Move Over, New York: This State Claims It's The Pizza Capital Of America

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When you think of the Pizza Capital of America, your mind probably drifts to the pizzerias of New York or maybe even Chicago, with its deep-dish fame. However, there's a state just north of New York quietly (or not-so-quietly anymore) waging a delicious campaign to claim that crown. Together, tradition, quirky pride, and a love for molten cheese have stoked something extraordinary in this modest, pizza-obsessed place.

Step onto the streets of New Haven, Connecticut, and you'll sense a fierce, slice-fueled identity forming. In 2024, U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro read a formal declaration into the Congressional Record, naming New Haven — and by extension Connecticut — as the Pizza Capital of the United States. A jet plane carrying over 100 pizza makers and fans even flew to Washington, D.C., to back the proclamation in person. Later, Governor Ned Lamont doubled down by announcing a Pizza Capital Trail, touting Connecticut's tremendous number of pizzerias and the food's role in tourism and jobs.

This isn't just clever marketing. Connecticut boasts the most pizza places per capita in the nation, and New Haven-style "apizza" has achieved cult status. Its signature thin, coal-fired crusts are charred, chewy. Iconic spots like Frank Pepe's, Modern Apizza, and Sally's not only helped popularize Connecticut's unique pizza style but have attracted crowds and earned accolades over the years.

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Let's talk about apizza (locally pronounced "ah-BEETS"). It sprang to life at Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana in 1925 and defined New Haven's pizza identity. Its hallmark is a thin, oblong crust from a coal-fired oven, lightly topped — sometimes with just tomato sauce and pecorino romano — and finished with charred edges. The eatery also serves a white clam pie that's legendary.

The restaurants known as the "Holy Trinity" of apizza — Modern Apizza, Frank Pepe's, and Sally's Apizza — are frequently cited as some of the best pizza places in the entire U.S. Modern Apizza has been praised by Playboy and was named 2023 Pizzeria of the Year by Pizza Today. Frank Pepe's, meanwhile, is a James Beard America's Classics honoree. It celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2025 and even had a street corner in New Haven dedicated to its founders.

Some inventive pizza experiences await in the Constitution State, too. At the New Haven night club, BAR, for example, you'll find a wide variety of options, including Mexican street-corn pies and mashed potato-and-bacon creations. It is one of the top picks on the Connecticut Pizza Capital Trail, which was selected by public votes. Other places that were spotlighted include Zuppardi's, Colony Grill, and the aforementioned apizza trinity. Connecticut is also home to Greek-style pizza, which was invented in New London in 1955. It entails baking pizza in shallow, oiled metal pans, resulting in a spongy, airy, focaccia-like crust — it's a whole different bite and totally Connecticut-flavored.