Over the past decade, no two pizza styles have enjoyed as much of an ascension as New Haven-style “apizza” and Detroit-style pizza.
For years, the New Haven Pizza School has been singularly focused on celebrating and preserving Connecticut’s most famous food export: New Haven–style apizza. This spring, in a sign of that pizza’s regionality is getting blurrier by the day, the school will introduce something new to its curriculum for the first time—Detroit-style pizza.
School founder and CEO Frank Zabski, a well-known ambassador for New Haven–style pizza, says the decision came after years of personal obsession with the Motor City-born style. Zabski told The Hartford Courant he was initially surprised by how much he loved Detroit-style pizza, despite his reputation as a purist.
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“I’m a crispy, crunchy guy,” Zabski told The Courant. “With the Detroit, every bite is crispy, crunchy, cheesy, flavorful.”
Zabski first fell in love with Detroit-style pizza after eating it at Christo’s Restaurant & Bar in Wallingford, one of the increasing number of Connecticut pizzerias offering the style. He was also drawn to the pizza’s automotive roots—a natural fit for a lifelong car enthusiast.
Zabski also sees an unexpected Connecticut connection. He told The Hartford Courant that former New Haven–area rubber manufacturers, including Seamless Rubber in New Haven and Armstrong Rubber in West Haven, likely supplied tires to Detroit’s auto industry—creating a symbolic bridge between the two pizza cities.
The new in-person class walks students through the full Detroit-style process, from dough mixing and pan selection to baking and assembly. The pizzas are made in 8-by-10-inch pans and finished with sauce added after baking, a hallmark of the style. Classes run approximately 3.5 hours and include Foxon Park soda and Italian music.
The first Detroit-style pizza class is scheduled for Sunday, May 31. While Zabski told The Hartford Courant that New Haven–style pizza will “always be my number one,” he sees the new class as a way to explore another iconic American pizza—one enjoying a similarly growing national spotlight.
