An Italian pizza organization has classified the artisanal pizza of Ken, the south-eastern pizzeria south-eastern Portland, as 44th best pizzeria in the world on Monday during a ceremony at the Mercadante Teatro in Naples, Italy.
This marks the third consecutive year that the pizzeria founded by Baker Ken Forkish – and now owned by his old friend Peter Kost – has listed the 50 best pizzas, which recognizes the Italian pizzerias in Japan in Brazil and more. He was previously ranked 19th in 2023 and 28th in 2024.
A few things to know about the top 50 pizza group. Based in Naples, their methodology – how they will compile the list – is quite muddy. The group claims that their ranking is based on the visits of “anonymous inspectors”. But the cost of travel and food expenses to really visit all the notable pizzerias in the world would be astronomical for any group (even Michelin is based on local tourist agencies to finance its guides), so the Top 50 is likely to be based on unpaid volunteers to submit reports of its visits to local pizzerias. Has anyone really seen Ken since chef Vincent Krone left this year? There is no way to say it.
In addition, the accent put by the top 50 is almost exclusively on Italian style pizza, with most of the featured restaurants specializing in fire pies with traditional Italian or Italian ingredients. Among the countries represented, Italy has no surprise the most restaurants on the list, with 41, while most of the best -classified American pizzerias describe themselves as a ship in style. (Which could help explain why the best Pizzeria in Portland never sniffed the list.)
Confusing the problem more, the list of the 50 best pizzas for 2025 is actually the top 100, or rather a top 104Since this year’s classification includes four links, especially in position n ° 1, a spot no list manufacturer that is worth their salt would never finish including a tie.
However, many pizza experts, including lively, give the list a little credibility, and the places I have visited, notably Ken’s himself and Pizzeria Sei in Los Angeles (n ° 9) were excellent.
Your first visit to Ken’s craft pizza? Consult our updated opinion from our 2025 guide to the best Portland restaurants:
In the years that followed that Baker Ken Forkish sold the craft pizza of Ken and moved to Hawaii, everyone, random travel websites, Italian pizza classification organizations have appointed its former restaurant in the south-east of Portland One of the best pizzerias not only in Americabut the whole world. Now directed by Peter Kost with chef Jesse Skiles, Ken’s artisanal pizza often cooks 300 pizzas in his rugging oven each evening for crowds that align well before opening – it’s about a wooden pizza for every minute the restaurant is open. Pizza, thin and deeply charred, remains as good as ever. Ditto for fresh salads and roasted vegetables. But annual opinions have certainly made more difficult for neighbors to pass for a bite and a glass of wine.
See where Ken landed on our annual guide for the best Portland restaurants, a list classified – without links – restaurants that I personally saw in the past year. As with all our criticisms, we went to each restaurant in the guide and dozens of others without notice, paying our own meals along the way.
Visit Ken’s craft pizza from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. (or later) from Tuesday-Samedi and from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday at 304 SE 28th AV., 503-517-9951, Kensartisan.com. Earlier this year, Ken opened a second location at 1033 NW Bond St. in Bend.
– Michael Russell; mrussell@oregonian.com
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