Pelham Pizza Ranked Among Tops in the Country

Written by Barbara Heins

Some like thin and crispy. Others prefer thick and chewy. And as long as the sauce is tangy and the cheese is meltingly gooey and stringy, pizza aficionados have their ‘go-to’ destinations — some driving miles and miles, to sate their appetites for all things pizza.

The folks at TheDailyMeal.com have released their annual 101 Best Pizzas Across America survey and they discovered something that legions of Pelham residents already know — the best pizza in the region is baked at Pelham Pizza on Fifth Avenue.

Pelham Pizza’s sausage pie was rated number 85 of the more than 700 pizza joints reviewed across the United States. There were two pizza palaces in Westchester County to make the list, the other being Sal’s at number 66. In Connecticut, particularly in New Haven, there were five on the list including Frank Pepe’s and Sally’s Apizza.

Here’s part of what reviewers had to say about Pelham Pizza’s sausage pie:

“Pelham Pizza was opened in 1978 by two brothers from Italy, Luigi “Gino” and Ettore “John” Ruffolo. Gino ran the pizzeria after John passed away in 1988 until his own death just a few years ago. Since 2009, Gino’s son John and son-in-law Pino Mancini have kept up the tradition of soul-satisfying, thin-crust, family-pleasing New York-style pies that deliver without the fuss.”

Here are other regional favorites making TheDailyMeal.com’s top 101 pizza list:

#76 Roseland Apizza, Derby, Conn. (Plain Pie: Tomatauce, No Cheese)

#50 Zuppardi’s, New Haven, Conn. (Special: Mozzarella, Mushroom, Sausage, Marinara)

#24 Bru Room at Bar, New Haven, Conn. (Mashed Potato and Bacon)

#12 Modern Apizza, New Haven, Conn. (Italian Bomb)

#5 Sally’s Apizza, New Haven Conn. (Tomato Pie: Tomato Sauce, No Cheese)

#1 Frank Pepe, New Haven, Conn. (White Clam: Clams, Grated Parmesan, Olive Oil, Garlic, Oregano)

Patch Editor Alfred Branch contributed to this report.

Do you agree with the ratings? Tell us about your favorite pizza palace in the comments section.