Kingston is a scenic city on the banks of the Hudson River founded by Dutch immigrants in the mid-17th century. It's a complete contrast to many high-rise-infested cities in the state of New York. The streets of Kingston are lined with trees and colorful buildings that give it a rural Mediterranean atmosphere.

Take a stroll around Kingston and you'll discover several well-preserved historic districts dotted with Dutch churches, roofed sidewalks, and enough museums to keep you occupied for an entire weekend. Kingston does have some more modern, outstanding architectural features too, mostly in the form of suspension and under-deck truss bridges.

While they were under construction, there was a hungry workforce to feed and it was in the first decades of the 19th century when the novelty food known as pizza made its first appearance on the city's restaurant menu cards. Some of those initial pizzerias are still trading in Kingston today and continue to use the same recipes as they did back then.

With Kingston being less than a hundred miles from New York city, that's a fact that, not surprisingly, has influenced the culinary culture. Kingston is known for its New York-style pizzas, but they are baked in a slightly different way to the conventional New York pie. Are they worth traveling that far for? Definitely.

Pizzerias in Kingston love keeping traditions. As well as sticking to their age-old favorite dough recipes they also favor wood-fired ovens for cooking. It's not the easiest method of baking pizzas by a long way and requires a certain amount of skill on the chef's part to make sure the pie doesn't end up as cinders. That's particularly relevant when the base is as thin as it is on a New York-style pizza. One slip of concentration or getting the pizza too close to the burning logs and the pie ends up as historic as Kingston.

Best delivery pizza in Kingston, New York

When you want the best delivery pizza in Kingston, then get it from a pizzeria that's been making them for over eighty years. In a city the size of Kingston, you don't stay open that long unless the locals love what you do. Tony's Pizzeria on Broadway won the local community over from day one. It would only be fair to say, they didn't have a lot of competition in 1937 as they were the first pizzeria to open in Kingston. Wowing folks with something new, though, is just as hard as competing against ten other restaurants.

Tony's premises on the outside are as colorful as the rest of the buildings in Kingston. Inside, the floor-to-ceiling wood paneling gives the pizzeria a Wild West saloon look that, while rustic, is pretty eye-pleasing. Maybe it could do with a revamp, but the one thing that doesn't need overhauling is the pizza. Some things are far better left just the way they are.

Best takeout pizza in Kingston, New York

Sometimes when you need to grab a takeout, you choose pizza because it's easy even when you really fancy a plate of pasta. Maybe you just don't have the time to sit down and wade your way through a bowl of something and so go for a pick-up pie instead. When you want to have the best take-out pizza in Kingston, go to Savona's Plaza Pizza on Morton Boulevard and your longing for pasta while eating pizza will be rapidly appeased.

Savona's is a modern establishment occupying a corner on a square in a shopping mall. Modernity doesn't detract from the authenticity of their pies though and they make one which combines pizza and pasta together. Savona's Baked Ziti pizza is topped with ziti pasta cooked in tomato sauce before being smothered in cheese. It may have a Sicilian influence, but there's no arguing it's a great addition to a New York-style pie.

Best pizza near Kingston, New York

Port Ewen

When you live in Kingston there's a good reason to cross over the Hudson River and visit Port Ewen. The George H Freer Memorial Beach. It's a good spot to have a chill-out if you've had a stressful week. There's not much else to do in Port Ewen unless you're towing a boat and head over to Sleightsburgh Park ramp to launch it. When you've had your fill of fresh air, drop in at Mario's Pizza on Broadway for a New York-style slice.

Woodstock

Woodstock is a town in a remote location surrounded by forests and wilderness areas. It's the town that gave its name to the most famous music festival of all — even though it's not held there. There are several others held in Woodstock throughout the year though as well as museums, art schools, and theaters. The artistic community enjoys pizza as much as everyone else and the Catskill Mountain Pizza Co. are happy to provide them.

Shokan

If you were out camping in the Kenneth L Wilson Campground or fishing on Ashokan Reservoir and drove into Shokan, you quite likely wouldn't be inspired to post a photo of the hamlet on your social media. There's nothing to see or do there apart from grab a pie at Village Pizza. They don't like to disturb the peace of the countryside by shouting about what they do, so keep an eye out for their sign or you'll drive straight past it.