In Search Of The Best Pizza In The US
Before anyone thinks the headline above must be a cute title to a budget/economic/financial/political post of monumental importance...it's not. It's really just about pizza.
I'm one of those people who considers pizza to be a basic food group. This all started when, along with my Beautiful and Talented Wife (The BTW) and friends Joyce and Dana, I decided that the perfect end to our annual hiking trips would be the best pizza we could find in whatever city we were in. This year it was Gaspares in San Francisco, a place with pizza that ranks so high that months later we still talk about it in almost religious tones.
So finding not just good but truly great pizza is now a mission and The BTW suggested getting recommendations from CG&G readers. Her reasoning was as sound as could be: "You can't tell me," she said, "that some of the comments you, Andrew, and Pete get are not written after lots of pepperoni pizza and beer."
Please...No California Pizza Kitchen recommendations. And I really don't want to get into that age-old argument about whether Sally's or Pepe's is the best pizza in New Haven (For the record, I wasn't impressed with either).
But regardless of whether it's in Brooklyn or Berkeley or any large city and small town in between, if you have a recommendation, I'd love to hear it.
This is a passion of mine.
This is a passion of mine. Here are a few of my favorites:
Patsy Grimaldi's - under the brooklyn bridge
Stop 50 - Michiana Shores, IN
If we can extend past our shores:
Baffetto - Rome
Trianon - Naples
American Flatbread Pizza
This is not even close: American Flatbread Pizza. Not the stuff in the freezer section (which isn't bad for that type of pizza). Get the good stuff right out of the hearth. I go to Vermont. Stan, you get on the Dulles Toll Road.
pizza
Have you forgotten Albert's and Ambrosia
hey, you're right! hit the
hey, you're right! hit the burlington location and have some of their beer, the brewer has a true talent. I'd recommend the saison.
my favorite
So nice to change the subject from worldwide economic collapse...
I haven't been there for a while, but my favorite is V&T pizza in upper Manhattan, across the street from St. John the Divine cathedral. The garlic pizza is perfect. If you are somehow still hungry after eating the pizza, the Hungarian pastry shop down the street has amazing desserts.
My favorite in Washington is Luigi's on 19th between L and M. Faccia Luna in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington is also good.
in nyc
Sal & Carmine's- morningside heights
Sal & Carmines is the best
Sal & Carmines is the best pizza in Manhattan from a non-coal-burning over. But coal-burning ovens make the best pizza. Best overall is essentially a three-way tie among (in descending order, but very close and very similar in style) Angelo's (Broadway b/w 53rd & 54th), Patsy's (74th b/w Columbus and CPW) and Grimaldi's in Brooklyn (Dumbo).
I grew up near New Haven, and although it's blasphemy to say around there, I was never impressed with Pepe's. I liked Sally's more, but it's not up there with the aforementioned three.
I also do not see the big deal with Lombardi's in Little Italy, which tends to rank highly. Nothing special.
Pizza Chicago in Silicon Valley
Pizza Chicago on El Camino Real in Palo Alto.
There's another, smaller store in Santa Clara.
Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, very well done. They can provide classic toppings as well as the "California" toppings.
My favorite so far is a small
My favorite so far is a small chain called Woodstock's in California (Santa Barbara myself). Big, saucy, nice spice mix, all sorts of toppings.
Best Pizza In The World Is
The Best Pizza In The World is CDB's Pizza in Lakeland, Florida.
pizza
Whoa! The world zigs, and Stan Collender zags. We're all thinking about turkey, stuffing, brussel sprouts, that good bottle of wine in the middle of a big table, sweet potatoes, oyster pie and Smithfield ham. And worse he disses the pride of New Haven. Clearly Stan wasn't adventurous in his order. As a celebrated writer friend of my beautiful and talented girlfreind said, "Pepe's is the best pizza anybody's ever had," bar none. And who could argue with such a gastronome? Fortunately for Connecticut Yankees living here in D.C. there is now:
***Pete's New Haven Style Apizza in Columbia Heights.***
Or if your looking for good grub after a jaunt on Skyline drive in the Blue Ridge, the calzone at ***Anthony's Pizza in Front Royal*** (Philly connection) is worth high mention. A good calzone is hard to find.
Thin crust pizza and NY style
Thin crust pizza and NY style pizza should really only be considered appetizers to real pizza, Chicago style deep dish. At the top of the list are Lou Malnatis and Ginos East.
Pizza
Yes, Lou's is certainly great and we have one in Schaumburg, about 2 blocks from the house. Didn't Lou, however, learn from the master? ...and that would be Duo's on Ohio in the City.
Cheers!
Old Forge Style
Square cut sicilian style, native to the Lackawanna/Wyoming Valley regions of northeast Pennsylvania. The town of Old Forge claims to be pizza capital of the workd. Personally I prefer Arcaro & Genell's (get a tray of white and a tray of red).
Stop. Pizza not from NY isn't pizza
Best Sicilian: Umberto's in New Hyde Park, NY
Best regular: A million places around here--I happen to love Gino's in Rockville Centre, but really just about anywhere in NYC
The best in Chicago
Although I like a good Chicago stuffed pizza, I think the best Chicago thin crust (which is still thick in comparison to New York style) is Home Run Inn. Incredible crust and quality toppings.
Pizza if you have the ways and means
I've always kind of liked Rangel's up in Harlem. It's kind of expensive - a slice will set you back $15,000 - and the clientele consists only of white men in expensive suits, but after a couple of slices all your tax problems go away.
Close to Rangel's, but better
For those of us who grew up in and around Rangel's district, his pizza is good (although where is the secondavenuesubway topping we were promised?), but it doesn't hold a candle to the original Patsy's, on First between 117th and 118th, down the block from America's worst taquería. Now with a sit down place attached. Best in America. Plain thin-crust coal-fired awesomeness.
(Brooks: Patsy's has a chain these days, and it's a fine chain, but you gotta go to the original. It ain't the same on West 74th, it just isn't. Grimaldi's is not part of the chain, but the founder is related to the original Patsy.)
Plus, the dudes on the chairs in front of the bodega on the corner of 115th and Pleasant stand ready to discuss either baseball sabremetrics or budget statistics at any time of the day. Great place to take your slice when the weather is nice, if vinyl checkerboard tablecloths and scribblings from the kids at the local P.S. aren't your style.
Just don't order any toppings on your pizza. Trust me on that.
Noel, I'll have to check out
Noel,
I'll have to check out the Patsy's up (and over*) there (I'm on the UWS) to see if it's really different from what I get on W.74th. I've read about the family origins and split re: Grimaldi's, which I assume accounts for the similarity of style and quality.
* I think the only time I traveled all to the East Side (a.k.a. the other end of the Earth) just for pizza was for Totonno's (www.Totonnos.com) which was very good. In the same top tier as the others I mentioned.
I lived in Chicago. I live in
I lived in Chicago. I live in Manhattan. I think I've had all the pizzas in those cities mentioned in the comments so far. And the best pizza in the Eastern US is at the Leaning Tower of Pizza in Mansfield, Ohio.
I've lived in L.A.,
I've lived in L.A., Sacramento, Chicago, NYC and D.C. and I have spent some time Tuscany and Rome. The place to go for pizza is Indianapolis -- Bazbeaux Pizza has by far the most creative variety of gourmet pizzas.
http://www.bazbeaux.com/
Portland Oregon
I like Pizzicato, a Portland chain of pizzerias. My favorite there is a Thai Chicken Pizza; lot's of other interesting combinations of ingredients available. They also have great salads; love their Caesar.
Not sure it's the best in the US or even Portland, but I really like it and would recommend it. I grew up in NJ and this pizza is quite different than what I ate back in the day.
Denino's Pizzeria & Tavern -
Denino's Pizzeria & Tavern - on Port Richmond Ave gets my vote for sure.
Pizza Hut Coupons
The Upper Crust
Santa Fe, New Mexico - The Upper Crust, an institution since 1979 (get green chiles as a topping)