You don’t need me to tell you that New Jersey is a pizza state. Throughout the 7,354 square miles that make up the Garden State, there are hundreds of pizzerias worth praise. One pizza maker in Jersey City was just recognized as one of the best pizzaiolos in the world.
Jersey City’s Razza is no stranger to global and nationwide acclaim. The eternally busy wood-fired pizzeria has been a destination for pizza lovers all over the country. In the past, it was even named, unironically, the best pizza in New York by The New York Times. The constant stream of accolades is thanks to pizzaiolo Dan Richer, who has developed a pizza as devoted to authenticity as it is to breaking it. His Neapolitan-inspired pies come topped with a bounty of local and imported ingredients, including Jersey tomatoes, fatty guanciale, hazelnuts and summer squashes.
Richer’s continued strive to make the best pizza that the Northeast U.S. has to offer has landed him numerous James Beard nominations and several spots on nation’s best lists. Now, he adds another notch to his belt.
The Best Pizza Awards recently named Richer one of the world’s most influential pizzaiolos for the third year in a row. Richer and Razza came in at 22 on the list, and the only recognition from New Jersey. The Best pizza Awards stated this of Richer: “Widely regarded as one of America’s most obsessive and visionary pizzaioli, Dan Richer is the chef and owner of Razza in Jersey City, NJ — the only pizzeria in the United States to earn an illustrious three-star review from The New York Times.”
You can view the whole list here.
Richer’s dedication to constantly improve his pizza is palpable. He speaks of pizza dough with scientific language. He obsesses over toppings. He pays close attention to temperature and how his pizza evolves with it. The result is a pizza that boasts a sum much larger than its parts. In past years, Richer came in at 16 (2024) and 8 (2023) on the list.
The lesson? Next time someone tries to tell you that Jersey pizza isn’t all that, you let them know that we have global recognition. Thanks Dan Richer!
Peter Candia is the Food + Drink Editor at New Jersey Digest. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Peter found a passion for writing midway through school and never looked back. He is a former line cook, server and bartender at top-rated restaurants in the tri-state area. In addition to food, Peter enjoys politics, music, sports and anything New Jersey.
