Little Bit of Laurie: Wooster St.

By Laurie Vachon

Over the summer while in a North End café, I struck up a conversation with tourists from Connecticut. We exchanged places to visit in our respective hometowns. I had mentioned I wanted to go to Mystic to try the pizza — made famous by the 1988 film Mystic Pizza. The couple gave me ideas if I headed in that direction but excitement was in their voice when they encouraged me to visit Sally’s APizza in New Haven.

About a month later I was thumbing through some junk mail and within one booklet was a story that caught my attention: “Stretched & Charred – Pizza in New Haven.” Here’s what I learned: It is spelled apizza, but it’s pronounced ah-beetz. The local term for mozzarella is muzz, pronounced mootz. The pizzas are baked in coal-fired ovens at temperatures between 800 and 1,000 degrees. This technique leaves the pizzas with a distinguished blackened char — do not call it burnt and whatever you do don’t send it back! A crust around the edges is not thick and typically nonexistent. If you order a plain pie (also called a tomato pie) it will come without any mozzarella. There are many pizza places to try in New Haven, but the “big three” are Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, Modern Apizza and Sally’s Apizza.

Last week we took the two-plus-hour drive to New Haven and the plan was to taste a few pieces from a few different restaurants. Slices are not an option, so we would order small sizes. I packed a cooler for leftovers. Sally’s APizza was first. We ordered sausage, meatball and garlic for toppings. We tried to like it more, but we thought it was just okay. As we were leaving to try another location, we ran into a person picking up a pie to go. As he hopped into his work truck, he told us he was from Boston and every time work brings him down this way he stops and gets a plain pizza from this place. He drove off, his truck bearing an address of Whitman, Mass.

We went to Pepe’s to try their signature white clam pizza. My hairdresser told me it was to die for. It was good. Although the article defined the pie as made with fresh-shucked clam strips, I could have sworn they were chopped clams from a can.

We had enough pizza with plenty of leftovers. Stretching our legs before the long ride home, we walked further down Wooster Street. The lampposts were decorated with red, white and green Little Italy banners. We came across Libby’s Italian Pastry Shop. How could we not stop? We ordered two cappuccinos and a chocolate peanut butter cheesecake to share, and we ate outside in the sunshine. Delicious — there were no leftovers to bring home from this stop.

New Haven is rich in history. The walls of the restaurants were filled with photos and newspaper clippings from days gone by. Would we go back? No, once was enough. Should it be tried? Yes. People rave about New Haven pizza and I have heard there are long lines to get in. We went on a Wednesday at lunchtime and were seated right away.

Overall, it was a new, fun adventure and a memorable day. I think everyone has a distinct liking for a certain type of pizza. This just was not our type; however, I should tell you … the leftovers were easily finished up!

Easy Chicken Parmesan Recipe

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs. total)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and pepper

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 cup Italian-style seasoned breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cups marinara sauce

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese (or sliced mozzarella or provolone)

Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley or basil; squeeze of fresh lemon juice; extra Parmesan cheese

Optional for serving: cooked pasta and additional marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 400F. If your chicken breasts are particularly thick and large, cut them in half lengthwise. Working with one chicken breast at a time, place the chicken in between two pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound the chicken to quarter-inch thickness. Generously season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Place flour in a shallow bowl and season the flour with salt and pepper. In a separate shallow bowl, combine eggs and garlic salt. In a third shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, lightly coat both sides of the chicken with the flour, shaking off the excess. Dip the chicken in the egg, shake again, and then coat with the Parmesan breadcrumbs.

In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. of oil over medium heat. Add two pieces of the chicken and cook until the coating is crispy and golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove to a sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining Tbsp. of oil and two chicken breasts. Transfer the sheet pan to the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer reads 165F, about 5-7 minutes.

Remove from the oven and spoon marinara sauce on top of each piece of chicken. Sprinkle with mozzarella and return to the oven until the cheese melts, about 2 more minutes.

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