Pizza Quixote

The hottest current pizza trend is Neapolitan style, those personal sized pies with light puffy crusts that bake in 90 seconds or so at 900+ degrees. Right on the heels of authentic Neapolitan pies are the mass-produced assembly-line versions, offered at places like MOD, Snap, Blaze, andRapiDough.

Burg's Pie at Milito's. Click to enlarge

Most rare, though, and hence still most precious, are those "one of a kind places" making bar pies, pan pizza, or a unique version of NY, Trenton, New Haven, or other regional style of pizza. One way or another, these are the old-school pizzas that I call American Pie.

We heard about a "Pittsburgh" style pizza and set out to investigate. Milito's Bar-Ristorante-Pizzeria in Downingtown PA is housed in a beautifully restored and converted stone mill, and the ambiance is first rate. Even on a week night, both the restaurant and large bar area were packed with happy patrons.

There are several pizza options on the large menu, but we targeted the "Burg's Original," which we ordered with pepperoni and roasted red peppers. This pie features "unique dough, red sauce, and a special blend of cheese that creates a one of kind taste." This large personal-sized pizza is modestly priced at $11, and available for just $5 at happy hour.

To round out our meal, we also ordered a salad with roasted beets (a worthy menu holdover item from the previous Barra Rossa restaurant here) and Linguine Bolognese. Both of these were very good, but our focus here is the pizza.

Owner Joe Milito hails from Pittsburgh, and like most of us, he carries a memory of the favorite pizza of his formative years.

The pizza ovens

For Joe, that pizza came from P&M Pizza, a bar in Arnold PA near Pittsburgh. Much like the magical Midwestern pies at Rubino's in Columbus OH, the dough goes through a "sheeter" pressing machine to flatten it, remove air bubbles, and create a crust that does not rise much.

Large, rustic, warm interior at Milito's

Joe uses a secret blend of cheeses, and the pie is baked in a fashion that the cheese and the house-made sauce essentially blend into a single orange colored topping.

Our pie arrived with considerable eye appeal, with the cheese covering almost all of the cornicione. The crust was uniformly thin from center to edge, crisp, and rigid. The sauce was indeed largely invisible, because (as Joe later told us) it had melded into the cheese.

Good spotty char underneath

The crust had an excellent flavor all its own. It was dense but al dente, having a good crunch and chew all at the same time. The cheese was applied generously, as were the toppings. The pepperoni added the expected savory flavors and enhanced the pie.

The roasted red peppers were flavorful, but a mistake on our part. They were just too wet and heavy and threw off the balance. I removed them and enjoyed them separately.

The cheese blend offered a lot more substantial flavor than the typical mozzarella found on pizzas. I'm guessing that there is some cheddar or colby in there, or maybe even muenster. The melted parts formed a shiny bubble in areas, which may provide some hints.

Shiny blistered cheese bubble

In all of my pizza eating experiences, some of the most magical have been found in the simplest constructions of thin crusted bar pies. The party-cut pie at Rubino's, for instance, and the decidedly unfancy offerings at Lee's Tavern in Staten Island. The Burg pie at Milito's falls into this category. This was a simple pizza where all the elements are in harmony for flavor and textures.

Another look at the crust underside

I loved this pie and we ate it with gusto. It's not going to appeal to all pizza eaters, but it's bound to become a local cult classic. Downingtown is on the opposite side of the state from Pittsburgh, but it's two thumbs up for the "Burg's Original" at Milito's. Joe Milito is making the pizza he loves, and we're the beneficiaries.

Joe Milito, left, with PQ

Just five years ago, Chester County was essentially devoid of pizza worth the calories. Now, there are several worthy stops, such as Rapidough, Vecchia, Snap, Anthony's Coal-Fired, and La Porta. Joining this elite group is the quirky Burg pie from Milito's. Unique pizza in a warm and lively setting.

In 2009, the best pizza in Chester County was the local chain Peace A Pizza. That pie sported a fairly standard mass-sourced crust, but its fresh and creative toppings elevated it to "B Grade" pie. In 2011, when this blog began, I rated Peace A Pizza at 6.5 out of 10.

Neapolitan-ish at SNAP Pizza. Click to enlarge

Since then, the Pizza Renaissance finally came to our region. Authentic Neapolitans at Vecchia in Phoenixville, build-your-own pie joints like MODand RapiDough, and the consistently excellent crisp pies from Anthony's Coal-Fired Pizza. Peace A Pizza got left behind.

"The Good Egg" pizza

The good news is that some Peace A Pizza locations are being converted into Snap Custom Pizza. The first one opened in Ardmore PA, and the Exton location opened late in 2015; the owners hope to reach 15 locations within 18 months.

SNAP Pizza in Exton

Much like MOD, Snap aims to replicate the Chipotle fast-casual formula. On a chilly winter weeknight, we visited this BYOB with a bottle of red wine in tow to investigate.

The interior space, part of the "Main Street at Exton" shopping center, is both rustic and modern, airy and attractive. There is one key design flaw, though. The self-service beverage area juts into the narrow passageway past the pie assembly area. With customer seating at opposite ends, this creates awkward logjams and confusion in the areas where you order, pick up, pay, obtain beverages, and bus your tray (there is no table service).

Cheese options

Much like MOD, most of the pizzas are $7.99, whether you choose a speciality pie from the menu or craft your own, with unlimited toppings. It's nice that all the toppings are on display, and you can get a regular or gluten-free crust, red sauce or other choices, many different cheeses, meats, vegetables, and finishing touches like lemon oil and arugula.

Meat options

We opted to split two pies. First, a menu item called "The Good Egg" which features eggs, sausage, San Marzano tomato sauce, spinach, provolone, mozzarella, and red pepper chili oil. Then we customized a pie with red sauce, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, and bacon with post-bake additions of olive oil and fresh basil.

Thai Crunch Salad

We completed our meal order with the $8.99 "Thai Crunch" salad. That salad contained chicken and peanuts to go with its vegetable base ingredients and could be a meal by itself. It was fresh, but not particularly memorable. Its flavors were tame, especially in comparison to the pizzas.

The pies bake quickly and we were called to pick up the order. The thin crusts are pierced all over with a roller pre-bake, which I presume is to prevent the formation of large bubbles. The crust developed a nice crisp texture, but it was a little white-bready in flavor.

Nicely balanced breakfast-style pizza

It was uniform in thickness, and the cornicione was thin, flat, and forgettable. MOD is doing a little better and RapiDough is doing a lot better at crafting the all-important crust on these assembly line style pies.

Very thin crust

The Good Egg pie was a lot of fun. Distinct flavors and well balanced, even as the chili oil got us to the edge of "too spicy." The egg was melded with the cheese and covered the pie; it was more of a breakfast style pizza than the lovely Neapolitans that sport a "sunny side up" egg perfectly cooked on top.

Nicely browned underneath

Our custom pie was also a success. The pepperoni was thin cut standard grade, but the addition of bacon gave this pizza a savory boost. The red sauce was a highlight, too, and the generous amount of mozzarella did not overwhelm the thin crust. I'd recommend the fresh basil and olive oil to finish almost any pie here. It works for Dom DeMarco at DiFara, and it's a nice offering here.

From www.snapcustompizza.com

Overall, this is very good pizza at a fair price in a nice setting. The advent of assembly-line chain Neapolitan-ish pies may be the early stages of a big movement akin to the days when Pizza Hut began bringing pie to the masses. It's encouraging that a chain can offer pizza this good, but scary that they may eventually crowd out the more-pricey artisanal Neapolitan pie makers.

From www.facebook.com/Snappizza/

Either way, we live in a time during the ongoing Pizza Renaissance when even the 3rd-best assembly-line chain pie in the neighborhood is easily worth the money and the calories. Snap Custom Pizza is an instant upgrade to the region.

Patsy's vs Patsy's vs Rosie's

Most of my favorite pizzas come from conventional gas deck ovens, so I rarely get sentimental about wood-fired or "brick oven" or even coal-fired ovens.

Inside Patsy's Pizzeria, East Harlem

It's true, however, that all of my coal-oven pizzeria experiences have been good ones. If you're going to the trouble of operating a coal oven, I suppose, you're going to be serious about making good pie.

Coal burns at a very high temperature and low moisture level, both well-suited for pizza. Coal oven pies often inhabit a middle ground between the crisply rigid New York style pies that come from a gas deck oven and the softer puffier Neapolitan pizza baked in 90 seconds at 900+ degrees in a wood-fired oven. When everything goes right, a coal-fired pie sports a crisp yet chewy crust with an ideal texture.

The take-out counter

In 2008, three years before this blog was launched, we visited Patsy's in East Harlem en route to a Yankees game. We stopped in at the take-out counter just for a plain slice on a sleepy Sunday morning, and it was a revelation.

The legacy coal-fired oven

For the first time in decades, on that visit I ate pizza that brought back the magic of the pies I had loved so much in my formative years. Not only the flavors and textures, but the smell of the dough was distinctly a throwback experience for me.

Neapolitan pie from Patsy's in New Rochelle

Not long ago, we visited the the New Rochelle branch of Patsy's. It's a big, modern, and pretty waterfront space, teeming with happy suburbanites. The look and feel there is nearly opposite of the well-worn look at the East Harlem Patsy's, which has been serving pies for 80 years now.

New Rocheells

And while I loved the pizza in New Rochelle, I felt it did not have much in common with the pie I recalled from our 2008 visit to East Harlem. We noted that "unlike Patsy's in Harlem, this pie is straight-up Neapolitan ... it cooks in 80 seconds with a classic pale crust and beautiful char marks."

Our pie in East Harlem

The comfortable long and deep dining room in East Harlem was almost half-full on this Saturday lunchtime visit. A large plain pie with conventional mozzarella is just $12 at Patsy's; we added pepperoni to bring it to $15. (We were disappointed to learn that the sausage topping is pre-cooked, hence our order of pepperoni).

The 16" pie that came to our table seemed thinner and softer than the slice I recall from 2008. Perhaps the reheat given to pizza-by-the-slice gives a bit more crispness. This 2016 pie was still in the hybrid zone, but much closer to a Neapolitan than the pies at Anthony's Coal-Fired Pizza, the hugely successful chain.

The tip of each slice was soft and floppy as the sauce and cheese had too much weight and moisture for the crust to support. One bite in, though, and the rest of each slice was almost a study in the proper balance of flavors and textures.

The red sauce was simple, but memorable in its bright flavor that melded perfectly with the conventional mozzarella cheese. The star feature, though, was the crust.

The crust had a wonderful flavor and could stand alone as great bread. It was light, slightly crisp, and perfectly al dente. And like my visit in 2008, it recalled the aroma of the sublime pizza of my youth at Rosie's in Riverside, NJ. Each slice got better in every bite from the tip through the cornicione.

A slice close up

The adjoining bar was vacant on our lunch visit

Despite the soft and almost-wet center, this pie was expertly balanced in texture and flavors. The pepperoni was standard grade, but still added the right savory element. Unlike most pizza places, the red sauce and crust were so perfect that a marinara pie would work wonderfully, much like the one we inhaled in Rome at La Montecarlo.

Marinara pizza at La Montecarlo in Rome

Mrs. Quixote was my dining companion, and I typically eat about two slices for each one that she consumes. Here, however, she kept pace with me. We loved this pie and devoured the full pizza at a lunchtime setting. It was not the same as my 2008 visit, but it was spectacular pizza.

A close up of the underside

Much like Lombardi's at the southern end of Manhattan and Regina in Boston, you can't hang on for 75+ years simply as a tourist trap. You need to make superlative pizza, and that is happening every day at Patsy's. A pepperoni pizza is easily worth the $28 at Lombardi's, so this classic Patsy's pie at $15 is a terrific bargain.

Cloisters artwork

Throw in un-metered street parking and you have an essential NYC pizza experience. It's easy to combine a visit to Patsy's with a trip to The Cloisters, the medieval museum housed in a castle overlooking the Palisades at the northern tip of Manhattan, where there is yet more free parking and you are walking distance from Innwood Park, the only natural forest in all of New York City.

Innwood Park, at Spuyten Duyvil Creek

Patsy's is a treasure, and unlike Lombardi's and Regina, you don't need to stand in line to experience this wonderful pizza. Patsy's fully merits the tag "destination pizza" and will no doubt qualify among our top 2016 pizza experiences.

Pizza is all about the crust; when a pizzamaker gets the crust right, success generally follows. I'm usually leery of any pie that is defined by its toppings. Toppings are often just a way to disguise a mediocre mass-sourced crust.

Click on any image to enlarge

However, we recently made an exception. We sought out a local pie based on the toppings after learning about the Baked Colorado flatbread pizza at Liberty Union Bar & Grill. This personal-size white pie is made with elk sausage, hemp seed, caramelized onion, sautéed mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese.

Elk sausage, mushrooms, hemp seeds

From www.Facebook.com/LibertyUnionBarAndGrill

The hemp seed is sourced from Chester County (PA) entrepreneur Andrew Follett, whose Cannagenix foods include hemp products like protein powder, gluten-free flour, and toasted hemp seed (made from agricultural hemp, which lacks the THC compound).

We visited on a weeknight and found Liberty to be a spacious yet cozy place. Our meal began with a complimentary serving of Tater Tots - a nice touch. Who doesn't love Tater Tots?

We ordered the Baked Colorado flatbread and also a Carolina pulled pork sandwich to share. From a nice craft beer selection, I chose a Kona Koko Brown Ale, a nice smooth and dark beer from Hawaii ($6/pint).

The pizza had terrific eye appeal. The sea of mozzarella was beautifully golden brown and bubbly, topped with big dark ovals of elk sausage, thick slices of sautéed brown mushrooms, and a visible sprinkling of seeds. The crust was pale both at the cornicione and underneath.

Pale yet crisp underneath

Even though this pie was defined by its funky Colorado theme, the crust was surprisingly good. It was thin, light, crispy and chewy, and somehow almost flaky. I've never had a crust like this in terms of texture. It had its own good flavor and was sturdy enough to support the generous layer of conventional mozzarella.

The elk sausage is one of the best meat toppings I've had. Even though I prefer sausage toppings to cook on the pie, the pre-cooked slices were juicy and packed with flavor. Because it was elk, it was more tough and chewy than typical pork sausage, but in a good way. I loved it.

Mushrooms can get lost on a pie, especially plain white mushrooms, whether fresh or canned. But these sautéed brown mushrooms were - like the sausage - bursting with earthy flavor. The caramelized onions added yet one more flavor dimension here. This was delicious pizza, satisfying in flavor, texture, and balance.

The hemp seeds? Well, I saw them but can't say I tasted them. I've used flax seed on pizza to similar effect. They are mostly a novelty here, but they drew my attention to this excellent pizza. Yes, it's defined by its unusual toppings mix, but this flatbread succeeds by its excellent crust. It exceeded our expectations by a large measure.

The pulled pork sandwich, by the way, was very good, and so was our dessert. In addition, service was superb. Two thumbs up for Liberty Union Bar and Grill.

One blazing hot pizza trend is the assembly line pizza-and-salad concept. Each place has its own twist, but the basic process is that the menu features a wide assortment of specialty pizza and specialty salad options, and you can also craft your own unique meal.

Potato and Feta slice; click any image to enlarge

Either the pizza or the salad is big enough to make a meal for one. You order at a counter where you can view the ingredients, your meal is assembled rapidly, and you either pick up your order or it is brought to your table.

Italian sausage pizza

We've seen this approach at the larger new chains, like MOD Pizza, and some smaller ones near Philadelphia like RapiDough and SNAP Custom Pizza. When visiting Little Rock, we saw that ZAZA (two locations, Little Rock and Conway) was getting the best reviews, so we tried it on a rainy night in March.

Despite the flash flood warnings that evening, this large, modern, attractive two-story space filled up quickly. The menu includes wood-fired personal-size pizzas, dinner-size salads, soup, soft drinks, wine and beer, and gelato. The salad options had terrific visual appeal, but we didn't try them.

Assembly process; oven on the left

Most of the pizzas were in the $12 - $13 range, and we chose to split two pies. The sausage pizza included house-made Italian sausage, Fontina and Parmesan cheeses, post-bake arugula, roasted bell pepper, caramelized onion, and tomato sauce.

Italian sausage pizza, served on the peel

Our other pie was defined by potato and feta cheese: toppings included Feta, Mozzarella, Parmesan, caramelized onion, yellow cherry tomatoes, lemon, roasted potatoes, olive oil, and rosemary.

Oven wood, stacked up to the 2nd level

After placing orders and picking up drinks ($6 for a glass of Chianti, $2.50 for iced tea), we selected a table in the loft section, overlooking the main dining room and the kitchen assembly line.

Salad and pizza assembly areas

ZAZA hews pretty closely to Neapolitan pizza standards, using Molino Caputo Tipo 00 flour for the crust. ZAZA's website notes that its sauce is made with five ingredients: San Marzano tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, locally grown basil, kosher salt, and cracked pepper. The pies cook in a wood-fired oven at 700-800 degrees in under 4 minutes.

Each pizza was a generous personal size, and the crust was about identical on both. It was a bit paler than a typical Neapolitan crust, but it sported some excellent leopard spotting underneath. It was sturdy enough to support each slice, and it had a wonderfully surprising crunch at the cornicione.

The sausage pie was nicely balanced in flavors and textures, but perhaps a little cheese heavy towards the center. Slices were droopy and became soggy as the thinnest part of the crust began to absorb sauce and grease from the cheese - but not a big issue.

Perfect char underneath

The sauce was bright and lively and worked especially well with the other ingredients. The sausage was applied in big uneven chunks and was a standout topping. The post bake arugula adhered reasonably well and added some balance as well as peppery flavor.

Charles with the potato pie

I enjoy caramelized onions, and the flavor of these was fine, but on both pies they were more wet and heavy than ideal. Something added a nice spicy flavor to the sausage pie - perhaps the sausage itself.

The proper star of this pie, though, was the crust. It had a superb flavor, a bit of al dente chewiness once you got past the first soggy bite on each slice, and then that wonderfully crackly cornicione.

Crisp and crackly cornicione

The potato pie was a winner on flavor, less so on texture. The crust, of course, was wonderful, and it stayed in better shape because there was no red sauce to moisten it. We liked the cheese blend and the plump orange cherry tomatoes on top.

Potato pizza at ZAZA

Where it failed, though, was its signature topping. We've had best-in-class potato-topped pizza at Sally's in New Haven. There, the potatoes are wafer thin. Some are just a thin layer of delicate flavor, but some get a crisp browning and add another textural dimension.

Potato pizza done right, at Sally's in New Haven

Here, however, the potatoes were in thicker "home fries" chunks, and they looked and tasted more like boiled potatoes than roasted potatoes. They added weight and moisture without materially improving the flavor or texture of the pie.

Even with that fundamental shortcoming, the crust and cheese and tomatoes made this a good pizza. It could be so much better, though, by using thinly sliced and evenly distributed potatoes.

Overall, ZAZA is succeeding in a major way. It occupies an attractive space; the serving staff is friendly and attentive; the crust and sauce are first rank and the topping choices permit construction of a wide variety of destination pizzas.

Add in the wine and beer choices, the soups and gelato and salads we didn't get to try, and it all adds up to a destination dining spot. This is the best assembly line Neapolitan pie I've had - it easily eclipses MOD, SNAP, and RapiDough, all of which are pretty good. You can't go wrong at ZAZA in Little Rock.

Given the number of transplanted northeasterners in Florida, it's not surprising that you can easily find some excellent pizza in the sunshine state. On a Phillies spring training trip to nearby Clearwater, we made a stop in Tampa en route to the airport.

Any "best pizza in Tampa" list contains Bella's Italian Cafe, located in Hyde Park, a hip part of Tampa featuring a lot of interesting dining spots. We stopped in on a Monday for a late lunch.

This is not just a pizza place, but a full-menu Italian restaurant with a large attractive dining room and bar inside. The kitchen boasts a Neapolitan-style wood-fired dome oven that is visible from the dining area.

We opted to order one personal size pizza (the Americano, featuring pepperoni, just $6.99) and one pasta dish to share.

We had enjoyed a lot of grouper sandwiches in Clearwater Beach (the best one is at Keegan's in Indian Rocks Beach), so the $11.99 Grouper Rosso was the perfect pasta choice: chunks of spiced grouper sautéed with scallions and mushrooms in a creamy basil-tomato sauce with fresh tomato, tossed with linguine.

Grouper Rosso

A quick note on the pasta: it was delicious, with al dente noodles, a perfectly seasoned sauce, and generous chunks of tender grouper. But our main focus was, of course, the pizza.

The small pie came in an unusual football shape, and was cut into four modest-sized slices. As with every pie, the crust was the defining element. Here, it was thin, crisp, crunchy in parts yet also chewy.

Pizza "Americano"

Underneath, the crust showed some nice browning from that wood-fired oven, and a curious cross pattern that suggests it was cooked on some kind of a rack. No matter how it was baked, it was superb bread that would be wonderful without anything on it due to its flavor and texture.

The sauce had an excellent tang, but it was a role player because it was applied sparingly in relation to the other ingredients. The cheese was a standard aged mozzarella, but there was too much on this small pie. Its weight and moisture caused the tip of each slice to droop and become a little soggy.

The pepperoni looked conventional, but most of it rode high on top of the other ingredients and hence it got a nice oven browning. It added the perfect savory cured meat flavor. It was applied a bit unevenly, but it was a big boost to the pie.

I love onion on pizza, especially when sliced so thinly that it almost melts into the sauce and cheese. Here, we found bigger chunks of excellent but almost-raw purple onion. Good stuff, but might have been better if sliced more thinly and cooked longer.

We loved the pie

This Americano pie also had mushrooms on it, and they were well above the standard stuff. Big slices and full of flavor, they may have been crimini mushrooms. A very nice touch.

Too much cheese, uneven pepperoni, a bit light on the sauce, soggy in the middle. That is a lot of flaws, but nonetheless this was Grade A pizza, due to its superb crust and the overall quality of the ingredients.

Also on the lunch menu was a simple Margherita pie, with just sauce and Parmesan cheese. I'd love to try that, to get a fuller tomato flavor and to let that crust shine without a full complement of traditional pie toppings.

Great pizza, excellent pasta, friendly service, and a warm ambiance. Bella's is succeeding on all fronts, based on this single visit. Destination Tampa pie.

Scachatta

On a side note, Tampa is home to a Cuban-Italian pizza hybrid called scachatta. We ran out of time, but on my next Phillies spring training visit, I'm going to be sure to try this distant cousin to a Philly tomato pie.

Bertucci's is a medium-sized regional chain of Italian restaurants, with a home base in Somerville, MA. There are 87 east coast locations, from New England down through Virginia. I was pretty excited when I discovered Bertucci's in the 1990s. My first few visits yielded good pasta and surprisingly genuine pizza from their brick ovens.

As time passed, though, I had some ho-hum dining experiences, and in my mind there was little to distinguish Bertucci's from the big bland chains like Olive Garden. By 2000, I had stopped going.

About five years ago, I joined a group of business colleagues to have lunch at a Bertucci's in Jersey City, NJ. I was not excited by the group's choice to order pizza, but ended up delighted to find that the pie was thin, crisp, and surprisingly authentic. It's taken me some time to get back again, but on a recent snowy spring Saturday, we stopped in for a late lunch at the Concordville, PA location.

On the outside, the building looks like one of those places that time forgot. It was hard to find within a huge shopping plaza, and the building offered little visual interest, especially when compared to other Italian chains like Pizzeria Uno.

The interior decor was pleasant and clean, but likewise looked like it hadn't had a style update since the 90s. We ordered a small pizza and a pasta dish to share. The pasta was a simple spaghetti with meatballs and Bolognese sauce. For our 12" pizza, we ordered a traditional red pie with pepperoni and Andouille sausage.

Spaghetti Bolognese with meatballs

A quick word about the pasta. While it won't make you forget Tuscany, the spaghetti was reasonably al dente and the sauce had a good zing. The meatballs were huge and so dark that they appeared to be burned. But, in fact, I think they had been deep fried. They were spectacular. Great with the pasta, and I suspect they would be a nice pie topping too.

The pizza had a very thin crust that was reasonably sturdy when first brought to the table. With any pie, the crust is the make-or-break feature, and this one was a winner. Not life-changing, but clearly made with good ingredients and baked properly. (Our waiter had bragged earlier that there are no microwave ovens in any Bertucci's restaurant.) The crust was good enough to stand on its own.

Excellent crust was thin and crisp

The cheese was just OK, and represents room for improvement. On most pizzas, there is too much cheese. The modest quantity here would have been fine if the cheese had more character, but it lacked any distinctive flavor. The sauce, on the other hand, covered that deficit. It was thick and flavorful and applied generously.

If I were to give this pie a makeover, I'd reduce the sauce amount by 20% and add some aged Italian cheese post-bake, such as the grana padano used at DiFara in Brooklyn. With such a good base that the crust is providing, the toppings need to have a bigger presence.

I had wanted Italian sausage on the pie, but did not order it because it is pre-cooked. The pepperoni was standard grade, but the Andouille was a nice and spicy touch.

Our service was excellent, and our food arrived quickly. Overall, an excellent lunch even as it did not match the quality of the pizza I had in Jersey City five years ago.

Bertucci's still hangs in there with that very small set of chains that are worth visiting - Anthony's Coal-Fired Pizza, California Pizza Kitchen, and Grotto Pizza. Not destination pizza, but authentic fare in a family-friendly environment.

A few years back, I was stunned to discover a terrific New Haven style "apizza" in Portland, Oregon at Apizza Scholls. Trying to hunt down the best pizza in San Diego, I once again stumbled onto a New Haven style pie.

The "Mashed"

BASIC urban kitchen + bar in the East Village is situated in a converted warehouse built in 1912. The original brick walls are still intact, as well as the loading dock garage doors and a huge 16 foot-span ceiling fan.

We arrived for dinner around 6pm on a balmy night, and the garage doors were raised so that the dining space was open to the street. We were seated quickly and had attentive service from the staff.

The one-page menu is focused on the pizza, classic mixed drinks (I had a dirty martini with bleu cheese stuffed olives), and a short but well-considered choice of beers and wine.

Sausage pie

The "classic" pies on the menu seemed a bit overloaded with toppings, but we were intrigued by the white pie with mashed potato and bacon. The only successful potato-topped pie I've ever had was at Sally's in New Haven, so this was a worthy gamble.

To sample a more traditional pizza, we opted for a "base pie" with red sauce, mozzarella, Parmesan, and sausage topping. Although they typically used pre-cooked sausage, the pizzaiolo agreed to prepare ours the correct way, applying raw sausage to cook on the pie.

Each pie come in a "small" oval or a large one. In fact, the choices are "large" and "immense" - much like the oval pies at Sally's in New Haven. Our red pie was $14, the white pie $14.50. Far too much pizza for two people, but we took on the challenge.

Mashed potato pie at Basic in San Diego

The potato pizza at Sally's in New Haven, for comparison

The white pie arrived first. If there is such a thing as pizza love at-first-sight, this was it. A big oval with a puffy, uneven, deeply browned cornicione that framed a white sea of mashed potatoes and cheese on which little bacon boards seemed to float.

Crystal's first day on the job, with Breanna

The crust lived up to its visual promise. Although a little soft at the outer edge of each big slice, it was thin and crispy on the bottom with an ideal chewiness. Like all the best pies, it got better in texture the closer each bite brings you to that gorgeouscornicione.

Magnificent crumb in the cornicione

The cloud-like puffiness there combined with its superb flavor for a near-perfect bread experience. Oh, there was stuff on top, too!

The potatoes were mashed to a perfectly crumbly texture, and applied in proper modest proportion. I think I detected some garlic flavor in there, too. The bacon, crisp and chewy, added an ideal final burst of flavor.

The cheese was a nice role player. I might have added a saltier aged cheese into the mix, but that's an insignificant quibble. If I had a leftover slice, I'd heat it up with a fried egg for breakfast. Wonderful stuff.
Our red pie was generously dotted with lumps of fresh Italian sausage. The crust was identical to the mashed potato pie - a bit soft in the center due to the volume of sauce and cheese, and ideally crisp and chewy everywhere else. There is a base pie on the menu that leaves out the mozzarella - I'd love to try that so that the crust can shine even more.

The sauce on the red pie was a role player, as was the mozzarella and Parmesan combo. They added the right balance of textures and flavors, but the crust was clearly the star. Even as a bit of a red pie purist, I had a slight preference for the white pie while my dining buddy Jeff leaned toward the traditional red pie.

The million dollar question - how did these California/New Haven pizzas compare to the originals in Connecticut? Well, the crust is about as good as any crust, anywhere. Better than Sally's, on which this pie appears to be modeled. Better than Portland's Apizza Scholls. Not sure it tops Frank Pepe's, but this is first rank pie. I suspect it has earned a place in my Top Ten.

Banh mi from The Food Shop

I can't resist mentioning that this area is also home to the best banh mi (Viet hoagie) that I've ever eaten. For about $6, "The Food Shop" at 465 5th Ave offers a delicious sandwich that combines a toasted French roll with savory Viet cold cuts and a mix of crisp vegetables. Unforgettable.

San Diego has turned out to be a terrific culinary destination. If you're in the East Village or neighboring Gaslamp section, Basic Pizza and The Food Shop should be numbers one and two on your list.

San Diego is a great town in a lot of ways, starting with its beaches and the best weather in America. The city's historic Gaslamp District is an attractive area for tourists and conventioneers at the nearby civic center, and it's home to a wide variety of restaurants.

Spinach and mushroom slices

While 5th and 6th Avenues are cluttered with the bland national chains (Dick's Last Resort, Hard Rock Cafe, Starbucks, Old Spaghetti Factory), the area gets much more interesting when you venture a little bit west (mini-Chinatown) or east (East Village). As far as I can tell, San Diego has little deep pizza history, but there are some notable adaptations of pizza styles from other places.

We experienced New Haven style apizza in the East Village at BASIC urban kitchen + bar, and it was as good or better than the original versions in Connecticut. Walking from the excellent boutique lodging at Hotel Z on 6th Avenue, we stumbled on Berkeley Pizza on Island Avenue.

With its retro-hippie sign and reference to Berkeley California, I anticipated a place for vegan and gluten free pies, or quinoa pizza topped with free-range acai berries and amaranth sprouts. That impression was completely inaccurate. Instead, Berkeley offers Chicago-style deep dish pizza and a nice selection of craft beers.

Unlike most deep-dish places, Berkeley sells pizza by the slice. I had about a half dozen choices, and I opted for a slice of their signature pie with spinach and mushrooms ($4.25), and a sausage slice ($3.75). Full pies take one hour, but it's only five minutes to reheat a slice.

Sausage slice

There is a small and homey dining space with perhaps 10 tables and windows open to the street in this relatively quiet Gaslamp location. I was served one fairly large sausage slice, and two smaller slices of the spinach/mushroom pie - perhaps I got two for the price of one because they were from a smaller pie?

Underside of the crust

Like most deep dish pies, the sauce is the outstanding ingredient. This pie sported full-flavored tangy and chunky crushed tomatoes, deftly seasoned. There was perhaps a quarter inch thick sea of sauce that covered everything except the high and rigid cornicione, and a generous dusting of Parmesan on top.

While the overall depth of the pie was substantial due to the distinctly raised cornicione and the amount of sauce and cheese, the bottom crust itself was only medium thickness. It was crisp on bottom, a little buttery, and a little flaky. Not an amazing crust, but a sturdy and tasty vehicle for the ingredients pooled within.

On the signature slice, there was good mushroom flavor that was distinctive even buried under the sea of red sauce and molten cheese. The spinach, on the other hand, was more visual than taste-able. Like most deep-dish pies, there was a LOT of cheese, probably a bit too much.

The mild mozzarella never gets any oven browning, and thus it is denied a chance to shine. Still, the excellent sauce, the flavorful mushrooms, and the nicely executed crust combined to provide a highly satisfying experience.

The sausage slice repeated the nice crust, lava flow of cheese, and excellent chunky red sauce. The sausage was present in generous quantity and it lent a good salty and meaty flavor. Two excellent slices, and the sauce was the star in both.

After resisting deep-dish pie for a long time, last year I had an amazing one just south of Chicago at Louisa's. This pie won't make me forget that superb benchmark, but it was expertly rendered and comes with the nice bonus that you can buy it by the slice.

Thumbs up to Berkeley Pizza. I really had no idea that my visit to San Diego would turn up some solid examples of New Haven apizza and Chicago style deep dish.

On a prior visit to San Antonio, I was able to visit a branch of the Grimaldi's chain and also Dough Pizzeria Napoletana. Both were very good, but they fell a bit short of destination pizza. This time, I visited Stella Public House, which is within walking distance (under 2 miles) from the tourist end of the River Walk.

Stella is located in the Southtown section, a trendy spot with bars, restaurants, stately old homes, and bikes to rent. It's very much a different world than the north end of the River Walk or the Alamo tourist area. Stella is among the the artisanal restaurants working in the "farm-to-table" mode, opting for local sourcing where possible.

From the website:

Stella’s “farm to pizza” concept is centered on strong partnerships with local growers, ranchers, and purveyors. The star is Texas-sourced wood-fired pizza baked in an Italian Modena oven, using oak and pecan wood. Shared plates, house-made cheeses, and fresh salads are made with locally-sourced ingredients. There are 20 rotating craft beers on tap and an internationally-curated wine list.

I arrived around 11:45am on a Sunday, and the airy open space was about half full. By 12:30, Stella was packed and buzzing loudly. There is a mix of seating options - conventional tables, bar seating, and long common tables. The space seems to be a converted factory or warehouse, and the interior has a pleasant hipster vibe.

The menu includes small plate appetizers, salads, and pizza. I would have liked to sample some of the non-pizza items, but I was dining solo and opted for just one pie. There are several interesting options for these large personal size (14") pizzas, and I chose the Spicy Italian Sausage pie ($15).

As with any pizza worth the calories, the crust is the key element. This one seemed to be a Neapolitan hybrid. It sported the leopard spots and puffy cornicione common to Neapolitan pies, but it was improved by being a bit sturdier and crisper. Unlike some traditional Neapolitans, it didn't have a wet center or soggy spots.

A bit more about that crust - beyond its terrific texture, it had a pronounced flavor of its own, and tasted almost like sourdough. The cornicione was more dense and chewy than most, too. All of these features elevated the crust and the entire pie.

The first flavor I noted in the pie was the sausage. The fennel-packed chunks were large, uneven, and had clearly cooked on and into the pie. Sausage that cooks on the pizza is so much better than the pre-cooked variety. I made a mental note that this sausage had an incredibly good flavor.

There was a generous amount of thinly sliced Calabrian red peppers on this pie. I suspect they may have been pre-cooked a bit; they had the ideal soft texture. They added a kick of heat but not so much as to burn out the other flavors.

The mozzarella appeared conventional, but it had a bolder taste than most and also an ideal stretchiness. Just as importantly, it was applied in proper proportion so that it didn't contribute too much moisture or weight to overwhelm the crust.

The sauce was a deep red, and it was rich and thick. Its flavor stood up to the spicy pepper and savory sausage. It was a bit salty, which is a good thing to me, because I typically add salt to pizza. This pie needed none because its flavors were in harmony.

In fact, the overall theme here was that it was an optimally balanced pizza. The flavors and textures and proportions were ideal. The elements for this pizza were especially well-mated. So many times, topping combos that sound good don't work out so well. With this essentially perfect pie, any extra topping probably would have reduced its appeal (even as I was tempted by the option to add an egg to it).

Lamb meatballs

I returned for a second visit with colleagues. We ordered lamb meatballs as an appetizer, and they were superb meatballs in an intense red sauce. For pies, we repeated the spicy sausage, and added a "Bee Sting" pie which featured big slices of soppressata, mozzarella and grana padano cheeses, cilantro, serrano chilies, and a drizzle of honey.

The Bee Sting

This white pie had a perfect texture. The crust was crisper than the sausage pie because the toppings contained less moisture. The sweet fresh mozzarella was perfectly complemented by the aged grana padano. Likewise, the honey added a delightful sweet note on top of the salty soppressata and the fiery chilies.

Spicy sausage pie

Both pies were a little too spicy; we ended up removing some of the serranos and some of the Calabrian red peppers from the sausage pie. The red pie was superb, again, but we agreed that that Bee Sting was our favorite.

Is this destination pizza? Absolutely. It was a delightful reward for the 30 minute walk from the tourist center of San Antonio. It's the best pie I've had here and it would contend with the best in any city.

Most of my pizza-eating lifetime has involved pies made in a round shape. There was the occasional diversion to a rectangular Sicilian style pie, but most pizza has been round, even the Chicago deep dish stuff.

From http://rizepizza.com/gallery/

But in contrast to that longer time period, so many of my recent pizza discoveries have involved thicker-crust rectangle pies. I'm not sure if the current trend is a revival of the simple tradition of home-style pan-baked square pies, or other mysterious market forces. But when I counted up the best pizzas I found in 2015, four of the top six were rectangles.

I'm happy to report that the trend continues, strongly, into 2016. The newest contender is Rize Pizza, a small narrow space tucked into an aging strip mall in Broomall, PA (not far from Philly).

Rize seemed promising to me because, like the good folks at Denino's in Staten Island, it's all about the crust. Good pizza begins - and ends - with the crust. I also heard the term "al taglio" and wondered if indeed this was true Roman style pie.

Wall decor at Rize

The Rize website shows two pizza styles available as whole pies or by the slice:

1. "Rize Crust" - square and airy which we let rize for 2-3 hours

2. Traditional Neapolitan Crust - thinner and round like a traditional Neapolitan pie

Jim and Julia, Rize owners

We arrived around 7:30 on a weeknight, and we had about four different square pies from which to select slices, and one plain round pie. We chose to sample three different kinds of square slices and one slice from the round pizza.

The Rize interior is typical strip mall - deep and narrow. There is a counter where pies by-the-slice are displayed, and just a handful of small tables. Beyond the pizzas, the menu included several intriguing salads, fries, soups, and desserts that we didn't sample, as well as an above-average selection of soft drinks.

Let's talk first about the round pie. Despite the name, it is not a Neapolitan nor even a Neapolitan hybrid. It's not baked at 900 degrees, and it didn't have that puffy, flexible, and leopard-spotted crust typical to authentic Neapolitan pizza. No matter - this crust was as good or better than most Neapolitans.

Sickly looking cheese hiding the merits of this slice

The crust was medium-thin, firm and crisp, yet light and airy on the inside. The underside and the cornicione had a beautiful golden brown that reflected its excellent taste and texture. The sauce was lively enough, but it was hidden under a layer of pale and lightly cooked cheese.

Looking good under the hood

The cheese seemed to be some mild mozzarella blend which blanketed the sauce and the crust. Because the crust was so good, this was an excellent slice of pizza, but it could get to another level with a different approach to the cheese.

Our three squares included:

a conventional slice (red sauce and mozzarella) topped with nitrites-free pepperoni
a slice topped with sausage and roasted orange peppers
the "Venus" featuring fontina, fresh mozz, & feta cheeses, artichoke, spinach, roasted garlic, and red onion

On all three slices, the Rize crust was spectacular. It had a wonderfully crisp bottom, a light interior that offered both crunchiness and chewiness, and a golden edge that made for a near-ultimate cornicione experience. Underneath each slice was an odd but welcome scattering of sesame seeds.

The pepperoni pizza - excellent overall - was the most conventional. Like the round pie, this slice was covered with a generous amount of the mild mozzarella. The nice tomato sauce was a bit obscured under there. The crust was certainly up to the job of supporting all that cheese, but I'd like to try it with a different sauce to cheese ratio.

Underside of the square slice

The sausage pizza was quite a bit more interesting. I would not have ordered it with the peppers, but they served to break up the monotony of the cheese. The sausage was good quality, but it had been cooked and sliced before going on the pie. I suspect that this terrific slice might be improved by baking it with chunks of raw sausage that cook on the pizza.

Sausage with peppers

My usual approach is that a conventional sausage or pepperoni slice is the best way to evaluate a pizza. The novelty slices, where the toppings take the headline away from the crust foundation, are rarely my top choice. But it's a different story here - the Venus slice was clearly the star.

Venus

With no red sauce, the cheeses properly were the main focus. They were smartly blended to yield superb flavor without imparting excess moisture into the crust. I often resist vegetable toppings for the same reason, that they bring too much weight and water to the mix, but the texture and moisture factors were in ideal balance.

Despite the fairly generous application of both the cheese and vegetable toppings, each bite offered an optimal mix of flavors and textures. Unlike the other two pies, I wouldn't change anything about the Venus.

From http://rizepizza.com/gallery/

I made a second visit one week later, and sampled a Southern Belle slice featuring fried chicken, bacon, and maple syrup (akin to the flavor combo of chicken & waffles). It was weirdly wonderful. Beyond the regular mozzarella, the pie is finished with a thin coating of cheese that takes on a wonderful flaky texture.

Fried chicken and maple syrup

Because I felt the sauce didn't get a chance to shine on the slices I tried on my first visit, I ordered a slice of the Upside Down pie, where the cheese is under the sauce. This simple slice was perfectly balanced and I got a full appreciation of how good the slightly chunky sauce is.

Upside Down slice

The crust on the excellent round pizza is reason enough to visit Rize. The square slices are materially better, and that Venus slice was about perfect. After two visits, I have a good idea of which slice styles suit my palate.

Underside of my Upside Down slice

We spoke with Julia and Jim, the owners. Jim is the genius behind that crust, which is the result of a lifetime of pizza experience; his father once owned a pizza shop in nearby West Chester.

Cheesesteak stromboli at Rize

I started this blog in 2011 to document my largely fruitless search for "pizza worth the calories" in or around West Chester. So much has changed in five years. West Chester now has RapiDough and Lorenzo's, with LaPorta, Milito's, Anthony's Coal-Fired, Snap and other good to great pies nearby. Jim and Julia let us know that they have plans to open their second shop in downtown West Chester. There's no better evidence of the pizza Renaissance than that delicious bit of news.

The top tier of pan pizzas include the Detroit style slices at legends like Norma's Pizza and Via 313, the indescribable hybrid at Binge House Pizza, or the classic square at NY Pizza Suprema. The square pie at Rize Pizza now joins that elite group. This pie is so good that there should be a line out the door. Absolutely destination pizza.

Boston is one of the great east coast cities that were home to the early waves of Italian immigrants, where legendary pizzerias populated the neighborhoods: New York, Trenton, Philadelphia, New Haven. Beyond the wonderful old-school pies at places like Regina and Santarpio's, Boston has some newer places that are making stellar pizza.

Margherita pizza at Coppa

One year ago, we visited Picco in the South End neighborhood, and it was not only the best pizza in Boston, but one of the most spectacular pies anywhere. About a block away, in an area peppered with a great variety of small and interesting restaurants, is Coppa. While pizza is featured on the menu, there is a large variety of salumi, small plates, pastas, and other dishes with unusual ingredients like sea urchin and beef hearts. I'd love to get deeper into that menu.

I visited Coppa on a warm spring afternoon as the lunch hour was waning. There are a few tables outside at this corner restaurant, but I was seated inside, where the narrow space hosts a bar and seating for just 38. It's a pleasant neighborhood setting with a casually hip feeling inside.

From www.CoppaBoston.com

Plenty of interesting choices for the pizza (including one with bone marrow and beef heart), but I chose a basic ($14) Margherita. I also ordered a plate of marinated Castelvetrano olives ($7) as an appetizer, and an Earl Grey - Lemon soda.

The olive plate

The green olives were nicely presented, garnished with fennel, thinly slice Chinese radishes, and some tasty housemade wine biscuits moonlighting as croutons. Along with some slices of very fresh Italian bread and flavorful olive oil, it was an excellent starter. The timing was perfect, too, because my pie arrived shortly after I had finished the olives.

The pizza was a small personal size, about 9 or 10 inches in diameter. It had immediate eye appeal, even as the narrow cornicione on one side sported a very dark char. There were small pools of white cheese on the red sauce landscape, but at the center of the pie you could see how the mozzarella and the aged grated cheese had melded with the tomato sauce into a creamy orange mix. The entire pie was topped with chopped bits of fresh basil.

Each of the six slices was sufficiently sturdy and crisp to support the toppings without drooping. This thin-crusted pie with puffy leopard spotting on the cornicione had the appearance of an authentic Neapolitan, but the rigidly crisp bottom puts it more into the hybrid category. Beyond its al dente texture, this crust had its own good flavor, even the charred edges.

The red sauce and mozzarella cheese were subtly flavored; the sprinkling of aged Italian cheese added a salty kick. These simple ingredients were applied in about ideal proportion, so that the crust didn't get soggy, even in the center.

Underside of the crust

It was easy to eat the entire pie and savor its uncomplicated marriage of crust, sauce, and cheese. I think I might have enjoyed it even more with a cured meat (sausage or pepperoni) topping, because the sauce and mild mozzarella presented an ideal base palate on which to paint some savory flavor.

Coppa's pizza is among the best anywhere. With the stellar Picco just a block or two away, the people living in South End have pie options that rival New Haven and Greenwich Village. I'm not going to pick one over the other; I'd eat at both places often if I had the chance.

Authentic Neapolitan pizza remains a hot trend, and a very welcome one. The quaint hamlet of Phoenixville, PA is home to about 14,000 people, 28 miles northwest of Philadelphia, where the Schuylkill River meets the French Creek. And this lucky burb has one very authentic Neapolitan pizza slinger of its own.

Margherita con soppressata at Vecchia

Vecchia opened here in 2012, and quickly garnered acclaim from Craig LaBan, who favored the Regina Margherita pie:"Savor the roasty chew of the crust, the creamy cheese and bright fresh sauce in one bite." Vecchia has been on my short list since then, and I finally made the 30 minute trip there for lunch on a Tuesday.

Oven and interior at Vecchia

The menu is pointedly brief. No Buffalo chicken pizza here - just a short list of Neapolitans that includes a white pie, a Marinara (crust and San Marzano tomatoes), a Margherita (adds mozzarella), and the Regina Margherita (uses fresh Bufala Mozzarella). There is also a short list of toppings. Each pie is personal sized, but generously so. I ate about two thirds of my pie for lunch.

Regina Margherita

Margherita with soppressata

On our visit, shortly after the noon opening, the small place began to fill but there was only one staffer (father of owner Frank Nattle) who tried to keep pace until his pizzaiolo nephew arrived. I love Bufala Mozzarella, but not on my pizza. For my taste, it is too wet and insufficiently salty for pizza. I understand that the soupy center it produces is known and expected on authentic Neapolitans, but I prefer a pie with more salt and with a consistently crisp or chewy texture.

Hence, I ordered the regular Margherita, topped with soppressata. Kevin joined me for lunch and he chose the Regina pie with no extra toppings. The pies cook rapidly in the 1000 degree oven, and they came out quickly. Somehow Vecchia was out of Diet Coke, but unsweetened bottled iced tea was a decent substitute.

Underside of a slice

Like the very best Neapolitan pies, mine was almost perfectly balanced. There was no wet center, the crust was light and puffy, yet with enough chew and substance to hold the toppings well enough that no knife and fork were needed. The crust had a fine flavor all its own, and the lovely browned and blistered cheese added more - but the tomatoes were the standout flavor. Deep orange in color, bright, fresh, tangy, and in harmony with the pie. The soppressata was applied in thin slices, but each imparted a near-explosion of flavor that made each bite rewarding.

Fuel source

Dough ready for pie making

I had a taste of the Regina pie - and it was very good. But it was wet in the center, and the flavors much more subtle than on my pie. I'd love to try the white pie and especially the Marinara, given how good the tomatoes are. Next time!

The ambiance was pleasant, but not very different than any other mom and pop pizza shop beyond the massive dome oven. The pizzaiolo spoke to us at length about the oven, its construction, and let us watch a pizza bake in 60-90 seconds.

A second location is about to open in Wayne, PA, on Philly's Main Line. Wayne is rapidly becoming the New Haven of Pennsylvania, with more great pizza-per-capita than any other city. Jules Thin Crust (reviewed HERE), Anthony's Coal-Fired Pizza (reviewed HERE), Arde Osteria & Pizzeria (coming soon). While the Chester county seat of West Chester still waits for its first worthy pizzeria, Wayne will have four.

We spoke to the senior Mr. Nattle about the name "Vecchia," which means "old" and he noted that this pizzeria honors the old traditions of pie making. My top American Neapolitan remains the pies from Scuola Vecchia ("old school") in Delray Beach, Florida (reviewed HERE), but this Phoenixville pie can stand with the best in the region, such as Stella and Zavino (reviewed HERE) in Philadelphia. It's clearly superior (and more authentic) to the good pie at Stella Rossa in Downingtown (reviewed HERE).

Any complaints about Vecchia? Only one - it is too far from my West Chester home!

Whenever there is a discussion of the best pizza in the Washington DC metro area, Pupatella is part of the conversation.

On previous visits, I've stayed in the confines of DC proper, and had authentic NY slices at Wiseguy NY Pizza, great hybrid stuff at Seventh Hill Pizza, great Neapolitan at Comet Ping Pong, and world-class Neapolitan at 2Amys.

But Pupatella - perhaps the granddaddy of DC Neapolitan - remained on my must-try list. I finally got the chance on Father's Day weekend, when we visited on Saturday at lunch hour.

The Neapolitan oven where pies cook at 800-100 degrees in 60 seconds

Lining up to place an order

We arrived just minutes before the lunch crowd began queueing up; the process is that you order and pay up front, then take a seat. The staff brings your food to you. This leads to confusion about who to tip and when to tip, and whether you should bus your own table. Not a terrible system, but not a good one either.

"Salad 1"

It was a pleasantly warm afternoon, so we opted for one of the tables in the rear courtyard. It was a cozy space, but the tables were wobbly and the aroma of nearby decaying trash was distinct. The management needs to pay a bit more attention here.

Perfect card for pizza blogging Dad

For our party of two, we ordered "Salad 1" ($7.50) which included organic baby arugula, prosciutto, shaved Parmesan, and balsamic dressing. We chose two pizzas to split:

a white pie ($12) with Italian cream, sautéed mushrooms, garlic, brie cheese, and truffle oil
a red pie with sausage, sautéed onions, and provola (fresh smoked mozzarella)

We had just begun the salad when the pies arrived. Our server was friendly and efficient, but this was another detail that the management missed; you don't serve the main course 30 seconds after the appetizer. Yeah, these pies cook in 60 seconds, but hold the order for a few minutes.

Our white pie with mushrooms

The pizzaiolo at Neapolitan is a bit of a purist; the website warns that the pie will be and should be wet in the middle.

The white mushroom pie was beautiful to see; it had an ideal leopard spotting and a lovely patchwork of dark mushrooms and chunks of ivory brie cheese. The crust wasn't wet in the center, but it was unpleasantly damp. Fully half of each slice had drunk in too much moisture from the toppings.

Red pie with sausage and smoked mozzarella

As with many Neapolitans, the slice improved with each bite nearer to the cornicione, which was that perfect balance of lightness and chewiness with a satisfying char. The mushrooms were the star of this pie; they packed a lot of rich and earthy flavor. I'd like this pie better with less brie, less cheese overall, and less moisture. Excellent stuff, but well short of what it might have been.

Extra tasty at the cornicione

The red pie was largely disappointing. It was wetter than the white pie, so that even more of the crust was damp and limp. The red sauce displayed little character of its own, and the lumps of provola were oversized and hence undercooked, even as they acquired a bit of oven browning. The sausage was tiny crumbles that were barely perceptible. The overall flavor was still good, but this would not be the pie to put Pupatella on the map.

Too much on top for the delicate crust

Pupatella made a big splash 6 or 7 years ago, when it moved from food truck to its current location. It's still packing in the customers, but I fear that the magic has worn off - especially as a large staff of newer workers is churning out a high volume of pies.

Just about an ideal char

The quality of the ingredients is apparent, but a Neapolitan pie depends on the balance of ingredients, and they're off. That affects the flavor a bit and the texture a lot. At Capofitto in Philly, you can get a world class Neapolitan that has a wet center yet retains full harmony of the ingredients. Maybe Pupatella can still do that on a good day.

Of all the DC area pies I've had, 2Amys is the clear winner. Wiseguy, Comet, and Seventh Hill are also ahead of Pupatella. That said, I'd gladly return to Pupatella if I was in the area. I'd try simpler pies, like the Margherita, and other combinations with fewer toppings. That superb crust deserves a chance to be consumed without a limp center.

Philadelphia is one of the truly great pizza towns. While there may not be an iconic "Philly style" pizza (other than a Philly tomato pie - details HERE), the best in town can stand with the top places in New York, Chicago, and New Haven. Thus, it was exciting to see a branch of a Philly pizza place open up in West Chester.

Monster slices at Lorenzo & Sons, West Chester

Just ten years ago, Philly trailed nearby Trenton NJ (home to a completely different kind of tomato pie), but the exodus of the great pie makers from Trenton has let Philly pass it by as the top Delaware Valley destination.

Philly has only one legendary pizza joint - the venerable Tacconelli's in Port Richmond. But many of the brightest stars of the Pizza Renaissance call Philadelphia home: Beddia, Pizzeria Vetri, Capofitto, Gennaro's, Zavino, Slice, Osteria, Nomad.

Lorenzo & Sons, West Chester

There are some stalwart slice joints, too. One is Lorenzo's Pizza, located on Christian Street in the Italian Market. Another is Lorenzo and Sons, on South Street. For years, I've confused these two Philly pizzerias with similar names. (And let's not even bring Trenton legend DeLorenzo's into the discussion.)

The Philly Taco

Both are famous for big slices of thin New York style pizza, often served to drunks in the wee hours of the morning. The bigger slices at Lorenzo and Sons are used for the awful "Philly Taco" by which a cheesesteak sandwich is rolled up in a slice of pizza, taco style.

A beautiful char on our slice at Lorenzo's Pizza in Philly's Italian Market

About a year ago, we visited Lorenzo's in the Italian Market, and we loved the $2 slice there. It was a near-perfect rendition of an uncomplicated New York slice. The kind of pizza that was ubiquitous until the 1970s, but which began to disappear as the mom-and-pop shops began cutting corners with inferior ingredients from mass suppliers like Sysco.

Corner of Gay and High Streets, West Chester

Almost two years ago, news broke that Lorenzo and Sons was opening a branch in West Chester in a prime location at the corner of Gay and High Streets. This prime property had been vacant for a long time and seemed like a great location - near West Chester University - for a slice joint.

I had been thinking that I'd get a West Chester version of that great slice I had in the Italian Market, but it's actually the suburban location for the South Street Lorenzo and Sons, which I haven't experienced.

Second floor dining room

We visited at lunchtime on a sleepy summer Saturday. There are plenty of tables for al fresco dining and a spacious room upstairs, too. We were struck by the sight of the enormous 28" pies and the huge slices. Although one $3.50 slice was probably adequate to feed two people for lunch, we ordered one plain and one with sausage and pepperoni.

Like many slice joints, Lorenzo & Sons makes only a few basic pies for slice re-heating. Here, there is plain and pepperoni. For any other topping, it's added to the slice for the re-heat. Hence, our meat slice had the baked-in pepperoni, with the addition of pre-cooked sliced sausage. This never works out very well, because the toppings aren't properly integrated into the pie.

The staff was very friendly, and our oversized slices came out quickly. Each sliced overflowed the two paper plates on which it rested, and the two slices together filled the entire surface of the tray on which we transported them to the dining table upstairs.

Good color underneath

The slice was, in a word, ridiculous. Far too big to pick up and eat, even with two hands. If you engage in the bad habit of pizza folding (thereby turning your pizza into a calzone), this was still too big to pick up. Lacking silverware, we simply tore off chunks until each slice was manageable.

I found that the crust had good texture, in the classic crisp-but-not-dry style of the better New York slices. The cheese was a good role player, and applied in near-perfect proportion. The sauce was tame and barely a factor.

Cornicione was white-bready and bland

The baked-in pepperoni was standard grade, but it certainly enhanced that slice by adding a savory and salty note. The added thin slices of sausage were reasonably tasty, but of course well short of the great boost that chunks of cooked-on-pie sausage can deliver.

We enjoyed these slices, which were a measure better than the standard slice joint in the area. Still, when reaching the cornicione, the crust was revealed to be pretty low on character and flavor. It would have been no sin to leave the bones behind here.

Better slices at Lorenzo's Pizza in Philly's Italian Market

I wondered why this slice wasn't as good as the slices we had at Lorenzo's Pizza in the Italian Market, but of course now I know that this is not Lorenzo's Pizza, but Lorenzo & Sons.

In Philly, then, Lorenzo's Pizza is the hands-down winner for Slice Joint King. The absurdly large slices at Lorenzo & Sons are great for Philly's South Street or this college town, a good $3.50 value to be wolfed down by inebriated college kids. Lorenzo & Sons just won the local "best bang for your buck" pizza award.

Superior pizza at nearby RapiDough

In West Chester, Lorenzo & Sons adds one more decent choice to an improving if not yet great selection of pizza places. This is good pie, akin to the pizza at nearby Couch Tomato, but trailing RapiDough, whose Neapolitan pies are currently tops in town.

1980 was the year I discovered the impeccable tomato pie at DeLorenzo's in Trenton (now Robbinsville). Later that same year, we went out for beers after a company softball game and landed at Conte's Pizza and Bar, just a few blocks away from the campus of Princeton University.

Conte's sausage pizza

I doubt that I even had the pizza on my first few visits - our meager funds were designated for pitchers of cheap domestic beer (probably Rolling Rock, which is still on tap at Conte's). The pizza, once I tried it, was the exact style that I prefer, with a thin and crisp crust. It remained a favorite of mine through 1987, when I moved away from the Trenton area to Pennsylvania.

Princeton U, 5 minutes away

I returned only once since then, probably around 2005. I was comforted by how little Conte's had changed - and by how the pizza was still excellent. Princeton is a long trip from home now, but we recently took some international visitors to tour the University, which provided the ideal chance to get back to Conte's for my first visit since starting this blog in 2011.

Note the glass block bar on left

What I loved about Conte's in 1980 was its authentically retro feel. A step inside Conte's is a step back in time, and I was delighted to discover in 2016 that the building remains the same, inside and out. Conte's history as a pizzeria goes back to 1950, per their website:

Conte's began in 1936, when Sebastiano Conte opened the Witherspoon Bar on the current site. Conte, born in 1895, came from the island of Ischia in 1920. Princeton’s first pizza was served at Conte's bar on October 13, 1950. Conte's traditional thin crust traces back to a NY baker who took the train to Princeton every day. Mr. Conte would pick him up every day and return him to the station around midnight. The decor of Conte's has remained consistent since the 1950s. The white top tables are original, the brown ones arrived in the 70s. Conte's pizza has remained true to its roots; red pies are the rule, neither green vegetables nor “gourmet” toppings are available. Most of the wait staff who work here are family, and the exceptions are usually longtime friends of the family.

We arrived at dinnertime on a sweltering Saturday. During September-May, I would expect to wait for a table, but with students mostly gone and so many locals away on vacation, we were seated right away. The waitress asked - en route to the table - if we knew what we wanted to order. We didn't, of course, but it's a nice way for regulars to get their pies into the oven ASAP.

Pepperoni pizza

The menu is very short - a few sandwiches and pasta dishes, and red sauce pies with a handful of topping choices: sausage, pepperoni, anchovies, mushrooms, olives, peppers, onions, or garlic. This is the kind of pizza to eat with a pitcher of beer; there is Bud, Miller Lite, Peroni, and Hefeweizen on tap.

Onion and garlic pie

We ordered a pitcher of the Hefeweizen and three pies: sausage, pepperoni, and a garlic/onion combo.

Each large pie was about 16" across, and featured a thin, crisp crust with ideal color and char underneath and on the cornicione. Although the sausage pie was little heavy on the cheese and sauce (while the others were ideally balanced), there was no tip sag. Every narrow slice was rigid and crisp.

Because my notion of the perfect pizza was formed in the 1960s, I have a deep appreciation for any pies that seem like the kind my parents would have eaten. Conte's pie fits that perfectly - both the ambiance and the pizza are in a wonderful time warp. It really could be 1980 - or 1960 - all over again inside Conte's.

There was very little hole structure to the crust - it was uniformly flat, even to the cornicione. There was some nice dense chewiness above the crisp bottom, and the crust sported its own excellent flavor. Shame on anyone who leaves the pizza bones here. We sure didn't.

Perfect color underneath

The red sauce had a nice tang, but it differed from the simple crushed tomato found on a Trenton pie. This was a bit more cooked, and it melded into the orange with the conventional cheese (dry mozzarella or mozz blend). Old school all the way.

As noted, the sausage pie had a bit too much cheese and sauce, but the uneven chunks of fresh Italian sausage were more than enough to compensate for that small flaw. Proper sausage pizza begins with uncooked chunks that release fat and flavor into the pie while it's cooking.

The pepperoni pie shared the same wonderful base, but had an ideal balance in the amount of sauce and cheese. The pepperoni was a nice version of the "spicy cup" variety that curled up into the ideal little grease chalices. I wouldn't change a thing about this pizza.

We loved the onion and garlic pie, too. Like the pepperoni pie, it was assembled with the right proportion of cheese and sauce to crust. The garlic was a little hard to distinguish, and the onion slices were just a tad too thick, but still a wonderful pie. The pitcher of German witbier was light and perfect with pizza.

Thin crust but great chewy texture

It's hard to go home again - so often, precious memories have been exaggerated in your mind. But Conte's pizza is just about identical to the pie I had in 2005 and in 1980. I can't say the same for the wonderful tomato pie at DeLorenzo's, even as it remains a favorite.

So many of the best places are making the same pies as when Italian immigrant artisans began crafting them from scratch after the second world war. Sally's and Pepe's in New Haven, Lombardi's and Totonno's in NYC, Tacconelli's in Philly, DeLorenzo's and Papa's in Trenton/Robbinsville.

Our guests from Shenzen, China

If you like old style pizza, you can't do much better than this. Conte's - a legend in Princeton - is overlooked and underrated outside the immediate region. This destination pizza is worth the trip.

A recent Finger Lakes vacation landed us in the center of a region offering a lot of terrific food and wine (and beer and spirits) in addition to the hiking, waterfalls, river gorges, and lake activities. Our home base was a cabin just off Rt. 89 in Ovid, NY, along the shores of Lake Cayuga. That put us about a half hour from Ithaca to the south and Lake Seneca to the west.

"The Godfather"

At nearby Lucas Vineyards, we'd experienced great BBQ and wine on the lawn with live music. Just minutes away on another night, we found superb charcuterie with flights of hard cider while listening to the old-timey music of the superb Miller's Wheel band at Finger Lakes Cider House.

The bar was set pretty high, then, when we were drawn to visit The Copper Oven (at Cayuga Ridge Estate Winery) by the small "Wood Fired Pizza" sign out on the edge of the highway. The winery and restaurant are housed in an eye-catching red barn that is perched on a rolling hill with terrific views of Lake Cayuga.

Dog-friendly rear deck dining

"They didn't give me any pizza"

We called ahead to be assured of an outdoor table where we could bring our dog. It was a warm but beautiful night for our party of four. We selected three of the four pies on the menu, each made with the surprising choice of cheddar cheese:

FunGuy withcrème fraîche, mushrooms, chives, smoked salt, and and truffle oil
Summer's Bounty with crème fraîche, Roma tomatoes, corn, basil, and lemon salt
The Godfather with red sauce, Italian sausage, peppers, and caramelized onions

We started by sharing some superb salads of local greens topped with beets and goat cheese, and we ordered a bottle of Cuvée Red, a vineyard blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and chancellor grapes. It was an excellent $15 pizza wine.

House Sangria

This limited-menu pizza restaurant was built around that copper oven. According to the website, "The core of our 6,000 pound Le Panyol oven is made up of Terre Blanche (white earth), a kaolinic clay that has been specially harvested in France since 1840 for the many special properties that make it ideal for wood fired cooking."

"Summer's Bounty"

Our server told us that the pies bake at 800 degrees, so these are Neapolitan in style if not in name. Owner/chef Mary Jane Challen-Kircher takes a "hyper-local" approach to crafting these pies and the few other dishes on the menu.

"Fun Guy"

Each pizza was bigger than a typical personal size, irregular in shape, probably 13-14 inches in average diameter. The pies cook in that wood-fired copper dome, and they come out thin, crisp, and sporting some lovely char on the edges and underneath.

The crust was identical, and spectacular, on all three pies. Unlike the typical Neapolitan, there was no soupy wet spot in the center. Each pie had an ideal proportion of toppings to that thin crust, so that it was balanced in both flavor and texture.

It's hard to pick a favorite here. The Godfather was the most traditional, and the quality of the toppings was evident in every bite. Most surprising was the Summer's Bounty, but the crème fraîche was the right ingredient to help the Roma tomatoes and sweet corn succeed on a pizza.

Getting a very slight edge as overall favorite was the FunGuy, because the flavors of the cheddar, mushrooms, truffle oil, and chives were in such harmony. Bursting with umami to complement the perfect texture. And, on each pie, the cornicione had its own excellent and full flavor.

In other parts of America, folks are paying $100 a seat for this kind of artisan-and-farm-to-table meal. Beyond being a spectacular meal, this was also a wonderful bargain. Destination pizza, lovely outdoor setting, good service, good wine.

The Copper Oven

It's hard to go wrong in this stretch along Lake Cayuga, but The Copper Oven was our top can't-miss dining and pizza destination.

From http://www.bighungryshelby.com/2014/09/flitting-trail.html

Disclaimer: This is not an objective review. After three visits to Norma's Pizza, I'm both a fan and a friend. My wife and I got to visit Norma on her Saturday "day off" when she was preparing dough for her regular Tuesday sale day (Roots Market is open only on Tuesdays).

Boardwalk pizza

Although Roots the Market was closed, there was a huge Arts & Crafts Fair being held on the grounds over the long Labor Day weekend. The arts fair was kind of fun, but it was our 90 minutes with Norma that made the 3-hour round trip worthwhile.

Snipping the basil

In previous visits, I had sampled (and loved) her "Boardwalk" style pizza, which also later doubled as her "New York" style pizza that won her the Caputo Cup and great acclaim. Just as wonderful, though, was her Detroit style pie, a thick but airy crust baked in a deep square pan with its cheese, topped with tomato sauce only after it comes out of the oven, then cut into just 4 rare and wonderful rectangles. See all the pics and review HERE.

Detroit pizza from prior visit

We didn't give Norma much advance notice that we would be at the Craft Fair, but she graciously offered to have us enter the empty market so that she could make some pizza for us. The dough was a day or two short of its ideal rise time, we learned.

Mrs. PQ slicing the first pie

First, she made her signature boardwalk pie, and topped it with a special variety of spicy cup pepperoni. Beyond its perfect (yes, literally perfect) crust that was crisp, yet airy with great hole structure, Norma does not use mozzarella like many pizzaioli. I won't reveal her cheese(s), but her selection works great on this classic pie. We ate way too much, knowing full well that another pizza was on its way.

Brilliant crust, crisp and airy

Recently, she acquired and cleaned up some vintage deep-dish pizza pans, and she's been experimenting with a Sicilian pizza. This one is big enough for 9 slices (instead of 4 for the Detroit), and there is a different hydration in the dough. She bakes it with just the cheese, then removes it from the oven, added some cured meat and tomato sauce, then returns it to the oven for a finishing bake. Like the Boardwalk pie, she finishes it with snips of fresh basil.

Sicilian pie, before slicing

The Sicilian was a bit more dense than her Detroit pie, but it sported a similar cheesy-crunchy cornicione. She added one more kind of cheese to this pie, and the blend of cheeses, sauce, Calabrian chili oil, salami, and basil was just singing on the palate. Another brilliant pizza by Norma.

A peek under the hood

All of that and she sent home the leftovers slices with us, as well as 2 frozen doughs which she sells so that you can attempt this level of greatness at home. A perfect day with a wonderfully gracious host and pizza maker.

A great pizza day

Since her Caputo Cup fame, Norma often faces more pizza demand than she can meet on any given Tuesday, especially for those who want a whole pie. Part of the problem is that this "Best NY Pizza in the World" is also value-priced at just $2 per slice. Given the demand for this world-class pie and the quality of her ingredients (not to mention the 5 days each week she works just to sell pies for 12 hours every Tuesday), I'd recommend a price increase if I was her accountant!

It is truly a treat and a privilege to chat with Norma and eat that astonishing pizza. Put it on your bucket list.

In 49 states, "Hawaiian pizza" implies pie topped with ham and pineapple. But in Hawaii, a state blessed with deep and varied culture, what other pies stand out? What do the locals eat?

"Veggelicous" - from www.bar35hawaii.com

I found a well-written article about the best pizza on the island of Oahu, and narrowed my choices down to those in Honolulu. Not surprisingly, none are in the tourist-heavy Waikiki area. With three colleagues, I set out for Bar 35 in Downtown Honolulu.

Exterior of Bar 35 on N. Hotel St

Bar 35 in on narrow Hotel Street in the Chinatown district. A narrow front leads into a deep space, with a large bar and dining area in front. Toward the back there are two semi-private rooms with cozy seating and bead curtains. Further back is a large patio area.

On this Thursday evening visit, we opted for one of the back rooms because the main dining area was full with patrons.

Front room

The pizzas, which give a slight nod to Roman-style al taglio pie, come in regular (personal) size and large. We ordered a mix of four personal pizzas to share, each one began with a base of tomato sauce and mozzarella:

Veggelicious, with zucchini, olives, mushrooms, basil, and sesame oil
Deep Forest, with prosciutto, mushrooms, and EVOO
Sweet Bangkok, with Chinese sausage, chili sauce, and cilantro
Simple Pleasure, with basil and EVOO

Bar 35, despite its pizza reputation, is bar first and pizzeria second. There was a great variety of "happy hour" (until 9pm) drink bargains, including a wonderful beer selection and $5 drafts. We all drank beer, from a simple Belgian style blonde to a rich bottled stout, and the selections were terrific.

Sweet Bangkok

Each pizza was built on a very thin, almost cracker-like crust. The closest comparison I would make is Jules Thin Crust, another pizza that shares the thin crust, elongated oval shape, and exotic gourmet toppings. Is it pizza, is it flatbread? Labels not that important!

Simple Pleasure

My choice was the Sweet Bangkok, and it was a pie where the unusual toppings and flavors clicked very well. I might change it only by adding a spicy element. I rarely choose a veggie topped pie, but the Veggelicious was a success. The vegetable toppings were applied in proportions that did not overwhelm the thin and somewhat delicate crust.

Underside of the crust

The most complex flavors were found on the Deep Forest pie, where the cured meat and the mushrooms supplied the maximum umami. The Simple Pleasure pizza (we'd call it "plain" on the mainland) offered the best chance to savor the crust, which was a little crisp, a little chewy, and flavorful on its own.

John with our server

In the final analysis, Bar 35 is a great space with a hip crowd, wonderful drinks, and very good pizza to go with those drinks. I'm not sure what it would require to elevate this from excellent to destination pizza; perhaps reduce the sauce, cheese, and toppings load to let that crust shine a bit more.

From www.bar35hawaii.com

Any visitor to Honolulu should grab the chance to get out of the tourist area of Waikiki and see a bit more of Hawaii as the locals live. Bar 35 is a great choice to drink in the vibe of the local bar scene, have superb beer at bargain prices, and eat some very good pizza while you're doing it.

On just about any list of the best pizzas in Rhode Island, Al Forno is rated as number one. Al Forno's husband and wife team of George Germon and Johanne Killeenbeen began making their grilled pies more than 35 years ago, and they are recognized as pioneers of grilled pizza.

Naturally, Al Forno became my choice pizza destination on a visit to nearby Warwick. Unlike nearly every other legendary pizza restaurant, the pie is not the main focus here. Al Forno is an elegant upscale full service Italian restaurant. The pizzas are often shared by groups of diners as an appetizer.

Entrance from the parking lot in rear

Al Forno housed in an old two-story building, with several cozy dining spaces inside. I visited on a Tuesday night without a reservation, and had the option to dine at the bar or one of the small tables in the bar. I was intrigued by the other entree offerings, but of course kept my focus on the pizza.

Interior photo from SatedEpicure.com

To start, I pondered a crispy cod cake appetizer, but the waiter steered me to a signature Clams Al Forno dish ($14.95). The littleneck clams were tender and swimming in a delicious broth that contained a lot of tomatoes and translucent onions; an excellent start to my meal.

Some of the pizza offerings were more creative than I was seeking (such as pies topped with corn or pumpkin), and I opted for a pepperoni pizza, priced at $23.95. The dough is a high-gluten mix that is not proofed for very long. It goes onto the grill roughly in rectangular shape, but I noted that mine had taken on the same kind of amoeba shape that my home pizzas often do.

The dough cooks rapidly on the grill and is then flipped (complete with grill marks now on the upper surface) for application of the cheese and toppings. Al Forno uses hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes and a blend of low-moisture cheeses, then a scattering of local herbs including basil and parsley. The finished pie is topped with another Al Forno signature touch, a handful of slivered scallions.

The pizza (which takes about 2-3 minutes from the time it hits the grill) arrives unsliced, and completely covers a 12-inch plate. I was provided a fork and a steak knife, which was the proper tool to cut through the crispy and chewy grilled crust. Do I cut slices and eat like regular pizza, or cut individual bites and eat the pizza like citizens of Naples do? I did some of both, and it was equally satisfying.

The crust was wonderful. Golden crisp underneath (but without visible grill marks), it had a satisfying crunch and an al dente chewiness too. It was thin, dense, and delicious. Part of the preparation of this pie includes a drizzle of Tenuta di Capezzana olive oil, an intense olive fruit and peppery elixir that adds another layer of flavor.

Bar area dining room

If there were any topside grill marks, they were obscured by the cheese, sauce, and long thin slices of pepperoni. I had expected the traditional rounds of salumi, but the cured meat here was a much higher grade. The toppings extended almost to the edges so that there was little cornicione; I had expected to use the crusts to sponge up the remaining broth from my clams appetizer.

Underside of crust

All the ingredients were applied in an ideal balance. The San Marzano tomatoes brought an acidic zing; the cheese was earthy and dense but did not overload the thin crust. Each bite was rich and deeply satisfying. There were no wet or soggy spots.

I did have one very odd sensation - due to the density of the cheese and perhaps eating this pizza with a fork, I noticed a gustatory similarity to a good baked ziti or lasagna.

I've had some very good grilled pizza once before, at Cambridge 1 in Massachusetts. There, the pie was superb with a crust that was light and delicate. Grilled pizza is no longer a novelty, but this pizza was unique among all of my pizza eating due to its flavor and dense texture combinations.

The grilled pizza at Al Forno was flawless and lived up to its lofty reputation. Clearly destination pizza, and it's remarkable that any pizza maker can maintain this level of quality and execution for more than 30 years. Let's hope for 30 more.

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