When people order wood-fired pizza at Blade 1936, they get a slice similar to what the first pizza ever made may have tasted like. The Italian restaurant, which first opened up last September in the former Blade-Tribune newspaper building, recently became California’s 20th restaurant and the 10th restaurant in Southern California to become a member of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN).

The AVPN certification means the pizza at Blade 1936 meets the standards of a true, traditional Neapolitan pizza. The association has strict specifications for what it takes to make a true Neapolitan pizza, including its ingredients and where they come from, dough preparation, fermentation, ingredient presentation and cooking temperature.