slice so large that it pours off the plate. This is closer to New York style pie rather than New Haven: an extremely slender interior crust hosts thin layers of sauce, cheese, and toppings, with a thick railing of bread as a handhold. Structurally too floppy to pick up, this slice yearns to be folded in half, and only about halfway through does it become wieldy enough to be airborne. Brick Oven also stocks locally bottled Foxon Park sodas, including such flavors as Iron Brew (a cream/cola mix) and Strawberry, both relative rarities around town. You may miss Brick Oven’s diminutive signage but not the multiple cords of firewood (background, below) stacked in their front parking lot—the most obvious evidence of their wood-fired oven.