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That's Amore: The Country's Best Pizza Places

We've chosen the 14 best places for pizza around the country.
Food & Wine's List of Best Pizza Places in the U.S.
Reny Preussker
A new breed of pizza fanatics has been sweeping the nation. Coupled with the old guard, like New York's Di Fara's and Grimaldi's, you've got your pick of the litter if you're a pizza fan! Hope you are, because we've chosen the 14 best places for pizza around the country from new guard spots — including a Bay Area pizzeria that uses locally-milled flour — to the nearly-century old East Coast institutions that loyalists still (rightfully) love.Itchin' to host a pizza party in the comfort of your own home? Check out this collection of pizzas made for your kitchen as well as these easy pizza recipes from Martha Stewart.
1

TCBP: The Country's Best Pizza

Food & Wine's List of Best Pizza Places in the U.S.
Reny Preussker
Top chefs and fabled bakers are among the new breed of pizzaiolo who are just as fanatic about the temperature of their ovens to how local their ingredients are. Check out our picks of the country's top notch pizza spots!
2

Brooklyn: Di Fara

<p><b>Signature Item</b>: Plain pie.<br />

72-year-old owner Domenico DeMarco makes all the pies at this Brooklyn pizza mecca, so they come out with the perfect balance of tomato sauce (made fresh daily), mozzarella and Grana Padano cheeses. A Di Fara spin-off called Tagliare opened in LaGuardia Airport in the fall of 2010. <a href="http://www.difara.com" target="_blank">difara.com</a>.</p>
Shane Mitchell

Signature Item: Plain pie

72-year-old owner Domenico DeMarco makes all the pies at this Brooklyn pizza mecca, so they come out with the perfect balance of tomato sauce (made fresh daily), mozzarella, and Grana Padano cheeses. A Di Fara spin-off called Tagliare opened in LaGuardia Airport in the fall of 2010. difara.com

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3

New York City: Motorino

<p><b>Signature Item</b>: Pizza with brussels sprouts, smoked pancetta, mozzarella and garlic.<br />

Mathieu Palombino cooked at BLT Fish before he embarked on his pizza tasting tour, traveling from Italy to California, trying pies to perfect his bready, well-salted crust. Toppings vary at his two Motorino outposts—burrata with broccolini and sausage can be found at the original in Williamsburg in Brooklyn, while cherrystone clams with parsley butter are on offer at the second, in Manhattan's East Village. <a href="http://www.motorinopizza.com" target="_blank">motorinopizza.com</a>.</p>
Courtesy of Motorino

Signature Item: Pizza with brussels sprouts, smoked pancetta, mozzarella, and garlic

Mathieu Palombino cooked at BLT Fish before he embarked on his pizza tasting tour, traveling from Italy to California, trying pies to perfect his bready, well-salted crust. Toppings vary — from burrata with broccolini and sausage to cherrystone clams with parsley butter. motorinopizza.com

4

Brooklyn: Paulie Gee's

Food, Cuisine, Pizza, Dish, Ingredient, Baked goods, Recipe, Pizza cheese, Fast food, California-style pizza,
Katie Sokoler/Gothamist

Signature Item: Regina (with Fior di Latte, tomatoes, Pecorino Romano, olive oil, and fresh basil)

Gregarious pizza legend Paulie Gee serves Neapolitan pies with inspired toppings like sweet fennel cream sauce. pauliegee.com

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5

Boston: Santarpio's Pizza

<p><b>Signature Item</b>: Homemade Sausage Pie.<br />

This super traditional pizzeria, with wood paneled walls covered with pictures of famous athletes, has been around for more than a century. <a href="http://www.santarpiospizza.com" target="_blank"> santarpiospizza.com</a>.</p>
Amy Swan

Signature Item: Homemade Sausage Pie

This super traditional pizzeria, with wood-paneled walls covered with pictures of famous athletes, has been around for more than a century. santarpiospizza.com

6

Chicago: Burt's Place

<p><b>Signature Item</b>: Deep Dish Pizza with Caramelized Cheese Crust.<br />

At this landmark Chicago eatery, Sharon Katz enforces the strict call-ahead reservation policy and husband Burt works the oven, pulling out pies with a lighter crust and less cheese than most Chicago deep-dish pizzas.</p>
Nancy Heller

Signature Item: Deep Dish Pizza with Caramelized Cheese Crust

At this landmark Chicago eatery, Sharon Katz enforces the strict call-ahead reservation policy and husband Burt works the oven, pulling out pies with a lighter crust and less cheese than most Chicago deep-dish pizzas.

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7

New Haven, CT: Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana

<p><b>Signature Item</b>: White Clam pizza.<br />

This longstanding classic, considered ground zero for New Haven-style "apizza," was started by Frank Pepe in 1925, and is now run by his grandchildren. The Original Tomato Pie (without mozzarella) is still on the menu. <a href="http://www.pepespizzeria.com" target="_blank">pepespizzeria.com</a>.</p>
Doug Schneider Photography

Signature Item: White Clam pizza

This longstanding classic, considered ground zero for New Haven-style "apizza," was started by Frank Pepe in 1925, and is now run by his grandchildren. The Original Tomato Pie (without mozzarella) is still on the menu. pepespizzeria.com

8

Larkspur, CA: Pizzeria Picco

<p><b>Signature Item</b>: Margherita (with house-pulled mozzarella).<br />

Pizzeria Picco's wood-fired Neopolitan pies are rumored to be Mario Batali's favorite. Another draw: the quirky olive oil and sea salt soft serve ice cream. <a href="http://www.pizzeriapicco.com" target="_blank">pizzeriapicco.com</a>.</p>
Adam Kuban

Signature Item: Margherita (with house-pulled mozzarella)

Pizzeria Picco's wood-fired Neopolitan pies are rumored to be Mario Batali's favorite. Another draw: the quirky olive oil and sea salt soft serve ice cream. pizzeriapicco.com

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9

New York City: Co.

<p><b>Signature Item</b>: Popeye (with pecorino, Gruyère, mozzarella, spinach, black pepper, and garlic).<br />

Sullivan Street Bakery founder <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/where-to-go-next-new-pizza-artisans" target="_blank"> Jim Lahey</a> is one of the country's elite bakers, so it makes sense that people can't stop talking about his chewy, crisp, ever-so-slightly tangy pie crusts. Lahey's newest project: He developed the menu for Crust, a soon-to-open Neapolitan-style pie spot at LaGuardia Airport. <a href="http://www.co-pane.com" target="_blank">co-pane.com</a>.</p>
Squire Fox

Signature Item: Popeye (with pecorino, Gruyère, mozzarella, spinach, black pepper, and garlic).

Sullivan Street Bakery founder Jim Lahey is one of the country's elite bakers, so it makes sense that people can't stop talking about his chewy, crisp, ever-so-slightly tangy pie crusts. Lahey's newest project: He developed the menu for Crust, a soon-to-open Neapolitan-style pie spot at LaGuardia Airport. co-pane.com

10

Philadelphia: Osteria

<p><b>Signature Item</b>: Lombarda pie (with baked egg, Cotechino sausage, mozzarella and bitto cheese, made from a blend of cow's milk and goat's milk).<br />

The phenomenal pizzas at star chef Marc Vetri's casual spot are fired in an oak-burning stone oven. <a href="http://www.osteriaphilly.com" target="_blank">osteriaphilly.com</a>.</p>
Tam Ngo

Signature Item: Lombarda pie (with baked egg, Cotechino sausage, mozzarella, and bitto cheese, made from a blend of cow's milk and goat's milk)

The phenomenal pizzas at star chef Marc Vetri's casual spot are fired in an oak-burning stone oven. osteriaphilly.com

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11

Portland, OR: Apizza Scholls

<p><b>Signature Item</b>: Apizza Amore (with tomato sauce, both fresh and aged mozzarella, pecorino, grana, olive oil, cured pork shoulder and fresh basil).<br />

Pizzaiolos Brian Spangler, Dan Roberts and Jon Ullrich are so exacting about their craft that they mix their dough by hand daily and won't let customers put any more than three toppings on the nicely charred pies. <a href="http://www.apizzascholls.com" target="_blank">apizzascholls.com</a>.</p>
John Sowell

Signature Item: Apizza Amore (with tomato sauce, both fresh and aged mozzarella, pecorino, grana, olive oil, cured pork shoulder, and fresh basil)

Pizzaiolos Brian Spangler, Dan Roberts and Jon Ullrich are so exacting about their craft that they mix their dough by hand daily and won't let customers put any more than three toppings on the nicely charred pies. apizzascholls.com

12

Providence, RI: Al Forno

<p><b>Signature Item</b>: Margarita (with house-made pomodoro, fresh herbs, two cheeses and extra virgin olive oil).<br />

In 1980, Johanne Killeen and George Germon launched a new era of ambitious cooking in Providence with their thin-crusted grilled pizzas topped with superfresh ingredients. <a href="http://www.alforno.com" target="_blank">alforno.com</a>.</p>
Courtesy of Al Forno

Signature Item: Margarita (with house-made pomodoro, fresh herbs, two cheeses, and extra-virgin olive oil)

In 1980, Johanne Killeen and George Germon launched a new era of ambitious cooking in Providence with their thin-crusted grilled pizzas topped with superfresh ingredients. alforno.com

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13

San Francisco: Flour + Water

<p><b>Signature Item</b>: Margherita (with tomato sauce, Fior di Latte and extra-virgin olive oil).<br />

The puffy, charred cornicione (end crust) is the result of just two minutes in the 800-degree wood-burning oven imported from Italy. <a href="http://www.flourandwater.com" target="_blank">flourandwater.com</a>.</p>
Lesley Kao

Signature Item: Margherita (with tomato sauce, Fior di Latte, and extra-virgin olive oil)

The puffy, charred cornicione (end crust) is the result of just two minutes in the 800-degree wood-burning oven imported from Italy. flourandwater.com

14

San Francisco: Pizzeria Delfina

<p><b>Signature Item</b>: Margherita.<br />

An offshoot of Delfina restaurant, from Craig and Anne Stoll, with Neapolitan-inspired pies with inventive toppings like salt cod. <a href="http://www.pizzeriadelfina.com" target="_blank">pizzeriadelfina.com</a>.</p>
Eric Wolfinger

Signature Item: Margherita

An offshoot of Delfina restaurant, from Craig and Anne Stoll, with Neapolitan-inspired pies with inventive toppings like salt cod. pizzeriadelfina.com

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15

Los Angeles: Pizzeria Mozza

<p><b>Signature Item</b>: Squash blossoms, tomato and burrata.<br />

Powerhouse team Mario Batali, Joseph Bastianich and Nancy Silverton combine the best California ingredients (squash blossoms and trumpet mushrooms) with Italian tradition (big wood-burning ovens and house-made mozzarella) to form some of L.A.'s best pies. <a href="http://www.mozzarestaurantgroup.com" target="_blank">mozza-la.com</a>.</p>
Larry Sales

Signature Item: Squash blossoms, tomato, and burrata

Powerhouse team Mario Batali, Joseph Bastianich, and Nancy Silverton combine the best California ingredients (squash blossoms and trumpet mushrooms) with Italian tradition (big wood-burning ovens and house-made mozzarella) to form some of L.A.'s best pies. mozza-la.com

16

More National Treasures

<p><b>Signature Item</b>: Plain pie.<br />

72-year-old owner Domenico DeMarco makes all the pies at this Brooklyn pizza mecca, so they come out with the perfect balance of tomato sauce (made fresh daily), mozzarella and Grana Padano cheeses. A Di Fara spin-off called Tagliare opened in LaGuardia Airport in the fall of 2010. <a href="http://www.difara.com" target="_blank">difara.com</a>.</p>
Shane Mitchell
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