A Margherita pie from Una Pizza Napoletana
Una Pizza Napoletana
The very best pizza in the world isn’t in Italy. Instead, it’s in New York City, according to an annual ranking from 50 Top Pizza, an Italy-based organization that sends anonymous inspectors to pizzerias around the globe.
This year, a restaurant on the Lower East Side called Una Pizza Napoletana claimed the top spot. Owned by New Jersey native Anthony Mangieri, the eatery beat out numerous competitors based in Naples—where the slice was invented—such as Diego Vitagliano Pizzeria (which tied for second) and 50 Kaló (which came in ninth).
Mangieri launched the current iteration of the restaurant in 2022, though he opened the first Una Pizza Napoletana on the Jersey Shore nearly 30 years ago. The shop has since migrated multiple times, moving to the East Village and San Francisco before settling in its current location.
Anthony Mangieri, the owner of Una Pizza Napoletana
Melanie Dunea
“The style of pizza that I make is rooted in Neapolitan, but it definitely has evolved over 27 years,” Mangieri told Eater’s Avery Dalal in 2023. However, while he’s always refining his techniques and tweaking his recipes, some parts of the process rarely change. “The secret is to add more water in … the last five minutes of the mix,” he added. “For many years, no pizza makers were doing this. This is rooted in ancient French bread baking techniques.”
Despite its name, 50 Top Pizza publishes annual rankings of the world’s 100 best pizzerias. This year, the list included restaurants from cities all over the globe, including Tokyo, London, Rome, Vienna, Makati and Hong Kong.
While Italy didn’t come in first, it dominated the rest of the rankings, winning 41 of the 100 top spots. Fifteen pizzerias in the United States made the cut, including Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco and Pizzeria Beddia in Philadelphia. But the judges seemed to think that Una Pizza Napoletana offered something unique.
Chef Anthony Mangieri makes dough for his award-winning pizza.
Mako Berman
“In a country always accustomed to putting everything on pizza, Anthony proposes only the purest tradition in toppings, with extraordinary quality ingredients,” the rankers write. “Marinara, Margherita, Cosacca and a pizza that changes every day, based on market ingredients. The dough nods to the contemporary, but is so personal that it probably cannot be classified.”
While anyone can make pizza, perfecting it is another story. Mangieri’s mastery comes from decades of dedication. He told Eater that he spent his childhood reading books about baking, and he’s made dough every day since he was 15.
“Did the first baker in Naples to smear tomato pulp on a patch of dough realize he was starting a cult?” wrote the New York Times’ Pete Wells in his 2023 rankings of the city’s best restaurants. “He was, and its house of worship in New York is Una Pizza Napoletana.”
While Wells ranked the eatery 15th place that year, he promoted it to 12th place in 2024. As its fame has grown, it has become an “acknowledged downtown institution,” wrote Wells. “Fans buy Una Pizza-branded apparel, extra-virgin olive oil and panettone; they begin lining up half an hour before the doors open.”
The first Una Pizza Napoletana opened almost 30 years ago at the Jersey Shore.
Mako Berman
In addition to delicious pizza, Una Pizza Napoletana is also known for its homemade ice cream and seasonal sorbets. Unfortunately, those who want to check out the restaurant will have to wait a few weeks. The shop is closed until October 4, while Mangieri and his team take a trip to Italy.
The chef tells CNN’s Forrest Brown that he is humbled by the media attention.
“It’s inspiring to be recognized for this 30 years into my career,” he says, adding: “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.”
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Filed Under:
Baking,
Cooking,
Food,
Food History,
Italy,
New York City,
Travel
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Publish date : 2024-09-20 07:23:00
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