If this latest Best Pizza in the World list doesn’t prove the global popularity of pizza, nothing will. Not that there’s anything to prove here! And not that “best” lists aren’t questionable exercises in relativity. But they get the conversation going. So here we go. Let’s dish pizza!
Pizza of course is one of Italy’s best known and best loved dishes. In the U.S., we’ve seen an explosion of artesanal pizzerias in recent years, their white-hot stoves producing crusty delights with myriad toppings that remind people what pizza is like in Italy. New York style pizza, with its slippery cheese topping, has long been king. Chicago gave pizza its own twist with a deep-dish variation. People make pilgrimages to places like Pepe’s in New Haven, where folks, including yours truly, will stand in line for an hour and longer to get a table. There’s a subculture of pizza fanatics who debate their favorites, practically challenging each other to a duel over one crust or another!
This best pizza list, which originally ran in U.S. News and World Report and was repurposed by Yahoo! Travel, names the best cities for pizza thus, starting from the fifth runner-up to first place, as follows.
6. Rome | 5. Chicago | 4. Okasaka and Hiroshima, Japanand, here are the top three …
3. Sao Paulo, Brazil | 2. New York | 1. Naples
To me, the biggest surprises here are Japan and Brazil but especially Japan. Who knew?
Also from the Who Knew? Department (but not mentioned in the article): You can get pizza with nutella on it. Wild, wild.
Check out the article and slide show. And tell us: What’s your favorite pizza place, in Italy, in the U.S., anywhere? If you’re so inclined, please give us the link to the website. No pressure!
Now, are you not totally craving pizza?
Yours in savoring Italy,
Barbara Fellini
