If you’re looking for amazing pizza, look no further: we’ve rounded up 10 of the best pizza places in New York and San Francisco. But what makes these pizzas so special? And how can your teams learn from these places to create, improve and innovate further?
New York
First up: New York City, where the pizza scene is as diverse as the city itself, with everything from traditional grandma slices to artisanal pies made with seasonal ingredients straight from farms in upstate New York.
- Totonno, the legendary brick-oven pizza institution in Brooklyn, is starting to sell frozen pizzas for nationwide delivery since their on-site dining spot remains closed since the pandemic.
- In New York, new-school ‘Slice Shops’ are making some of the city’s best pizza, with modern bakers using naturally leavened doughs and high-quality ingredients to enhance traditional and classical offerings. Examples include:
- Sullivan Street Bakery in Hell’s Kitchen serves some of the city’s top Roman-style pizza squares.
- Corner Slice is an all-day bakery serving fine leavened slices with a blend of spelt and durum wheat.
- Fini Pizzeria in Williamsburg, switching the traditional ricotta for layers of fontina, parmesan and mozzarella, with an airy crust and lemon zest.
- Lombardi’s Pizza has been around since 1905 and was started by Gennaro Lombardi. It quickly became one of the most popular places in town and served as a meeting place for celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett.
- Ray’s Pizza is a Brooklyn favourite serving up classic New York slices—with a twist! They’re known for their unique toppings like crispy cornmeal crusts, BBQ chicken pizzas, and even vegan options.
- Pizzeria Delfina is now an institution with multiple locations across the city, offering one of the best pizza options, with nicely charred, puffy crusts and delicious seasonal toppings.
- Joyride Pizza opened 4 locations in San Francisco within its first 12 months of business. Focusing exclusively in the up-and-coming Detroit-style pizza (focaccia-like crust baked in a rectangular pan) the company sources seasonal ingredients, offers gluten-free and vegan options, and is always exploring ways to make its crust as light as possible.
- Newcomer Empire Pizza is offering slow-fermented doughs topped with flavourful sauces and homemade mozzarella (and hot honey for sweet lovers).
- Pizzetta 211 is embracing true produce seasonality, with constantly changing toppings depending on what is growing.
Inspire Your Teams
Our Business Innovation Programs connect you with leading innovators, suppliers, creative thinkers and outside-the-box businesses across the globe. Take your team to New York or San Francisco for a 2 or 3-day program combining meetings, brainstorming sessions, site visits with entertainment, accommodation… and plenty of amazing pizza!
Inspired?
If you want to discover how we can help you discover a whole new world of innovation and creative pizza flavours, get in touch today and start a conversation.
