Grab a booth inside the retro, momento-lined space and order the House Special, a gut-busting mix of pepperoni, meatball, sausage, green peppers, onions, and mushrooms smothered in mozzarella and perched atop the joint’s signature pillowy, delightfully chewy crust.

Luigi’s has been channeling the old country via multiple generations of original recipes since first opening its venerable doors in 1956. The menu runs the gamut from calamari and housemade ravioli to gargantuan portions of chicken parm and zuppa mista di pesce, but with imported olive oil, aged cheeses, and fresh ingredients prepared daily, it’s the pizza that really screams authenticity and goes down oh-so satisfyingly.

Brimming with intimate charm, Guilford’s 325-square-foot Bufalina is slinging some of the tastiest and perfectly-blistered wood-fired pies around. Founded by husband-wife duo Melissa Pelligrino and Matt Scialabba, the two decided to set up shop after learning how to make authentic Neapolitan pizza in southern Italy. For tips on what to order, try the signature Bufalina pie, featuring velvety buffalo mozzarella, plump San Marzano tomatoes, and a generous drizzle of basil-infused olive oil.

The White Clam Pie is a must here, a briny winning combo of fresh clams, garlic, oregano, grated Pecorino Romano, and olive oil, and you can’t go wrong with the Original Tomato, a simple yet irresistible marriage of crushed Italian tomatoes, grated Pecorino Romano, and olive oil.

Yet another landmark Connecticut parlor, Zuppardi’s Apizza has been serving its hand-tossed New Haven-style pizza for over 80 years. Founded by master baker Dominic Zuppardi in the 1920s, the family-owned restaurant has incorporated a few new menu items over the years but nothing beats the OG plain pie, where a healthy helping of rich tomato sauce lies beneath a hearty layer of grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

Wind things down at this Stamford staple, a 1935 Prohibition-era Irish pub turned Connecticut-based pizza chain centered around straightforward thin-crust pies set aflame with a splash of their signature hot oil. Topping choices are limited but, let’s be real, you’re here for the oil—unless, of course, your visit happens to coincide with weekend brunch service when boundary-pushing (and hangover-curing) bacon, egg, and cheese “breakfast pizzas” take center stage.