Frank Pepe's coming to MOHEGAN SUN!

New Haven Channel 8 news item tonite....Pepe's is opening another location in the Mohegan Sun Casino in 2010. This is not a classic pizza place anymore....just a chain. Very disappointing.

Tis sad, tis sad.
Unknowimgly I tasted 2 slices of Peps from Fairfield that ma had in her fridge. When she told me that they were from Pep's I couldn't believe it. It didnt taste like anything close to New Haven. Tasted more like every other pizza place.

Wait a minute....Doesn't Pepe's in New Haven use a coal fired oven to produce their pizza? I stand corrected, if I'm wrong about that. But, if I'm correct, then how is Pepe's going to get clearance to build a coal fired pizza oven at this casino? I've been reading that the only way that is possible, at least in NYC, is to buy the existing "rights" to one from another location. The EPA, NFPA, the NYC Fire Department etc. are not allowing "new" coal fired ovens and wood fired open pits in NYC are they? I don't think so....

I've been asking this question for years now and saying that's one big reason that NYC could never get legitimate "Q" because the NFPA Code 96 rules (exhaust systems) in NYC are very, very stringent. That's why it's hard to install wood fired open pit cookers...the foundation of legitimate "Q". Now, I do not know what Blue Smoke ever did..maybe someone knows? I'm guessing they have a gas smoker with a very elaborate exhaust system. I do know they have a great menu and if the food is as good as it sounds, it must be great. That guy does know what he's doing..

Getting back to this pizza though...I've been away from the business for many years so things may have changed. But, at a new casino, how is this going to be possible? A coal fired oven or even a wood fired brick oven? Or is Pepe going to produce their pizzas for those gamblers in a conventional gas or electric deck oven? Or, even worse...can you imagine a Pepe's pizza rolling along down a CONVEYOR OVEN like at Pizza Hutt.



Please Sue and Bruce..tell us more...Thanks

Yeah I agree, as a New Haven area native this is kinda sad.

They are saying the Mohegan Pepe's will use the "same ovens" as the New Haven Pepe's. Does that mean coal? I would think so, but I don't know.

Is it possible that because the new Pepe's will be, in effect, on an Indian reservation, and not be subject to certain laws? The tribe exists as a sovereign nation.

Perhaps, but the Pepe's branches in Fairfield and Manchester also use coal ovens, don't they? Maybe the Connecticut laws allow it.

Well alrighty then..It's going to be a baby Pepe's! So, how bad could that be? Here in Central Florida we'd kill for a baby Pepe's ....Franchise, chain or whatever you want to call it. So long as they made the pizzas come out the same way as they do in New Haven..Whatever that way is. All I've ever done is drool at the pictures you guys have put up of their pizzas over the years. You don't have to taste it to see how wonderful it is going to be...I have never had the opportunity to have a New Haven pizza, but have read all the reviews of the top three places. One day, I'm going to get there.

But, we do have a really good chain of coal fired places in South Florida called Anthony's. How they got those ovens approved, I have no idea. Maybe there is now a special exhaust system that is approved for coal fired ovens? But, So Florida has strict environmental rules, too. Incidently, this chain makes some incredible brick roasted chicken wings with fresh rosermary, garlic and balsamic vinegar..they are fantastic.

Thanks Bruce and Sue for trying to get to the bottom of this sooty question. Hey Zina, on Indian land, they can do anything they want. Great point. I believe they have their own police department and probably their own fire department as well. Can you imagine the money they are going to make on this pizza place with the reputation they have already established in this part of the country. $$$$$$$$$

The Fairfield Pepe's uses a coal oven. And Indian reservations can pretty much do what they want, so shouldn't be a problem.

Any further news on the purported Yonkers outlet?

As to Blue Smoke, I believe they do their smoking off site somewhere -- on a recent visit i saw a worker rolling in a cart full of already-cooked racks of ribs that were wrapped in plastic.

BTW, their pulled pork isn't bad. It bears little resemblance to barbecue, and the sauce strays into middle eastern territory (cinnamon?), but its not terrible.

quote:

Originally posted by Bruce Bilmes and Sue Boyle

They are saying the Mohegan Pepe's will use the "same ovens" as the New Haven Pepe's. Does that mean coal? I would think so, but I don't know.

According to the story in today's New Haven Register there'sno specific mention of coal, just that it will be a brick oven.

Like the Fairfield and Manchester locations, the Mohegan Sun eatery will replicate many aspects of the New Haven original, including its centerpiece brick oven, said Ken Berry, who runs Frank Pepe Development Corp.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19882457&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=635049&rfi=6

rjb--Thanks!

In Hacknesack, Brooklyn Pizza also uses a coal fired oven at a stand alone building (an old Arby's.) I have no idea how they got that approved. Maybe it is not a big deal after all? Really the people who would know are the restaurant exhaust hood, ductwork and fire protection installers.

I'm going to make a few calls and try to find out. I still have some connections up in NJ...I will try and report back.

The problem with Pepe's moving to the casino is that I am afraid they will have to dumb down for the masses. The folks who want a pizza might not care for the crisp, dark irregular crust. I bet if you put Pepe's on one side of the casino and a Sbarro's at the other, the line would be at Sbarro's.
I haven't been to the Sun in quite a while, is there another place selling pizza?

mark

I had my first-ever Pepe's at the Manchester location last Thursday (July 24). We got there shortly before the dinner rush -- around 5 p.m.

I am sure I will get lynched when I say this, but I am afraid that I didn't think it was the best pizza I've ever had. It was certainly very good, although I don't care for the raw garlic that they put on the pizza (which is just a matter of personal taste). Had I known they were going to do that, I would have asked that it be omitted.

But I confess that I like a thinner and crisper crust. As I've aged, I find that I don't like the thick "edge crust" on many pizzas as much as I did when I was a college student in Chicago and ate "thick crust" all the time.

That said, I do think the sauce on their pizzas is, without a doubt, some of the best I've ever had.

We had a regular pizza with mushrooms. (In retrospect, I think I should have tried the "summer special" with fresh tomatoes. And asked them to hold the fresh garlic.)

We had some to take back to our hotel, but no way to reheat it. I didn't think it was all that good "cold" the next day. And I generally love cold pizza.

My husband has eaten at the New Haven location, and thinks it is a bit better. I might go back, but on my future Connecticut trips, hot lobster rolls are a much higher priority.

Rumaki - Coal fired pizza does not hold up well when it gets cold..I totally agree. When we get it at Brooklyn Pizza in Hackensack, NJ I insist on eating it at the restauant. I don't even like to take it out. It really deteriorates fast IMHO. I have no idea why except maybe it's they use fresh mozzerella? Warming it up the next day is not nearly as good as conventional thin crust pizza.

quote:

Originally posted by Baah Ben

Wait a minute....Doesn't Pepe's in New Haven use a coal fired oven to produce their pizza? I stand corrected, if I'm wrong about that. But, if I'm correct, then how is Pepe's going to get clearance to build a coal fired pizza oven at this casino? I've been reading that the only way that is possible, at least in NYC, is to buy the existing "rights" to one from another location. The EPA, NFPA, the NYC Fire Department etc. are not allowing "new" coal fired ovens and wood fired open pits in NYC are they? I don't think so....

I've been asking this question for years now and saying that's one big reason that NYC could never get legitimate "Q" because the NFPA Code 96 rules (exhaust systems) in NYC are very, very stringent. That's why it's hard to install wood fired open pit cookers...the foundation of legitimate "Q". Now, I do not know what Blue Smoke ever did..maybe someone knows? I'm guessing they have a gas smoker with a very elaborate exhaust system. I do know they have a great menu and if the food is as good as it sounds, it must be great. That guy does know what he's doing..

i think plenty of new places in NYC are using wood-fired ovens. coal no, wood yes.

regardless, something tells me the rules on an Indian reservation are different than those in NYC.

rumaki


I had my first-ever Pepe's at the Manchester location last Thursday (July 24). We got there shortly before the dinner rush -- around 5 p.m.

I am sure I will get lynched when I say this, but I am afraid that I didn't think it was the best pizza I've ever had. It was certainly very good, although I don't care for the raw garlic that they put on the pizza (which is just a matter of personal taste). Had I known they were going to do that, I would have asked that it be omitted.

But I confess that I like a thinner and crisper crust. As I've aged, I find that I don't like the thick "edge crust" on many pizzas as much as I did when I was a college student in Chicago and ate "thick crust" all the time.

That said, I do think the sauce on their pizzas is, without a doubt, some of the best I've ever had.

We had a regular pizza with mushrooms. (In retrospect, I think I should have tried the "summer special" with fresh tomatoes. And asked them to hold the fresh garlic.)

We had some to take back to our hotel, but no way to reheat it. I didn't think it was all that good "cold" the next day. And I generally love cold pizza.

My husband has eaten at the New Haven location, and thinks it is a bit better. I might go back, but on my future Connecticut trips, hot lobster rolls are a much higher priority.

Rumaki, I must (sadly) agree with your assessment of Pepe's in Manchester, CT.  I've been eating at the New Haven location for many years.  Crispy, charred thin crust kept me coming back.  Excellent toppings too.  This past Sunday, my family and I ate in Manchester.  Someone's not watching the store!  It's a nice enough place, the service was great, and it does look like New Haven's original.  However, the pizza left a lot to be desired.  The biggest goof was in the thickness of the crust...far too thick!  No crunch!  Stingy with the sauce too.  It saddens me to write this but this legendary place--at least the Manchester location--will eventually disappear if they don't get the basics right.  The clam pie (an appetizer) was closer to the mark.  The red pie--the main event--let us all down.
 
Pepe's in Manchester needs to train its staff and supervise.  Until that happens, no more trips to Manchester.  In New Haven, I'm finding that Modern is more consistent.

I think Ciaoman might try again at the Manchester location.  We've been maybe a dozen times (most recently last weekend) since they opened and have never been disappointed. Our experience is that it is indistinguishable from New Haven - down to the somewhat random shape of the slices. IMO, Pepe's have no competition in central Connecticut. 2nd tier pizzas include Luna (Glastonbury location) and First and Last in Maple Ave. Any comments?

and don't for get its in a casino so raise the price big wampom.

We've eaten at the Pepe's Manchester place at least 20 (? - i'm sure it's close to that, if not more) times since they've opened.  We have had probably 2 or 3 times out of the 20 where the crust is thicker than it should be, in fact our last time (last week) that happened - enough to make it noticable.  It's still by far one of the best pizzas around, but there is some inconsistency in the product now and then.  It's certainly not enough to turn me off (and make me find a place closer to home), but they need to stay on top of what could be a larger issue over time.

I agree with TnTinCT.  It's easy to turn your nose up at it cause it's not the original.  I'm from West Haven originally and but live up here now so I know good pizza and Pepe's is by far the best Pizza here with 1st and Last a distant second.  I guess I'm lucky but i have yet to have a bad apizza fro there yet and I've been there at least a dozen times. 
 
I'm so glad they're up here now!!!

jonsull - have you tried Pure Pizza on the Berlin Turnpike?  It is in the same lot as Centerfolds.

It is New Haven style pizza, and one of the pizzaiolas worked at Pepe's in New Haven for 22 years.

I have not.......I work in South Windsor so it is convenient to pick up Pepe's on the way home.  I may have to take a ride south on the Tpke and check it out sometime!  Thanks for the heads up

Its well worth the trip.  They also make a 27" or 28" round party pizza.  The sausage is really phenomenal as well.  I always try the sausage when I go to a new pizza place.... It usually gives me a pretty good insight into what I'm dealing with.

braunsteinm... What do they get for one of them over sized pies?

It is a 27" Party Pizza for $39.99

Here is the link to their website.  http://www.purepizzaberlin.com/

Had my first clam pie yesterday.
It was good, but a little too much raw garlic for me.
The crust was a perfect mix of flavor and texture.
A-

Foodosaurus


Its well worth the trip.  They also make a 27" or 28" round party pizza.  The sausage is really phenomenal as well.  I always try the sausage when I go to a new pizza place.... It usually gives me a pretty good insight into what I'm dealing with.

I always get a plain cheese pie first.  It tells me all I really need to know.

lot's of fine pizza , has problems traveling , in the box is a death sentence......... i had pepe's at Mohegan Sun a few weeks back, i found it to be very good........ first time for both for me, Mohegan and frank pepe's ..........

many fine pizza's has to be enjoyed with in minutes of the finished cooking time............................. white castle hamburgers r the same, must be eaten when freshly made , or they turn to ...............crap!!!

new haven pepe's is my next stop after we hit super duper weenie ......................

NYPIzzaNut

Foodosaurus


Its well worth the trip.  They also make a 27" or 28" round party pizza.  The sausage is really phenomenal as well.  I always try the sausage when I go to a new pizza place.... It usually gives me a pretty good insight into what I'm dealing with.

I always get a plain cheese pie first.  It tells me all I really need to know.

I agree if a plain cheese pizza is good then you know you have a good tasting pizza no matter what toppings go on it.