Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana (known simply “Pepe’s” to its legions of fans) opened in  New Haven, Connecticut, in 1925 and has long been heralded as one of the very best pizza establishments in the country. A pioneer of the coal-burning oven, rather than Italy's traditional wood and the gas common to U.S., Pepe’s is perhaps best known for inventing the fresh clam pizza that has become one of its signatures.  

Good news:  The pizza you once had to go to New Haven to try – and usually wait in a long line – is now available at 11 locations across New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. And the expansion appears to have come without any significant loss of quality.