A coalition of pizza aficionados, politicians, and community leaders embarked on a journey from Tweed New Haven Airport to Washington, DC, on Wednesday with a singular mission: to assert their dominance atop the pizza hierarchy.
The expedition, spearheaded by Colin Caplan, a renowned pizza connoisseur and proprietor of the esteemed “Taste of New Haven Food Tours,” descended upon the nation’s capital via an Avelo Airlines charter flight. Comprising approximately 110 individuals, the group converged at the Capitol, where they received a warm welcome from Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, an advocate for New Haven – renowned for its signature New Haven style “apizza.”
DeLauro proclaimed, “We are here to declare New Haven as the pizza capital of the United States!”
This bold declaration was enshrined in the Congressional Record amidst jubilant cheers echoing from the Capitol steps. Caplan affirmed, “This will be read on the floor and it will be a permanent record in the Library of Congress.”
Among the Connecticut contingent stood Jennifer Kelly, granddaughter of Frank Pepe and a current custodian of the iconic Frank Pepe’s Pizza Napoletana. She remarked, “This is a joyous day to have all these Connecticut restaurants in Connecticut pizza restaurants and to come together as a family because we are a family.”
Unsurprisingly, proponents of Connecticut’s pizza supremacy dismissed any notion that New York could rival their culinary prowess. New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker asserted, “It’s important for us to be here to formally acknowledge that New Haven has the best pizza.”
Caplan echoed this sentiment, declaring, “This is an epic day, it’s an epic day for New Haven, it’s an epic day for Connecticut.”
As the debate over pizza superiority rages on, these champions of Connecticut’s pizza legacy stand united, ready to defend their title as the preeminent purveyors of pizza excellence.
