Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana

Posted By Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle on December 23, 2009 11:07 PM

We by no means expect this to be our last word on the new Yonkers Pepe's. This fifth branch of the New Haven pizza legend (and the first to open outside of Connecticut) opened on Monday, November 2, 2009. We paid them a visit on Sunday, 11/8. There was already a long line outside the restaurant when we arrived; we had about a 15 minute wait for a table. They seemed a bit overwhelmed by the crowds; there was an extremely long wait between the time we placed our order and the time the pizzas arrived. We trust that, over time, that will be worked out.

The pizza: first the good. Above the crust, our white clam pizza was extraordinary, as good as any we've ever had. They used a free hand with the fresh garlic and fresh clams. Also, we never paid much attention to this before, but the oregano really stood out. It must have always been there but the guy who made the pie used more than usual. Not unpleasant, but a little different.

The problems: the crust is just not right. The blackening is there, as is the irregular shape. What's missing is the texture. Both pies were soft and bready. Not enough salt in the dough either. And they apparently use little or no oil on these pizzas. The lack of oil and soft texture may be intentional, or it may indicate a work in progress. But seeing as how the chewy crust is the best part of a Pepe's pie, we think this needs to be corrected.

The crust on our red pie was even worse. They are using a far too heavy hand with the toppings, especially the cheese, and it's killing the crust. We eyed the pizzas on other tables and they looked the same: a flood of melted mozzarella (very nicely browned, though).

We'll report back on future visits. The question is, if things do not change, if the way the Yonkers Pepe's is now is the way it will stay... would we return? And the answer is yes, for the white clam pie. It wouldn't be a substitute for a New Haven pie (unlike the Fairfield branch, which is as good as the new Haven original), but it's still very, very good. We might even order a red pie and ask them to not put so much cheese on it, and we'd try asking for well-done pizzas to get a better crust. Could we ask them to put a little oil on the pies too? That might be pushing it.

Medium White Clam Pizza

Medium Summer Pie

Large Pizza with Mozzarella, Pepperoni, and Garlic

Salad