CHELSEA, Manhattan (PIX11) — To the surprise of many – especially New Yorkers – a new survey conducted by AnytimeEstimate.com rounded up the top 15 cities for pizza and not only did The Big Apple not crack the top five, it didn’t even make the list. So who did make the list?
Pittsburgh came in at No. 5, then Boston at No. 4. Cleveland and Columbus slid in at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Detroit took the top spot.
“Three of the metrics that we were looking at included independent pizzerias, which surprisingly, New York did not have many of,” explained Danetha Doe, spokesperson for Clever Real Estate.
Google analytics that focused on searches on pizza varieties was another factor, along with the number of pizza shops per 100,000 residents, Doe said. Even though the metrics didn’t work in New York’s favor, if you ask any pizza connoisseur, putting Detroit on top makes a whole lotta sense. Just ask Francis Garcia.
“When I ate it I started singing Motown music,” Garcia said. “I fell in love with Detroit.”
Garcia, who co-founded the famed Artichoke Basille’s pizza, opened up Lions and Tigers and Squares on 23rd Street in Chelsea in 2018 after he experienced a slice of the Motor City’s famous pizza during a visit to Detroit. Lions and Tigers and Squares is one of just two shops in New York City dedicated to the Detroit’s square pan pizza.
“They use cheddar cheese and what they do is put the sauce on top hot when the pie comes out,” he explained.
“When you bite into it, it’s not like a regular pizza. You’re getting a mouthful of sauce, it hits the top of your mouth first, and you got a nice, almost soufflé type of dough.”
As hard as it may be to swallow for some New Yorkers, Detroit is doing something right.
“This is the best pizza I’ve ever had in my life,” a construction worker born and raised in New York confessed to PIX11 on a recent visit
