A new attempt is underway to make pizza Connecticut’s state food

A new effort is being made to designate pizza as the state food of Connecticut.

A bill has been introduced in the new General Assembly session that will “recognize the contribution of pizza to the state’s cuisine and economy.” A similar bill was introduced in the 2021 session, where it unanimously passed the state House but stalled in the Senate.

The bill does not identify a specific type of pizza that is deserving of this honor, although pizza observers pointed out that the chief sponsor of the new bill, State. Sen. Gary Winfield, represents New Haven, which is the birthplace of the “Apizza” style of thin-crust coal-fired pizza popularized by the celebrated eateries Sally”™s Apizza, and Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana.

Gov. Ned Lamont has not publicly commented on whether he would sign the bill if it came to his desk. In 2021, the attention given to this initiative rankled Connecticut Conference of Municipalities Executive Director and CEO Joe DeLong, who complained that year”™s legislative session resulted in more talk “about pizza than affordable housing,” adding that lawmakers needed to “get our priorities in line.”