Seven N.J. pizzas are named among the nation's 101 best by The Daily Meal.
Razza Pizza Artigianale in Jersey City serves the nation’s second best pizza, according to The Daily Meal.
The food/drink website, in its annual list of the nation’s 101 best pizzas, singled out Razza’s Bufala pizza, with crushed N.J. heirloom tomato sauce, N.J. water buffalo milk mozzarella, garlic and basil, bested only by the white clam pizza with grated Parmesan, olive oil, garlic and oregano at Frank Pepe’s in New Haven, Connecticut.
“Not only has (Razza owner Dan) Richer perfected his crust — it’s crisp from end to end and its inside is soft with a complex flavor — he’s also meticulous about his toppings, which he sources locally,” according to The Daily Meal.
The website makes note of New York Times reviewer Pete Wells’ glowing review of Razza last year; he named it “the best pizza in New York.”
My review of Razza’s “terrific” pizza appeared in 2012; at the time, Richer said his goal was to make Razza “the best pizzeria in the country.”
The Jersey City pizzeria was one of 10 finalists in our N.J.s best pizzeria showdown last summer. Razza’s Bufala pie placed No. 46 on Daily Meal’s 101 best pizzas list last year.
Seven N.J. pizzas made The Daily Meal’s top 101 this year — an improvement from six last year and five in 2016. The Sicilian at Santillo’s Brick Oven Pizza in Elizabeth is No. 32, while the tomato pie at De Lorenzo’s Tomato Pies in Robbinsville is ranked No. 37, and the thin-crust pizza at Star Tavern in Orange is No. 41.
The sausage pizza at Papa’s Tomato Pies in Robbinsville is No. 49, the A Mano pizza with marinara, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, arugula and basil at A Mano in Ridgewood is No. 81, and the Sicilian at Bruno’s Pizzeria in Clifton is No. 82.
New York, to no one’s surprise, dominated the rankings, with 36 pizzas in the top 101, one more than last year (the top-rated pizza in the city? The Boom Pie at John’s on Bleecker Street).
California has the second most pizzerias in the rankings, with 10; Connecticut is third, with seven. The website’s “blue chip, geographically diverse list of panelists — chefs, restaurant critics, bloggers, writers and just plain pizza authorities” considered nearly 1,000 pizzas in all. A total of 20 states are represented in the rankings.
Peter Genovese may be reached at pgenovese@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @PeteGenovese or via The Munchmobile @NJ_Munchmobile. Find the Munchmobile on Facebook and Instagram.
