By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-06-02 06:37:03 | Updated at 2026-06-07 14:15:05
5 days ago
There's a new pizza capital - and surprisingly, it's not Detroit, Chicago or New York City.
Indeed, California has dethroned New York City as the home of the best pie in America.
Los Angeles has seen a pizza renaissance over recent years, with pandemic pop-ups maturing into first-class restaurants that have mastered the best styles from Naples to Detroit.
A very well regarded listing of the nation's best pies - 50 Top Pizza - has put three California pizzerias in their top five, but only one entry from New York City.
Tied for second place are Pizzeria Sei by William Joo in Los Angeles and Tony's Pizza Napoletana by Tony Gemignani in San Francisco. And fourth went to Truly Pizza in Dana Point, California, a charming beach town just south of LA.
Now it's important to point out that Gotham still took the top spot: Anthony Mangieri's Una Pizza Napoletana claimed the top spot on the list for the fifth straight year.
But California's pizza partisans will point out that Mangieri's restaurant launched in New Jersey in 1998 and came of age during an eight-year stint in… California, specifically San Francisco, from 2010 to 2018.
Third place went to Razza by Dan Richer in Jersey City, and fifth place went to Francesco Martucci in Miami, Florida.
William Joo of Pizzaria Sei took the number two spot in the 50 Top Pizza ranking
Tony Gemignani of Tony's Pizza tied Pizzaria Sei for second place=
The fourth place spot went to Truly Pizza in Dana Point, California
The organization behind the annual rankings, 50 Top Pizza, began in 2014 when a trio of Italians - Barbara Guerra, Luciano Pignatar and Albert Sapere - wanted to highlight exceptional pies nationwide.
Three other California pizzerias made the list: Flour House in San Luis Obispo took 22nd place, Nardo in Huntington Beach was 25th and San Diego's Tribute Pizza was 38th.
In addition, the organization's pizza of the year Latteria Sorrentina Award went to the umami mushroom pie made by Dana Point's Truly Pizza, adding another star to California's pizza crown.
The top fifteen entries on the list automatically qualify for consideration in the organization's ranking of the best pizzerias in the world, a list that is unsurprisingly dominated by Italy.
Number two winner Sei is more of an experimental outfit than other top winners, making it a point to experiment with daring combinations of dough and topping in a nod to Joo's experience in the world of fine dining.
Meanwhile, Tony's in San Francisco has become a pioneer of the rising art of the pizza tasting menu.
'We don't need their water, but we will gladly take their tears,' pizza influencer David Turkell told SF Gate when asked about California dominating the top five.
