From working at Pepe’s to making his own pies, a CT ‘real pizza guy’ is now customer’s ‘best’

Vincent Perricone learned from the best.

So when Slice of New Haven pizza truck took the title “Best in Fest” at Connecticut Pizza & Brew Fest against the heavy hitters, Pepe’s, Zuppardi’s, Big Green Truck, you had to consider the owner.

In what is is like an Ivy League education in pizza, Perricone, 36, worked at Pepe’s on Wooster Street for 10 years, taught by the late Gary Bimonte, grandson of Frank Pepe and an owner of Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, and then worked four years for Doug Coffin, founder and at the time, owner of wildly popular Big Green Truck Pizza.

“I took the best of both worlds. I learned all the nuances of making pizza the best way,” Perricone said. “I say it was my pizza school.”

It was while working the big green truck that Perricone fell in love with the pizza truck concept.

He loved going to new locations every day and working weddings, graduations, birthday parties and other special occasions.

“I’m honored to be a part of those occasions” he said. “I like making people happy with food, it’s fun everyday. It’s just very fulfilling.”

So in 2017 he went on his own and is now into his eighth season of delighting pizza lovers.

Frank Zabski, founder of New Haven Pizza School and considered the guru of New Haven style pizza , who was also co-sponsor of the huge fest said Perricone won by popular vote, meaning fest goers loved it.

Perricone was recently presented with an engraved wooden pizza peel.

“His pizza is extremely tasty with a high amount of flavor profile baked in a wood fired oven,” Zabski said. “He’s a real pizza guy and an overall great and down to earth guy.”

Zabski has long said there are “hidden gems” for pizza all over the state, but people tend to focus on Pepe’s, Sally’s, Modern, Zuppardi’s and others that get a lot of public attention.

Vin Perricone, owner of Slice of New Haven, a mobile pizza truck, works on making a pizza before an event in Meriden on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)

Perricone, surprised and honored by his pizza fest win — there were more than 20 pizza trucks — said he things it helped voting that he made some of his specialty pies along with the basic cheese, pepperoni, and tomato pies.

“Specialty pies set us apart,” he said.

Just a description of those specialty seasonal pies will make a mouth water.

They include: a pie with sweet and spicy pepperoni, Calabrian chili peppers, honey, goat cheese, topped with pecorino Romano; a white pie with mozzarella, farm fresh peaches, caramelized onions, blueberry goat cheese topped with honey and pecorino Romano.

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He also has a signature pie, a white with spinach, caramelized onions, mushrooms, blue cheese pecorino Romano.

His S’mores dessert pizza with graham crackers, Hershey’s chocolate and marshmallows is always a crowd favorite, he said.

Perricone is working on a new specialty pizza with poached pears.

Perricone said he grew up in a “food-centric” Italian family cooking with his grandma and mom.

“Something was always cooking,” he said of childhood.

He knew since childhood he wanted to be cook, but wasn’t sure of the details. He thought it could be anything but pizza, Perricone said.

His pizza career launched unexpectedly when he and his mom were eating at Pepe’s and she said,

‘Why don’t you apply here?”

He got the job immediately.

Perricone learned step by step how to roll and stretch dough, work the ovens, shuck clams, much of it from Bimonte who also taught him how to decorate pies, or how to put the toppings on (no, they’re just not thrown on).

Bimonte taught him, “Every bite should have something on it,” – sauce, cheese, a topping.

Later, he became an assistant manager, then manager, opening the stores in Yonkers, N.Y., then Manchester, then Mohegan Sun.

When he came back to New Haven, he wanted a change.

That’s when he contacted Coffin about working the truck.

He went to Big Green Truck Pizza because he wanted “a different atmosphere.”
There, he found a niche.

“Working for Doug was great,” he said.

Perricone said he’s learning to this day.

Perricone said he doesn’t think of other pizza businesses as competition, because there’s enough work to go around.

“Business is good,” he said.

As for the award, Perricone said, “It was a nice recognition for all my hard work. I’m not saying we’re the best, but it is nice to get the popular choice.”