
A brand new data-driven listing of America’s Finest Pizza Cities is so dangerous the web gods made me write about it. Earlier this month, lending agency Anytime Estimate launched its closing pizza rankings of fifty cities that just about ignored New York and named Ohio the perfect state for pizza in america.
Worst of all, Phoenix was named #9 in an inventory of the nation’s worst pizza cities, proper between San Diego and Austin. Riverside, California has earned the doubtful honor of worst pizza city within the nation, maybe because of the abundance of California Pizza Kitchens within the space?
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What the hell is that this listing primarily based on?
In line with this listing, the perfect pizza metropolis is Detroit, Michigan, which is clearly wonderful for Detroit skillet pizza. Nonetheless, it “additionally ranks #1 for searches for barbecue hen pizza.” Oh my.
A number of different Ohio cities had been excessive on the listing of finest, with Cleveland in second, Columbus in third and Cincinnati at 19.
This listing of pizzas appears fairly lengthy. So what’s the issue ?
In line with their web site, the information relies on the next components:
- Google Developments is considering 20 variations of pizza.
- Pizzerias per 100,000 inhabitants.
- Pizzerias per sq. mile.
- Google Developments is on the whole pizza phrases.
- Impartial pizzerias per 100,000 inhabitants.
- Common worth and affordability of cheese pizza.
- Common worth and affordability of pepperoni pizza.
- Massive pizza chains per 100,000 inhabitants.
The listing additionally features a breakdown of various classes, like the perfect “taco pizza” cities (Indianapolis, Indiana), the perfect Sicilian pizza cities (Louisville, Kentucky), and the perfect breakfast pizza cities (Buffalo, New York).
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Arizona pizza is various and award-winning

These are attention-grabbing classes, however the listing does not measure one crucial factor: Chris Bianco. The Arizona pizza icon actually gained the nation’s most prestigious meals award, the James Beard Award for Finest Chef within the Southwest in 2003, is up for Finest Restaurateur in 2022, and was named ” America’s Finest Pizza Maker” by Invoice Addison in a 2015 Eater article.
Bianco is only one of our extremely proficient native pizza makers. There’s additionally Claudio Urciuoli from Pa’La and Tanner Locust from Through Della Slice Store, which I named Finest New Restaurant of 2021. Cibo City Pizzeria in downtown Phoenix was additionally named one of many Finest Pizzerias of the nation by The Every day Meal in 2020 And all the best way again in 2017, Journey + Leisure highlighted La Piazza Al Forno and Spinato’s once they named Phoenix the perfect pizza city within the nation.
Past these accolades, it might be practically unattainable for an inventory to seize the astounding number of neighborhood joints, deep Chicago cheese dishes, and rustic Neapolitan eateries we’ve got right here within the Valley.
All that to say that this listing is a failure.
No shade in Ohio, however the one factor I actually need to eat once I’m there’s Cincinnati chili.
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Contact journalist Andi Berlin at [email protected] Observe her on Fb @andiberlin, Instagram @andiberlin or Twitter @andiberlin.
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