NYC's Una Pizza Napoletana is named the best in the U.S.

Lists, the lighthearted compartmentalizing devices mostly made to be taken in good fun but which often take divisive turns, are part of this wild and wacky tapestry we call life. Why, there are roundups for just about everything: musical tunes, the cinema and all manner of foodstuffs. Sometimes they’re compiled by august institutions like Time Out, sometimes by anonymous internet users, and sometimes by one sweet private individual, perhaps hand-written in ink and kept folded in a wallet. 

The site 50 Top Pizza, billed as a “guide to the best pizzerias in the world,” is focused exclusively on that titular item. The Italy-based ranker produces lists all over the globe, and its 2023 U.S. selections were announced in a ceremony in New York City on June 27.

“The comprehensive ranking reflects the meticulous and extensive work our team of 50 Top Pizza [inspectors] carried out,” a press release reads. “Over a year, they diligently evaluated a multitude of pizzerias across the country while strictly adhering to the policy of anonymity upheld by 50 Top Pizza. The assessment criteria primarily focused on the quality of the dough and the ingredients used for the toppings. Factors such as service quality, wine and beverage offerings, and overall customer experience were also considered.”

Following its worldwide win in 2022, and thus logic, the Lower East Side’s Una Pizza Napoletana took the U.S.A.’s number one spot for the second year in a row. Chef Anthony Mangieri first started wood-firing pizzas under this name in New Jersey in 1996. Its present form is Una Pizza Napoletana’s “sixth iteration,” according to its website. 

The Big Apple was also top banana for the second year in a row, with ten slots among this edition’s 50. Ribalta, Song' E Napule, Kesté, Ops, Pizza Secret, San Matteo Pizzeria e Cucina, Salsa Pizzeria, Don Antonio and Pasquale Jones also made the cut. Although each of these spots claim varying degrees of Neapolitan influence, one organizer previously told CNN that, although they believe Neapolitan-style pizza is “the world’s favorite,” 50 Top Pizza inspectors are not looking only for that variety. 

See the entire U.S. list right here.