3 Connecticut Hot Spots Land In ‘America’s Greatest Old School Restaurants’

We know, we're spoiled when it comes to great food here in Connecticut. How can we not be? Sandwiched between some of the greatest cities in the world, the best cuisine out there is right at our fingertips. But when local legends that we go to regularly receive national recognition, it's still pretty cool. The Daily Meal is a website devoted to food and drink topics, and they came up with a list called "America's Greatest Old School Restaurants", and three local legends from Connecticut are on the list.

The Daily Meal's criteria for their selections were pretty simple. They identified restaurants that had longevity obviously, with simple menu items, and exteriors that pretty much haven't been changed in years. In this case, all three Connecticut selections are spot on. The first being the shining star of Connecticut's pizza landscape - the original Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, established in 1925 on Wooster Street in New Haven.  You can check every one of The Daily Meal's list for Pepe's; menu hasn't changed in years, exterior is updated, but the same, and a simple menu.

New Haven scored a second restaurant on the list with the famed birthplace of the American hamburger, Louis Lunch, which opened in 1895 on Crown Street in the Elm city. Louis Lunch is a tiny little establishment that only sells 5 things: Hamburgers, potato salad, potato chips, pie, and beverages. That's it. You want pizza? Go to Bar across the street, or Pepe's. The only other Connecticut restaurant that made the list is also famous for their hamburgers, Ted's Restaurant, who have been slinging the steamed beef and cheese on Broad Street in Meriden since 1959.

The Northeast is pretty well represented on the rest of their list, many NYC, a couple of New Jersey places, and a couple of Northern New England picks make the cut, as so a whole bunch of Southern Soul Food joints. I'm waiting for Woodbury's Charcoal Chef to make the next round of restaurants.