The 2023 Pizzeria of the Year Was Just Named
If you've been on the Internet, you've likely seen the memes about pizza. It's usually New York and New Jersey pounding their chests and getting rather saucy (pun intended!) about Chicago's deep-dish pizza, which some Windy City residents swear by and New York/New Jersey folks swear isn't actually pizza.
Related: Sorry Deep Dish, This is the Chicago Pizza Locals Really Love
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Pizza Today has named its pick for 2023 Pizzeria of the Year, and the winning spot is not from any of the above locations. Instead, the 39-year-old trade magazine has selected Modern Apizza from the quiet state in the Tri-State area, Connecticut, as the Pizzeria of the Year.
Modern Apizza, which is based in New Haven, succeeds the 2022 Pizzeria of the Year, San Francisco's Tony’s Pizzeria Napoletana.
Regional pizza fans probably won't be as shocked by this pick as other folks in the nation. New Haven has been known for its coal-fired pies since Frank Pepe started his shop in the 1920s. What is now Modern Apizza opened in 1934 under the name Tony's Apizza. The current owner, William "Billy" Pustari, changed the name when he bought the shop in 1988.
Despite the change, the unassuming pizzeria along State Street with a humble sign and a brick exterior has remained true to its roots through the years. The delicious, thin-crust brick-oven pizza still hits just right. But the team has made a few subtle tweaks to keep up with the times.
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“Ingredients have changed from 35 years ago, just buying better products,” Pustari dished in his Pizza Today interview. For example, Modern Apizza sources its sausage from a local purveyor.
“They call us early in the morning," Pustari said. "We tell them how many pounds we want, and they grind it, make it, and bring it over."
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The sausage stars on pizzas like the Sausage and Garlic pie fans call "perfection" and "the best in New Haven" (and, now, the nation).
Based on the pizzeria's Instagram, locally grown tomatoes are also part of the secret sauce.
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Though standard-bearers like cheese and pepperoni are part of the menu, Modern Apizza's specialty pies take a creative turn with options like White Broccoli & Bacon and the New Haven classic, White Clam. Clams Casino and Italian Bomb Pies are also among the popular selections.
Related: I Recreated Stanley Tucci's Fish Recipe That Inspired a Kiss From Robert Downey Jr.
People have come in droves over the years—Modern Apizza sells up to 1,100 daily on weekends. There's no delivery option, and Pustari told Pizza Today he doesn't plan on opening a second location.
So, if you want to enjoy the best pizza in the land, you'll have to head to New Haven.
