The State Food? Anyway You Slice It, CT's Pizza Roots Are In New Haven

NEW HAVEN, CT — Is it apizza, or, 'Ah, pizza!'

If a bunch of New Haven lawmakers get their way, the globally popular food, may soon become the state's official food. The very first pizzeria in America is credited as Lombardi's in New York City's Little Italy in 1905.

According to "pizza historian, author, and Taste of New Haven empresario" Colin Caplan, New Haven's first pizza joint opened in 1915 on Fountain Street in the Westville section of the city by baker Francesco Scelzo. In 1925, Frank Pepe opened what would become among the world's best known pizzerias, Pepe's on Wooster Street. In 1935, Modern Apizza was born and Sally's came along in 1938.

Thursday, on National Pizza Day, Caplan, Modern Apizza owner Bill Pustari and other "pizza-loving" city, civic, and elected officials will celebrate National Pizza Day and New Haven pizza at Modern. Along with Lt. Governor Bysiewicz, New Haven Mayor Elicker, Caplan, and others will talk about the proposed “Pizza Bill,” S.B. 390, which seeks to make pizza Connecticut’s official state food.

New Haven native, Caplan wrote Pizza in New Haven, produced a film called Pizza, a Love Story and leads food and pizza tours through Taste of New Haven. Caplan originated the idea of making pizza the official state food of Connecticut. Connecticut currently has no official state food, and no other state has yet claimed the designation.

By the way, New Haven has 100 pizza parlors, city officials.

Every New Haven Democrat lawmaker signed on to the bill, which is pretty simple: make pizza Connecticut's state food. Track the bill here.