I wish I had known you when I lived in CT. I liked Modern in New Haven better than Pepe's. Better service, great pizza, and drinks that were bigger than a sippy cup.
Modern has been the "it" place for about a decade, right? It wins The Advocate's polls. Truth be told, I have not been back to Pepe's maybe since 2001. When I first lived down here before '98, I used to time my trips north so I would hit Pepe's at 11:30 on Friday when it opened and put down a mushroon, pepper, and onion with grated cheese (no mozzarella). When I moved back here in 2003, I shifted my lunch stop to York street. Old stomping grounds. That's probably why I have not tried Modern. I did not have a connection to the place.
And as for Pizzaoilos, try it. Seriously.