This 12 months was an epic 12 months for pizza! It looks like some time since I’ve been in a position to say that. However the fact is that whereas many pizza locations weathered the pandemic effectively sufficient to remain afloat, there haven’t been as many thrilling openings and expansions because the pre-COVID days. However that every one modified in 2023. A New Haven type spot on high of a brewery in Brooklyn? Test. A hip slice joint working out of a basketball area? After all. A famend chef recognized for his upscale eating places pivoting to… what else… pizza? You wager. These are just some of the spots that made my record this 12 months. However I’m simply glad that 2023 felt like the great outdated days (together with that darn line at Lucali, which is so long as ever). Listed below are one of the best pies I ate this 12 months:
5) LONG HOT SHALLOT PIZZA
Fini Pizza
Brooklyn, NY
In a overview of Fini earlier this 12 months — which is hooked up to (however not inside) the Barclays Middle — I referred to as their pies a “Slam Dunk.” I’ll keep away from any additional basketball analogies on this blurb, however suffice to say that there are a variety of actually unimaginable pies popping out of the ovens a each areas of Fini, which was began by a co-founder of Lilia. No pie is pretty much as good as their Lengthy Scorching Shallot, which is topped with sizzling peppers and roasted shallots, offering a one-two punch of candy and spicy flavors on high of what’s one among Brooklyn’s greatest new pies.
4) CHEESE PIZZA
De Lucia’s Brick Oven
Raritan, NJ
This New Jersey spot has been serving up pies for over 100 years. However it has seen a resurgence of consideration in recent times as Dave Portnoy bestowed a 9.4 ranking on it (tied for 2nd highest within the nation with Di Fara and Frank Peppe). It’s true — their extremely regarded cheese pie is so scrumptious, you’ll in all probability wish to attempt to end the massive by yourself. The brick oven produces a crust with simply the proper quantity of crispiness. And as I chomped on every chunk — the easy mixture of sauce and cheese elicited a way of nostalgia.
3) FUNGHI PIZZA
Lala’s
Brooklyn, NY
New Haven type pizza is below represented in New York Metropolis. And Lala’s is a welcome addition to a pizza scene that gives nearly each type conceivable. Positioned on the rooftop of Williamsburg’s Grimm Brewery, Lala’s oval formed pies are reduce into roughly 10 small slices, making a single pie the perfect dimension to share between two folks. The Fungi pie (shitake, maitake, thyme, mozzarella, gruyère) places all different mushroom pizzas to disgrace. Professional tip: add fermented pink onions and a few sizzling honey to high it off.
2) NELLIE PIZZA
Stretch Pizza
New York, NY
For a lot of his profession, Wylie Dufresne has been extra intently related to molecular gastronomy than pizza, however his newest enterprise — Stretch Pizza — is a formidable entry into the world of sauce and cheese. After operating a pandemic pop up out of Bread’s Bakery, the total service pizzeria within the Flatiron neighborhood serves up ten pies that includes non-traditional toppings resembling horseradish, tempura crumbs and dan dan hen (these are all discovered on totally different pies). Whereas a return go to is so as to discover the menu extra, I used to be blown away by the “Nellie” pie which is a shallot lovers dream. It options roasted shallots, pickled shallots, and fried shallots. A trifecta of perfection.
1) ALLIUM PIZZA
JBGB
Baltimore, Maryland
JBGB (which stands for John Brown Normal & Butchery) doesn’t sound like a spot that might be serving noteworthy pizza. However throughout a cease there for dinner this summer season, I ordered their Allium pie (mozzarella, fontina, scallion bechamel, cipollini, candy & bitter onions, garlic oil) off of a menu that additionally features a cheeseburger, steak, pork loin and fish. When the pie arrived at my desk, I knew I’d made a sensible choice. To all the garlic and onion lovers on the market — it doesn’t get any higher than this. Each chunk melted in my mouth, because the scallion bechamel sauce and garlic oil fashioned a exceptional mixture of flavors. The crispy and crunchy crust was the proper canvas for my favourite pie of 2023.
