Southern Connecticut "Foodie" PTR

If anyone is following my Wild Bill's Nostalgia Center / Dark Ride Thread, you may have read that I turned my return visit from Wild Bill's Nostaglia Center into a food adventure. I planned to visit one place, but due to the fact that I only quickly browsed the operating hours I had to make alternative plans. For anyone in the area this serves as a primer to sample 3 popular American foods: The burger, hot dog and pizza.

The first place I stopped was Louis' Lunch in New Haven which claims to have invented the hamburger (the following is copied from their website)

The beginnings of the hamburger sandwich as we all know it today was really quite simple. One day in 1900, a gentleman hurriedly walked into Louis' Lunch and told proprietor Louis Lassen he was in a rush and wanted something he could eat on the run. In an instant, Louis placed his own blend of ground steak trimmings between two slices of toast and sent the gentleman on his way. And so, the most recognizable American sandwich was born.

Today, Louis' great grandson, Jeff Lassen, carries on the tradition. The hamburgers have changed little from their historic prototype and remain the specialty of the house. Burgers are made fresh daily; hand-rolled from a proprietary blend of five meat varieties and cooked to order in the original cast-iron grills dating back to 1898. The Lassen family hold firm on their desire not to offer any condiments. The Louis Lunch experience is about the taste and simplicity of a fresh burger grilled to perfection. Cheese, tomato, and onion are the only acceptable garnish.

Unfortunately, I did not carefully read the website page showing the hours of operation, because the place was closed this weekend.

Louis' Lunch

Not a good sign.

So I went into back-up plan mode. A friend of mine had told me of a hot dog place in Fairfield, CT. I quickly looked it up on my Blackberry, confirmed it was open and put the address into my GPS.

This place appears open

Super Duper Weenie

Very simple environment

The menu

Bacon and American Cheese. I'm a hot dog snob, but I would go back if I'm in the area. Very easy to get to from I-95.

However, as I was upon the exit for Super Duper Weenie I saw a billboard for Frank Pepe Pizza and also saw the restaurant. The name of the place and the facade sounded and looked very familar. So after Super Duper Weenie I drove a mile back to Frank Pepe. There was a line to be seated so I went for the take-out. The standard Frank Pepe pie is just sauce so you have to order with Mozzarella to get a pie you are used.

I saw this place as I was pulling off the highway and the name rang a bell as being a great pizza place.

Look at the size of those piels. Do you see the air hose. One of the piels is actually a vacuum for cleaning out the coal fired pizza oven. If I was Scott Weiner I'd be aiming my laser into that oven right now.

They serve beer!

They makes two pies at a time on this giant piel and put them in the oven.

Finished product, eight dollars and change with tax.

I ate one slice in the parking lot sitting in my car and was going to take the rest home. I ended up finishing the pie before leaving Connecticut while stuck in traffic. No doubt in my mind I'll stop there again. The one Fairfield in not the original, which is in New Haven, but I can't imagine the original being any better.

The line got longer by the time I left.

And now I'm starving!!!

Although I have to ask, I notice that this place cuts the 'wiener'. As a hot dog snob what are your feelings on that?

^No problem with the cutting, when fried on a surface grill. Allows for a little more surface area to pick up grease from the grill. Grease = flavor.

Slicing a hot dog when cooking over an open fire is pointless.

Yay for food trip reports!

Thanks for sharing, Larry...looking forward to more!

That pizza looked really good! I'll have to remember this if I'm ever in the area.

dt

I forgot that I picked up a copy of the Frank Pepe menu.

Turn back now if you haven't already eaten

I warned you!

See I told you they had beer

Eh, you didn’t miss much at Louis’, though I guess it’s someplace every Roadfooder should try once. Frank Pepe’s is the best! Next time you’re in the vicinity of one, I highly recommend the white clam pizza. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the report! Now I have even more ways to get out of the house when we visit Amy's relatives! Can't wait to try all that food!

Eh, you didn’t miss much at Louis’, though I guess it’s someplace every Roadfooder should try once. Frank Pepe’s is the best! Next time you’re in the vicinity of one, I highly recommend the white clam pizza. Thanks for sharing!

thanks Jason - We have a place here on Staten Island (The Roadhouse) that is known for their clam pie, but I don't like it. The texture of clams on a pizza just doesn't work for me. Also, I rarely get toppings on my pie when sampling a new one.

I only go for toppings when the pizza isn't any good (which means I'm forced to eat someplace I don't like) or if a place does something real unique, but I just don't like clams on my pizza. I'll stick with Clams Casino or Clams Oreganato.

I just had lunch and now I'm hungry again. I think I want pizza for dinner.

The spinach, mushroom, and gorgonzola pie sounds great to me.

"Super Duper Weenie is.... DA BOMB!"