World Famous Italian Judges Ranked US Pizzerias, and New York Swept the List

Somewhere in Italy right now, a panel of pizza judges who have eaten their way across six continents just finished arguing about crust texture and cheese ratios, and when the dust settled, they pointed straight at New York State.

Let that sink in for a second. You could leave your house after breakfast and be sitting in front of the world's number one pizza before the dinner rush even starts.

How the Prestigious 50 Top Pizza Awards Rank Global Pizzerias

The group behind this is called 50 Top Pizza, and they take the job about as seriously as a job can be taken. They fly around the globe, they eat an almost unreasonable amount of pizza, and they rank the results with zero regard for hometown pride.

This year, when they released their newest list, New York State ended up holding down more top spots than nearly any other place they visited. For anyone who has ever gotten into a heated debate over which pizzeria in town does it right, that is a wild thing to hear about your own backyard.

Road Trip to the Best Pizzeria on Earth: Una Pizza Napoletana

Point your car toward Manhattan, and in just a short amount of time, you'll be standing outside Una Pizza Napoletana. The judges did not just say it was good. They said it was the best pizzeria on the face of the earth.

One guy runs the whole show with his own hands, and if he is not physically in the building that day, the doors do not open. No shortcuts, no substitutes. You can taste the stubbornness in the sauce.

Why New York City Dominates the Global Top 50 Pizza List

Once you're in the city, the ranking doesn't stop at one address. Don Antonio landed at number six, and Ribalta grabbed number eight right behind it. Keep wandering the boroughs, and you'll run into more names on this same global list, places like Stretch Pizza (#13), Audace (#14), Pizza Secret (#15), Ops (#17), Kesté (#21), Salsa (#32), Andrew Bellucci's Pizzeria (#36), and Pasquale Jones (#39).

Add it all up, and New York City alone claims eleven spots among the best pizzerias in the United States. That is not a lucky coincidence. That's food tradition built on flour, fire, and stubborn family recipes.

Western New York’s Jay’s Artisanal Pizzeria Cracks the World Top 10

Now head the other direction. In the Buffalo suburbs sits a modest little restaurant called Jay's in Kenmore. The same Italian judges ranked Jay's number seven, and what pushed it that high was the crust. People wait in line for that first bite because the outside snaps with a satisfying crunch while the inside stays soft and almost molten.

The man running the kitchen, Joe Powers, took the whole operation over while he was barely old enough to rent a car, and he turned it into a world-class name.

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Pizzeria Florian: The Small-Town NY Spot That Catered a Celebrity Wedding

Jay Langfelder and Amanda Jones own a spot called Pizzeria Florian, tucked into the small, charming village of East Aurora. These two got a call most chefs only dream about. They were personally hired to cook pizza at Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's wedding.

The judges ranked Pizzeria Florian fortieth, praising the cozy atmosphere and the kind of creative menu that turns a simple pie into a conversation piece. Order the Tie-Dye Pizza if you want to see exactly what they mean.