Rhode Island is once again represented on the world pizza stage, as Pasquale’s Pizzeria Napoletana in South Kingstown has been named to the 50 Top Pizza USA 2024 guide.
Based in Italy, the guide annually lists the top 50 pizza restaurants in the United States. There are also 50 Top Pizza guides for other locations around the world, which this year included 50 Top Pizza Asia-Pacific, 50 Top Pizza Latin America, 50 Top Pizza Europe, and a separate one for 50 Top Pizza Italy.
Winners were announced recently during an event at the Teatro Manzoni in Milan. Una Pizza Napoletana in New York City was “reaffirmed as the best pizzeria in the United States” as it took the No. 1 spot on the list.
Pasquale’s Pizzeria was ranked No. 14, just missing a select circle of the top 12 USA restaurants on the list, which will be entered into consideration for the 100 Best Pizzerias in the World. Those rankings will be revealed in September in Naples, Italy.
Last year, Una Pizza Napoletana was ranked No. 3 worldwide, with another 14 U.S. restaurants making the Top 100.
[caption id="attachment_473387" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
POPULAR PIES: Owner Pasquale Illiano holds up pizzas at Pasquale’s Pizzeria Napoletana in South Kingstown, which was recently ranked as No. 14 on the 50 Top Pizza USA 2024 guide.
COURTESY PASQUALE’S PIZZERIA NAPOLETANA[/caption]
Pasquale’s Pizzeria owner Pasquale Illiano’s family has been associated with pizza in South County for almost three decades. According to the guide, “Pasquale Illiano arrived in the United States in 1995 to bring a piece of his Naples to America.”
Pasquale’s Pizzeria was described as “a charming and comfortable restaurant with a family-friendly atmosphere that will immediately make you feel at home.”
Pasquale’s pizza is offered in three different types: the classic Neapolitan, certified by the Assoziacione Vera Pizza Napoletana that protects the brand; the New York style; and the “Grandma Pizza,” a thin and rectangular style of pizza attributed to Long Island, N.Y., according to the guide.
Taking the rest of the description from the Milano writers, they point out, “Among the appetizers, some well-made dishes stand out, including paccheri alla genovese, a classic Neapolitan recipe made with braised meat and onions. … The ingredients for the pizza toppings are excellent, as are the dough types. The Marinara Flegrea is a must-try for the Neapolitan dough that manages to enhance this type of pizza to the fullest. The drink menu is of high quality with an interesting selection of wines and beers. Prices are slightly higher than the average in the city, but it is absolutely worth it considering the quality. Efficient service.”
In other Rhode Island restaurant news, industry veteran Farouk Rajab, a longtime hospitality executive with a franchisee of the Marriott hotel portfolio, including the Providence Marriott Downtown from 2017 to 2023, has returned to the Ocean State as the new CEO and president of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association.
Rajab, who has been filling the formidable shoes of former CEO and President Dale Venturini since her retirement in March, has held several additional leadership positions within the industry, including as general manager of the Four-Diamond Westin Minneapolis; general manager of the Four-Diamond Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa; and regional director of operations for the Waterford Hotel Group.
Rajab is a past chairman of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association and was an active board member until 2023. In 2019, Rajab was appointed by then-Gov. Gina M. Raimondo as a Rhode Island Commodore for his leadership in the hospitality industry.
Heather Singleton, who served as interim CEO and president for several months, will remain with the hospitality association as its chief operating officer, a role she has held since 2015.
“Dining Out With Bruce Newbury,” syndicated weekly on radio, is heard in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont and Indiana. Contact Bruce at bruce@brucenewbury.com.