As a new resident of Los Angeles, Justin Pittel, owner of NY2LA Pizza, quickly decided there was an absence of pizza that tasted like he was accustomed to in New Jersey where he grew up. He missed indulging in New York style pizza.
So, on a visit to the East Coast, he had the idea to flash freeze a few fresh pizzas and transport them back with him on his flight to Los Angeles. “I let a few friends of mine from Los Angeles who have never been to the east coast try some of my pizza and they all individually told me it was the best pizza they’ve ever had in their life.”
That’s when he came upon the idea of importing pizza made in New York to Los Angeles, hence the name, NY2LA.
“That’s where it all started. It took me a long time, but I figured out how to safely and quickly ship pizzas straight from New York City to Los Angeles. My first shipment arrived in Los Angeles in June of this year.
On May 9 to 11 of this year, Jet Blue Airlines offered free delivery of Patsy’s, a popular pizza shop in New York City. Up to 350 pizzas per day were flown to Los Angeles to bring attention to their multiple flights per day between LAX and JFK airports, according to Jet Blue’s VP of Marketing Elizabeth Windram.
Delving into pizza’s origins, according to independent.co.uk, pizza originated in Lazio, Italy. “The earliest use of the word pizza has been found in church records in Gaeta, Lazio, as part of a Dark Ages rent agreement that was written AD997, according to researcher Giuseppe Nocca. The documents declare that 12 pizzas were to be provided to the local bishop on Christmas Day and Easter as part of the payment for use of the land on which a mill had been constructed.”
Brittanica.com states that in 1905, shortly after World War II, in New York City is where America’s pizza’s popularity blossomed.
What is it that makes New York style pizza, NY2LA in particular, so alluring and different from pizza here on the west coast? Justin stated that his pizza is “thin crust pizza with buttery cheese and a crispy bottom.” He said after baking, it is vacuum sealed and delivered directly to the customers’ door in Los Angeles.
Both cheese pizza and pepperoni pizzas are being offered and NY2LA Pizza can be ordered by calling 201-737-7377 or by emailing NY2LApizza@gmail.com.
