The history of pizza is long, delicious, and surprisingly international — stretching from ancient flatbreads to the global phenomenon we know today. Here’s a breakdown of how it evolved:

🍞 Ancient Origins: Flatbreads Before Pizza

  • Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome all had flatbreads topped with oils, herbs, or cheese.

  • The Romans made a dish called picea — a flatbread baked on hot stones and topped with oils and spices.

  • These early versions weren’t “pizza” yet, but they set the stage.

🍅 Birth of Modern Pizza — Naples, Italy (1700s–1800s)

  • Naples, a bustling port city in the 18th century, was home to many working-class people who needed cheap, quick food.

  • Street vendors began selling flatbreads topped with tomatoes, which had recently arrived from the Americas.

  • Locals loved it — especially the poor — even though tomatoes were once thought to be poisonous!

👑 Margherita & the Royal Connection (1889)

  • The most famous pizza story: In 1889, Neapolitan pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito made a pizza for Queen Margherita of Savoy.

  • He used ingredients in the colors of the Italian flag:

    • Red: tomato sauce

    • White: mozzarella cheese

    • Green: basil

  • He called it the Pizza Margherita, and it became iconic — marking the birth of modern pizza.

🇺🇸 Pizza Comes to America (Early 1900s)

  • Italian immigrants brought pizza to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

  • The first U.S. pizzeria: Lombardi’s, opened in New York City in 1905 — it’s still around today.

  • After World War II, returning soldiers who’d eaten pizza in Italy craved it back home, sparking a pizza boom across America.

🍕 Regional Styles Emerge

Each region developed its own spin:

  • New York-style: Large, foldable, thin crust with tomato sauce and mozzarella.

  • Chicago deep dish: Thick, buttery crust with sauce on top of cheese.

  • Detroit-style: Rectangular, crispy edges, and caramelized cheese.

  • New Haven apizza: Charred, chewy crust, simple tomato sauce.

  • California-style: Creative toppings like arugula, goat cheese, and artichokes.

🌍 Pizza Goes Global (Late 20th Century–Today)

  • Chains like Domino’s, Pizza Hut, and Papa John’s spread pizza around the world.

  • In modern times, pizza has gone gourmet again — with Neapolitan wood-fired pies, artisan doughs, and creative toppings leading the trend.

  • The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) now certifies authentic Neapolitan pizzerias worldwide.

🔥 Fun Facts

  • The word “pizza” first appeared in writing in 997 AD in Gaeta, Italy.

  • October is National Pizza Month in the U.S.

  • The world eats over 5 billion pizzas per year, and about 3 billion of those are in the U.S. alone!

 

Top Pizza in Palm Beach County

  • Mamma Mia’s on the Beach (Lake Worth Beach) — Voted Best Pizza in Palm Beach County by Palm Beach Post readers. Palm Beach Post+1

  • The Underground Pizza (Palm Beach Gardens) — Known for its deep dish and hand-tossed styles. theundergroundpizza.com

  • Adrienne’s Pizzabar (West Palm Beach) — Offers “NYC Round” and Sicilian styles in a stylish setting. adriennespizzabar.com

  • Ah-Beetz New Haven Pizza — Authentic New Haven “apizza” (thin, crisp, charred) with several locations in the county. Ah-Beetz

  • Santana Pizza (Palm Beach Gardens) — Serving hand-tossed, New York style for decades. santanapizza.com

  • Pizza Al Fresco — Wood-burning, brick oven pizzas in Palm Beach. Pizzaalfresco

  • Lynora’s — Featured on “best of” lists for its coal-fired / artisan style. miami.eater.com+1

 

More Top Picks

  1. Mamma Mia’s on the Beach (Lake Worth Beach)

  2. Death by Pizza (Delray Beach / West Delray)

⚡ Runner-Up

 

  • Santana Pizza (Palm Beach Gardens & Jupiter area) — longtime New York-style favorite; very consistent. santanapizza.com

  • Grato, Pizza Al Fresco, City Pizza Italian Cuisine are also often mentioned among the best in West Palm Beach. stacker.com+1