(New York, NY) – Food is a passionate topic. Few things evoke more intense regional pride. Whether its BBQ, pasta, wings, ice cream, hot dogs, or pizza — among others — everyone has their opinion on where to get the best stuff. There’s even science behind it — for example an entrepreneur realized years ago that New York City bagels and pizza are partially influenced by the tap water used. And so that same business owner brought a machine down to Florida that change the water’s chemical properties, making it “New York-like.”
The passion that drives opinions on everything nutritious and delicious is underscored by the potential for disagreement — and debate. Around the Tri-state, there’s no consensus as to who has the best anything. But that’s perhaps especially accurate when talking about pizza. New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut all lay claim to having the best pizza pie. New Haven in particular is considered the pizza capital of Connecticut — and to hear city residents tell it, the capital of the pizza world.
A new billboard campaign aims to make that clear. In Midtown Manhattan, a massive sign set up at Ninth Avenue and 40th Street says it in bold letters — Connecticut has the nation’s best pizza. It’s located right above a pizzeria. The nerve of those Nutmeg State blue bloods!
News 12 spoke to Anthony Anthony, who is Connecticut’s chief marketing officer. He said: “I will say, having lived in New York for 10 years, it’s definitely courageous. It’s definitely bold, but I’ll tell you what it is – a friendly, fun food fight. And at the end of the day, no matter whether people love it or hate it, the fact of the matter is we’re all talking about pizza. And this just raises awareness of pizza, whether it’s Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Chicago, Detroit … this is all in good friendly fun.”
A slice of pizza from a NYC joint is an iconic image in many ways. So too is the New York subway — where you can find the “CT pizza is best” signs. Anthony is not apologizing for the marketing efforts. “I think for a state like Connecticut, which so many people call a pass-through state or a drive-through state, I think the reality is we’re showing the world that we are a drive-to state,” he explained. And he added: “we’re giving the people who are here a sense of pride and identity that maybe Connecticut didn’t have before.”
