Style The guide

From world-renowned to under-the-radar, these pizza styles have made their mark on an ever-evolving food category.

BY TRACY MORIN

There’s an old adage in boxing: Styles make fights. But this phrase can apply to the ranks of pizza aficionados, too. How often have you heard someone vigorously defend the pie style they grew up with, proclaiming it “the best” and unwilling to entertain any argument to the contrary?

Of course, we at PMQ aren’t here to take sides. We love all passionate pizza lovers—including every pizzeria operator who is sure that his or her pizza is “the best.” We also embrace an unwavering appreciation for pizza in every name, shape and form, from char-speckled Neapolitan and Chicago stuffed to oversize New York slices and gourmet-topping California creations.

Though there are enough styles around the world to fill encyclopedia-size tomes, we’ve selected just a few for this roundup—a way to celebrate pizza in just some of its many beautiful expressions.

The Usual Suspects

Beloved from coast to coast—and, in some cases, legendary the world over—these pizza regions and their styles have cemented their stamp on the development and popularity of Americans’ favorite food.

New York

For many consumers, New York-style pies are a sort of American gold standard. And that association somewhat makes sense, as so many Italian immigrants seeking to recreate their fortunes in the New World flooded in through Ellis Island and settled throughout New York City. Naturally, they brought some traditions from home with them—including pizza. Today’s New York City actually serves up tons of styles, from coal-fired pies crackled with char at one of Little Italy’s original landmarks, Lombardi’s, to thick-crust grandma pies served in squares. But when most people think of the New York-style pie, they think large, foldable slices; dough made with high-gluten flour; and low-moisture mozzarella in generous doses. This bona fide Big Apple legend can now be found in pizzerias around the world.

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Chicago

The Windy City is known for its deep-dish pies, often a must-try for tourists visiting iconic spots like the original Pizzeria Uno—home of the original deep-dish, created by then-owner Ike Sewell in the 1940s. But many Chicago natives cling to (and grew up with) the thin-crust version of Chicago pies, which are cut into squares and churned out to crispy perfection by no-nonsense outlets like the iconic Vito & Nick’s Pizzeria on the city’s South Side. Then there’s stuffed pizza, a creation claimed by Nancy’s Pizzeria, which crafts pies that are 2.5” thick, with toppings and cheese sandwiched between two layers of crust—a take on an Italian Easter pie tradition that, fittingly, has been stuffing Chicagoans and visitors alike since the early ’70s.

Detroit

The Motor City gave us legends from the modern assembly line to Motown music, but the Detroit-style pizza is one of its greatest contributions. Pioneered in the 1940s at Buddy’s Rendezvous Pizza, a light, airy dough was placed into rectangular blue steel pans (a staple of the city’s automobile industry), and toppings were applied “backward”: first pepperoni, then cheese and sauce. The well-greased pans and to-the-edge cheese application (traditionally the Wisconsin brick variety) create caramelized, crunchy corners that are utterly irresistible. Since its unveiling decades ago, the Detroit pie has spawned many operations in the region over the years, but the style also became one of the trendiest in the late 2010s, popping up in pizzerias around the country.

Neapolitan

In the aughts, this style made a ferocious resurgence around the United States, with new-school examples cropping up from coast to coast. Chefs like Roberto Caporuscio at New York’s Kesté Pizza & Vino and Jonathan Goldsmith at Chicago’s Spacca Napoli Pizzeria lovingly recreated the labor-intensive style that Naples-born pizzaioli had perfected over hundreds of years. Today, organizations like the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN) and the Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani (APN) oversee certifications for authentic Neapolitan ingredients and processes, like quick cooking in a wood-fired oven running at about 900°, kneading dough with hands or an approved mixer, fermenting at least eight hours, and all-natural toppings. The resulting pizza, according to the VPN, should be “round, with a diameter no greater than 35 centimeters,” with a “puffed up” crust and a thin center (maximum 4 millimeters thick).

Fan Favorites

PMQ solicited opinions on favorite pizza styles from operators and consumers alike—and what makes them great. Here’s a roundup of some regional fan favorites.

California

Reza Kamalian, director of operations for Pizza Guys, oversees a Sacramento-based franchise concept with 70 locations throughout California and Oregon, so it’s no surprise he gravitates toward the West Coast style. “A California-style pizza is a thin-crust pizza, usually topped with locally sourced, sustainably grown ingredients,” Kamalian says. “These pizzas tend to contain more healthy, fresh and organic ingredients than traditional pizza styles, like artichoke hearts, avocado and figs, or leafy greens like arugula, baby spinach, kale and basil. California-style pizza embraces creativity by pizza makers and allows them to think outside of the box when creating new pizzas for their customers to enjoy.”

Oaxacan

Dwight Zahringer, president of Pure Cabo in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, often connects visitors with local dining outposts, and he wants to put a little-known style in the ring of up-andcomers. “If you’re looking for an offbeat, diverse pizza style that’s making its way into U.S. mainstream dining, look no further than tlayudas,” Zahringer asserts. “Tlayudas are a beloved Mexican street food from the Oaxaca region that hit the mainstream after being voted Latin America’s best street food in a Netflix-sponsored online contest, hosted in early 2020.” This style—already on the radar in the Southwest, especially in Los Angeles and San Diego—is now being served as far away as Chicago. “Tlayudas are made from a masa-based dough that’s flattened, then baked or fried until it’s almost identical to an Italian pizza dough,” Zahringer says. “Refried beans are smeared on as a ‘sauce’ base, followed by Oaxaca cheese. Common toppings include chorizo, tasajo (cured beef), pork asada, mushrooms, onions and peppers galore, then finally cabbage and salsa.”

Roman

Roman-style pizza has picked up steam in the United States over the last few years, leading to the establishment of centers like the Roman Pizza Academy in Miami, which offers courses in creating Roman styles like Pizza al Taglio, Pizza alla Pala and Pinsa. Ingredient guidelines include 00 flour, tomato passata for the sauce (without any additions, like basil), and “slightly aged, premium, whole-milk loaf mozzarella,” with cheeses like fior di latte and buffalo mozzarella as other options after a prebake process. “Roman taglio pizza is distinguished by its light, airy, honeycomb, cavernous crust, with a slightly crunchy yet chewy texture,” explains chef Avni Latifi, who is certified in Roman pizza, and co-owner of Harry’s Prohibition Bistro and owner of Harry’s Diner in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. “The special dough rests and ferments for up to 96 hours prior to baking, is cooked three times, and is served as rectangular slices ‘by the cut,’ using a specific style of kitchen scissors. Roman Pinsa is a ‘cloud’ of pizza, with a delightful, crispy texture on the outside and an incredibly soft, tasty inside.”

New Haven

It might not get as much press as its neighbor, the New Yorkstyle pie, but don’t be fooled: Many a pizza lover places this Connecticut staple at the very top of the American pizza style list. Caleb Chen, who regularly seeks out food to feature on his website, The Highest Critic, fell in love with New Haven apizza on a recent road trip—and is already planning more returns (all the way from the West Coast) just to eat his new favorite. “I truly believe that New Haven apizza deserves its spot as the No. 1 pizza in America,” Chen says. “The defining characteristics are a longer cold fermentation for the dough, resulting in a chewier crust, which is also thinner than many other pizzas and more charred. And many people who try apizza will remember the toppings: White clam pizza and tomato pie aren’t classics everywhere in the country, but they should be!”

Tracy Morin is PMQ’s senior copy editor and the editor of PizzaVegan.com.