First of all, the best pizza on the planet *does* exist in New Haven, CT. I laugh when I find myself in this argument, especially with Europeans who scoff at anything Americanized, primarily because the detractors have actually never set foot in a New Haven pizza establishment. Yes yes, I've had pie in Italy, the basil is really "fresh" (yawn), etc, and I've had Brooklyn style foldover greaserag slices with little nipple-looking slices of pepperoni, and I've lived in Chicago and had plenty of $40 deep dish pizza soupcake. But the fact remains, you're not going to get brick oven charrified pies that pack the zip that a New Haven pizza brings to the table anywhere else on Earth. Pride, ingredients, quality ovens, and competition make this town the Pizza Mecca of the world.

That being said, I live a few blocks away from Modern, eat their pizza quite frequently, and still struggle with crowning it New Haven's Best Pizza. I would say, for takeout, yes crown it, primarily to experience the three ring circus that is parking next to it. But for dine-in, when I'm entertaining out of town guests, I take them to Bar and I get a booth. That is the best spot in New Haven to enjoy New Haven style pizza, in my humble opinion. We start with a small mashed potato pizza and then we take it from there. Dining in at Modern can be a madhouse and there's nothing special about anything going on in there decor- or service-wise (how a pizza joint should be I suppose - but Bar has a cooler garagey microbrewery feel to it, and in the summer you can't beat having the entire facade open to let the breeze in). Choosing a pizza place in New Haven all boils down to what your needs are. Pepe's has the history and the saltiest, most delicious pepperoni for the traditionalist. Sally's is more quaint and homey, knows how to starve you outside until their pies taste lethally good, has the surliest waitstaff, and of course like Pepe's they have the Wooster I Was There postcard component to them. And then there's Modern. Modern is where the cool people (i.e. TripAdvisor) will tell you to go. Will you be disappointed? No. Though always delicious, the crust is sometimes a little too flimsy for my liking; you could literally wad up a slice and eat it like a burrito. The breaded eggplant is particularly delicious and the best in New Haven. The savory pepperoni is a close second to Pepe's. Their broccoli is definitely the best out of the others (I seem to recall Bar's as being all stalk). Occasionally I long for just a tad more sauce. The crab pizza is good for a change of speed. Basically, you're going to have to decide for yourself where the best pizza in New Haven is. But if you have only one night to eat pizza in the Elm City, and you do choose Modern, then I recommend "The Thing" at Modern: Pepperoni, spinach, and eggplant on red.