From Albania to Italy to New Haven: Monthly Slice at New Haven Museum

New Haven, Conn. (August 17, 2026)— New Haven Museum will explore the culinary journey that brought Gazmir Zeneli and his brothers Aleko and Jeshar to New Haven to build one of the country's most acclaimed pizzerias. On Thursday, September 10, 2026, at 5:30 p.m., Gazmir will present, “From Albania to Italy to New Haven: The Story of Zeneli Pizzeria,” with Gorman Bechard and Dean Falcone, co-curators of the “Pronounced Ah-Beetz,” exhibit and producers of the documentary, “Pizza A Love Story.” Free admission. Register here.

The program is the latest in the museum’s “Monthly Slice” series at NHM, presented in conjunction with the exhibition, “Pronounced Ah-Beetz.” 

Gazmir will share the remarkable journey behind one of New Haven's beloved pizzerias. From growing up in Albania to learning the art of pizza-making in Italy as teenagers, Gazmir and his brothers spent more than 30 years mastering their craft, working alongside experienced pizzaioli and learning the traditions of authentic Neapolitan pizza.

“We will look at why they decided to open a pizza restaurant in a town already over-loaded with pizza places, and the guts it took to open across the street from Pepe’s,” Bechard says. “Plus, the struggles of having opened their restaurant in August 2019, only to have Covid-19 shut it down months later.”

Today, Zeneli Pizzeria is recognized as one of America's premier pizzerias, ranking No. 34 on the prestigious 50 Top Pizza USA list, appearing three times on Yelp's Top 100 Places to Eat in America, and earning industry honors for both its pizza and pasta.

The “Pronounced Ah-Beetz” exhibition at NHM includes first-hand oral histories and pizza-related artifacts from personal collections, video footage adapted from the documentary and photographs. The exhibition’s title comes from the way many people mispronounce the word apizza, which originally grew out of the Italian la pizza. The exhibition will remain on view through October 2027.