Pizza is a universal food. Most of us grew up with pizza. All of us have an opinion about pizza.
If you are from New York, it's New York pizza. If you are from Chicago, it's Chicago Deep Dish. The West Coast pizza fans have their own traditional Italian pizza as well as New Wave pizza.
Of course if you are from New Haven, Connecticut, you spend hours debating who makes the best apizza: is it Sally's or Pepe's? Then there are those who favor Modern Apizza. New Haven pizza fans are fanatics.
Woven across the U.S. are small pockets of regional pizza favorites. For example, on Long Island, New York, it's a type of pizza called Grandmother's Pizza. If you are from a certain area in Pennsylvania, you favor Old Forge, pizza.
There are types of pizza for every different taste: there is thin crust Neapolitan pizza, and there is thick crust Scilian pizza. Chicago deep dish, is a pizza unlike an other. California pizza can be thin with unusual ingredients for unique tastes.
People don't argue about steakhouses or hamburgers or Chinese food, but pizza hits a chord. It's a magical little disk that makes things happen. It doesn't matter if you're in Pennsylvania or Wisconsin, your own region makes the best pizza in the world. You tend to favor pizza you grew up with.
There are also, the master pizzaiolo, who defy any region and make the best pizza possible putting their heart and soul into each pizza produced. These are the legends of pizza (http://legendsofpizza.com/).
Here is a short list of pizzaiolo, who do it their way. Not for fame or glory but because they are dedicated to the craft of creating incredible pizza.
Pizzaiolo Chris Bianco, (Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix, Arizona), is regarded by some, as making the finast pizza in the U.S. Ed LaDou, is another highly acclaimed pizza master. He created Wolfgang Pucks Pizza as well as California Pizza Kitchen's pizza. He now makes pizza for his own Caiote Pizza Cafe. Tony Gemignani (8 time World Pizza Champion and co-owner of Pyzano's Pizza) and Brian Spangler (Apizza Scholls, Portland, Oregon), each carry on the tradition of pizza passion and strive for pizza perfection. Gary Bimonte, grandson of Frank Pepe continues his grandfather's legacy at Pepe's in New Haven, Connecticut.
Another Legend of Pizza is Peter Reinhart, author, baker and pizzaiolo. Peter told me once, there are only two types of pizza: good pizza and great pizza.
Peter went on a quest to find the best pizza in the United States. His book, American Pie, chronicles his pizza adventures.
Who makes the best pizza?
You decide who makes the best pizza. What kind of pizza do you like? The best pizza is entirely a personal choice. Your choice.
You can find an extensive listing of The Best Pizza in the World at this link:
http://pizzatherapy.com/bestpizz.htm
Discover the Legends of pizza: http://legendsof pizza.com
Get free copy of Albert Grande's e-book about "Big Ideas" at this link: http://grandepublishing.com/sq.htm
