Pizza. Today, it’s America’s favorite food – but more than a century ago, it was the street snack of new Italian immigrants.
In 1905, Gennaro Lombardi opened the first licensed pizzeria in New York City, turning coal ovens and Naples flavors into a taste of home.
From Little Italy to factory floors, to soldiers returning from World War II, pizza spread across the country – and with it came pasta, espresso, and olive oil.
Foods once seen as “foreign” became part of every American kitchen.
Italian cuisine didn’t just arrive; it evolved – from red-sauce neighborhood restaurants to fine-dining icons that reshaped how America eats.
A culture carried in recipes became a shared language that still brings people together.
Part of The Daily Then Classroom series for Italian American Heritage Month – exploring immigration, identity, and legacy through the foods that changed a nation.