The question of which U.S. state serves up the best pizza has been a long-debated topic. As of September 20, New Yorkers hold claim to an even better bragging right: best pizza in the world. In a historic moment, Una Pizza Napoletana has become the first establishment in the United States to outshine the homeland of pizza itself, Italy, in the international rankings of 50 Top Pizza, a prestigious Italian-owned food guide.
This career-defining title was given to Anthony Mangieri, owner of the small family-run restaurant in Manhattan. Mangieri said, “The recognition is appreciated, but in the end it’s not why I started and not why I continue to make every ball of dough we serve at Una after all these years. It fuels us to go into the restaurant every day and give more love and focus, and not to take anything for granted” (CNN).
What made Una Pizza stand out from the thousands of other pizza places in the world? The undercover tasters from 50 Top Pizza praise the restaurant for serving their orthodox yet elevated interpretation of the dish, using “only the purest tradition in toppings, with extraordinary quality ingredients,” a rare quality in the modern pizza scene (Smithsonian Magazine). Additionally, tasters take note of Mangieri’s special technique for making dough, which translates into a base “so personal that it probably cannot be classified, good, tasty, true, it has the aroma and flavor of pizza.” Having fine-tuned his methods for doughmaking since he was 15 years old, the owner himself has been the only person in the restaurant kneading the crusts for the past 25 years.
If you want to try for yourself a piece of the acclaimed pies, you can find Una Pizza Napoletana open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays starting at 5 p.m. at 175 Orchard St. in Manhattan. Reservations are recommended, which can be made on Resy, but you can also try and get there early for the walk-in line.
