Mexican Pizza, Caliente Pizza Contest and the Top 50 Pizza Shops in the U.S. (according to Italy)
Mexican Pizza, Caliente Pizza Contest and the Top 50 Pizza Shops in the U.S. (according to Italy)
Back from vacation and the pizza news keeps on hitting!
Hello fellow pizza enthusiast!
I am reporting to you live from the dog days of summer asking you, my pizza pal, does it ever get too hot to eat pizza? Is pizza best consumed at a particular dew point or percentage of humidity? When is the sun’s rays too intense to grab a pie on the Spirit porch?
Those are some of the questions I ponder as the mercury slowly crawls up the thermometer. While I’m thinking about that, other institutions out there have been pondering what is the best pizza in the region / country / world. Let’s talk about that!
Caliente Host Personal Pizza Championships
Pizza shops host the same pizza makers, day in, day out, making the same pizza ad nauseam. Stretching the same dough, tossing the pie, baking the millionth pepperoni pizza in the depths of summer makes you want more. Something different.
I don’t know if that’s what the folks of Caliente are thinking, but they hosted a pizza competition at their Aspinwall Shop, judged by Ryan Shazier, to find the next best pizza to put on their menu. Pizza is below.
The Parker Parm, created by Zachary Thompson and his son Parker, looks to be a pizza topped with fried chicken. The same kind of pizza my kid would create (though with more Craisins). A chicken Parmesan pizza, basically. I can’t find a description online, but look for this to be on the Caliente menu starting in July.
Best Pizza in America According to Italy
Every year Italy puts out a list of the top pizza places around the globe with a special section dedicated to the pizzas of the United States. According to the website, it is a very thorough process that takes into account the pizza, service, plus wine and beer pairings.
The number one pizza in the country is Una Pizza Napoletana in NYC. Have you been? Oddly enough this place was not on my radar for my recent NYC visit. Hard to believe there’s better pizza than Scarr’s or L’Industrie.
The list is here and I’m sorry to say that zero pizza shops from Pittsburgh make the list. In fact, only one pizzeria from Pennsylvania is Pizzeria Beddia.
According to the website, the ranking is carried out by a clandestine group of Italian pizza experts. They go to every single restaurant on the list anonymously and grade the shop on a number of metrics. These pizza inspectors go under cover, leave their families behind, assume alternate identities to rank the best pizza in the world.
What does 50TopPizza recognize?
The inspectors of the guide are invited to consider the pizzeria as a whole, and to judge it on the basis of its capacity to guarantee the well-being of the patron based on his or her ability to make an informed choice. This begins with the service and is followed by the opportunity to choose wines and beers. It also includes cleanliness, and considers the aesthetics of the space and its décor. The condition of the restrooms is also considered. Furthermore, the physical well-being of the patron is also important, so the evaluation of the pizza based both on the flavor and on food hygiene.
Greetings from Mexican Pizza!
I’m sorry to report I didn’t personally have any pizza in Mexico. I’m no fool. All the pizza looked like it was made by someone who was trying their best to reverse engineer pizza without any guidance.
I did eat a lot of great shrimp tacos if that’s any consolation!
King of pizza down in Mexico is Domino’s. The Domino’s delivery bike was outside our hotel 24/7. And you gotta admit, this pizza looks delicious. Can you imagine a pizza billboard in America featuring a delicious Hawaiian pizza??
This place in a plaza surrounded by high-end shopping was highly rated by Trip Advisor, but it looked a little out of place.
Thanks for reading and please consider sharing this with a friend. Pizza ya later!
-Dan Tallarico, Pizza Journalist