Jay's Artisan Pizza, 2872 Delaware Ave., Kenmore, was recently ranked the sixth best pizzeria in the United States. Buffalo is no Naples but the area’s Neapolitan pizza is earning some recognition on a national scale.
Jay’s Artisan Pizza (2872 Delaware Ave., Kenmore) and Pizzeria Florian (650 Main St., East Aurora) were both named within a list of top 50 pizza spots in the country created by Italian online pizza guide 50 Top Pizza.
Jay’s ranked No. 6 and Pizzeria Florian, only open for five months, ranked No. 44.
“It’s nice to be recognized for all the hard work we put in,” said Jay’s owner Joe Powers. The pizzerias are closely linked. Jay Langfelder opened and operated Jay’s Artisan Pizza, where he gained a following for his wood-fired Neapolitan pizza.
He sold the business in 2020 to Powers, who had been working at Jay’s since he was a teenager. Langfelder trained him in the art of Neapolitan pizza – thin dough topped with seasonal and local ingredients – which Powers continues to make. Powers has moved up the ranks of 50 Top Pizza’s list for the last four years.
Pizzeria Florian, 650 E. Main St., serves Italian and New York-style pizza with local ingredients.
Langfelder opened Pizzeria Florian with his wife, Amanda Jones, in June after spending the last few years catering (including making pizza for Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s wedding). The pies at Pizzeria Florian’s are Neapolitan-inspired but also infuse elements of other Italian and New .
