Sorry to hear that your Sally’s experience was not totally stellar- i’m a die hard, so i’m a bit biased, but i want to stick up for Sally’s a bit here. Flo Consiglio, Sal’s wife and the great woman who runs the place, has been churning out pies 6 days a week FOREVER! this is a small place (much smaller than Pepe’s with multiple locations, many ovens, huge staff) that makes pies by hand and much of the staff is family. this is a small family business that has resisted expanding for a long time so as not to water down the product! now as for the cutting of the line, i know it’s difficult to watch people come in and cut the line while you are waiting for a long time, but very often these people have RESERVATIONS- that’s right, a pizza place that takes reservations! because Sally’s is so often crowded, there are 2 ways you can get in through the crowd- come the night before and make a reservation or call between 2 and 4 that day and often you can get someone on the phone and get a reservation. so often when people just walk in and sit down, this is the case (maybe not always, but most of the time). And yes, the service can be brusk, but indeed many of us find this very typically new haven (i grew up there and this is how people are- it’s a tough town outside of the ivory towers of Yale- high murder and crime rate, poor working class town with some dangerous areas). Sally’s, in the end, is just a pizza place, and yes Modern and Pepe’s are amazing too (i had a SUPERB pie from Fairfield Pepe’s a few nights ago- half bacon half pepperoni- PERFECT), but Sally’s is often work to get to your pie. but if you have the time, the wherewithall, and a lot of patience sally’s can really reward (get multiple smalls and try many different combinations). Sorry you didn’t have a better experience there, but please people, don’t write off sally’s- it is a dying breed of pizza place (here in NYC Difara’s is the only game in town and Dominic is quite old and artisinal pizza places like sally’s and difara won’t be around for long…) enjoy- frank booth

I’m with you on Sally’s. A friend of mine recently talked me into trying it again (hadn’t been there in 13 years and swore I would never go back). So I gave in, went back, and was treated like GARBAGE. Took 1 1/2 hours to get the pie after the order was placed, could not get the waiter back for another round of sodas, and then another hour wait just to get the check.
I was glad I went, in a way. All these years I had it in my head that Sally’s was indeed the best and that I was somehow denying myself by being so stubborn and not returning. Now that I went, I can honestly say that I prefer Modern Pizza, and will happily never go near Sally’s again. I realize some people find the attitude part of the charm of the place. I’m not one of them.

quote:

Originally posted by jmax

Thanks for the suggestions. We hit Coffee An’ in Westport, CT and Neil’s Donut & Bake Shop in Wallingford on the way up. I liked Neil’s – my girl liked Coffee An’ better. Both were good. I didn’t think the chocolate was all that chocolately, but liked the cinnamon and powdered at Coffee An’ I reallly enjoyed the glazed and bavarian cream at neil’s.

We hit Sally’s on the way home. Got there at 7 left at 930 – pizza was really good, but wasn’t worth the 2.5 hour wait and what you have to endure to get the pizza. I understand friends and regulars can cut the line – that’s part of owning a restaurant (I guess?), but they also got priority when ordering pizzas – which seems unfair. The service and how they handle the wait – just made me feel unwelcome.

I heard the same exact thing about Sally’s. I will never give my business to establishments like that, regardless of how good the food is. I can’t stand line cutting. It happened to me once too, and I walked out of the line as a result.

If you’re taking the I-95 (or the Merritt) to I-91 to I-84 to the Mass Pike route, you should try Neil’s Donut & Bake Shop in Wallingford.

You definitely want to avoid I-95 on a Saturday AM between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Too many people going to Misquamicut and the Cape, and it’s only 2 lanes pretty much from East Haven to the Thames River Bridge

http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=643

I won’t flame you about Sally’s, although I still prefer The Spot. But when you say the hamburgers at Louis Lunch are incredible, then I will take issue. [:D] I always loved Louis Lunch, but the hamburgers, as far as I’m concerned, have always been just average. The steak sandwiches,on the other hand, are fantastic.

And most importantly, Sally’s Apizza in New Haven for dinner- if you leave boston at 6:30, you will be at sally’s by 9 p.m. at the latest and won’t encounter any line at all on a tuesday night. and let me stress this, IMHO, Sally’s is the best apizza on the planet- flame away pepe’s fans, i adore pepe’s, fairfield pepe’s is amazing too, but Sally’s is just spectacular- favorite pies are the red pie with onions and garlic, the tuna pie (with anchovies if you are adventurous), the sausage and pepperoni at sally’s are spectacular, the white clam is great, and my favorite pie is a red pie with bacon and onions and mozz. and remember, when ordering apizza in new haven, you must order mozzerella cheese on your pie if you require such a thing (you may call it mozz or muzz). and i recommend getting a bunch of small pies at sally’s instead of one or two larges- with a bunch of smalls you get to sample a bunch of different flavors, plus they come out of the oven quicker and are usually well burnt (in the new haven fashion). enjoy- i want some bacon onion

Another suggestion that hasn’t been mentioned – SoNo Baking Company in Norwalk, CT. Just opened last year and it’s not too far off of I-95. Excellent pecan sticky buns, breakfast sandwich, and other baked goods, but I’d pass on the pancakes – nothing special here.

http://www.sonobaking.com/

1. Coffee An’ Donuts- Westport- best donuts around period- also excellent breakfast and lunch foods- usually busy, well worth the wait- excellent

2. Pepe’s Apizza- fairfield- amazing unstoppable

3. Modern Apizza- new haven- also amazing, more low key (less lines)

4. Louis Lunch- New haven- absolutely incredible burgers, no ketchup allowed

5. Super Duper Weenie- fairfield- right next to pepe’s, amazing dogs, try the mighty itey- amazing

6. Coffee An’- if your daughter likes donuts, go straight to coffee An’ please and eat a chocolate cake donut for me please.

Skip Rein’s if you are from NY, but if you just need a halfway point to stop Rein’s is fine- i was there 4 nights ago and had a half turkey half brisket which was really quite good- just don’t expect real pastrami or corned beef (which is almost a lost art in ny anyways… don’t even get me started).

enjoy- frankbooth

In Connecticut: The Shack off I-95 in Flanders.

http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=650

Great breakfasts, including the corned beef hash and the omelets.

If you do go though Hartford, skip Reins Deli, if you’re from NYC you’ll be very dissapointed. However if you want to try gen-u-wine local cuisine then stop at Tasty Chick and try one of their Homemade Chicken Pies a once commonplace but now practically dead cuisine in Central Connecticut. It is also located in Vernon about 15 miles northwest of Hartford off of I84

REIN’S DELI
Centrally located between New York, Boston and Heaven is Rein’s Deli – a wonderful delicatessen and restaurant.

435 Hartford Turnpike (Rte 30) Vernon, CT I-84, Exit 65.

We go for breakfast, which is very good, when we leave Boston and go for dinner on our way home to Boston. You can even ask for the pickles at breakfast. Wonderful sandwiches,soup,and full dinners.

Alyce

If you go through Hartford try Mo’s Midtown. No donuts but great omlets, pancakes and home fries. For take out only you can try Beach Donut in Clinton, Ct.

Pepe’s is closed Tuesday

quote:

Originally posted by jmax

I will be driving to Boston on a Saturday morning from NYC. Where should I stop for breakfast? My girl loves doughnuts – any good ones along the way?

Another question – I will be driving back on Tuesday night – any suggestions for dinner on the way back from Boston to NYC? I was thinking about a pizza in New Haven, but am open to anything along the way.

If you are heading up 95, by favorite stop for breakfast is in Mystic, which may be a bit far into the trip for breakfast http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=618

The New Haven pizza places are great, but often require a wait (not sure about Tuesday night though). One of my favorite stops along the road, which usually can take care of you fast is Letizia’s, which is just a few blocks north of the Merritt Parkway. http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=421

Have a safe trip!

Coffee An’ in Westport, CT has some of the best doughnuts anywhere. You can read Michael Stern’s review and get specifics re location and hours under the Restaurants listings on this site.