Connecticut pizza artisans, with US Rep. Rosa DeLauro as their cheerleader, flew to Washington DC earlier this week, making a bold proclamation that New Haven is now America's official pizza capital, ruffling some New York feathers in the process. Inviting the noteworthy players in Connecticut's vibrant pizza, or 'apizza' arena onto the Capitol steps, DeLauro also championed this sentiment in a formal House statement, asserting that New Haven has taken the pizza throne.

New York City, which has traditionally held the honor of America's premier pizza destination, expressed surprise and disagreement at the new proclamation. A Brooklyn-based pizzeria owner encapsulated the city's bemused reaction, "That's crazy." Indeed, for most people across the nation, New York is synonymous with pizza. Recently, Good Day New York identified the top five best pizza places across its five boroughs.

In Manhattan, the crown was bestowed upon East Village Pizza, under the stewardship of Turkish immigrant Frank Kabatas, who's been associated with the pizzeria for as long as he remembers. "My journey with East Village Pizza started the day I arrived from Turkey in 1997," he reminisced in an interview with WNBC's 'New York Live'. "I hustled to find work and finally got a job at this pizzeria as a delivery guy."

Frank spent six months delivering pies for East Village Pizza before his unfortunate dismissal, blamed for a dough mishap. Unfazed by this setback, he remained in the pizza industry, honing his pizza-making skills at various pizza joints in New York. His hard-earned expertise resulted in an exciting venture when he learned that East Village Pizza was on the market. He seized this opportunity to attain his first ownership.

Reminiscing about his journey, Kabatas shared, "A lot of my firsts happened here in this place. My first taste of pizza, my first job, and eventually my first ownership."

Being recognized as one of New York city's top five pizzerias has given East Village Pizza fresh bragging rights. The other winners in this pizza crown race were Lee’s Tavern in Staten Island, Lou & Ernie’s Pizza in The Bronx, Bruno’s Ristorante in Queens, and a tie between Krispy Pizza and Pizza Wagon in Brooklyn.

Good Day New York annually conduct their Best of the Boroughs contest, where viewers vote for their favorites in categories such as pizza, bagels, burgers, desserts, and sandwiches. It's worth noting that Modern Apizza in New Haven, Connecticut, accepted Pizza Today’s Pizzeria of the Year award in 2023.

But, regardless of the heated annual debates about the nation’s best pizza or the official pizza capital, the true victor is the individual savoring a freshly baked slice, regardless of its origin.