Tag: 2015

I think the question that we get asked most when we tell people about this year’s travels is “What is your favorite pizza place?”. This is a great question, particularly because we have a lot of favorites. We have a favorite deep dish, a favorite NY style, and a favorite thin crust. We have our favorite unusual topping combination and our favorite Neapolitan traditional Margherita pie.

Now that we have been to all 101 pizzas on the list from the Daily Meal, we have attempted to rank them from #1 to #101 ourselves. You will notice that our ranking differs substantially from the Daily Meal’s ranking, and I should say that this obviously reflects our personal pizza tastes and opinions and (almost) all of the pizzas on the list deserved to be there. We also each made our own ranking so we weren’t influenced by each other’s choices, and there are definitely some that we disagreed on.

(If you aren’t interested in our whole ranking, feel free to skip down to the bottom of the list, where we discuss the highlights and summarize.)

DAILY MEAL                                     

1. Pepe’s Pizza, New Haven                   
2. Di Fara, Brooklyn                            
3. Roberta’s, Brooklyn                           
4. Mozza, Los Angeles                          
5. Sally’s Apizza, New Haven             
6. Flour+Water, San Francisco     
7. Louie and Ernie’s, Bronx      
8. Buddy’s Pizza, Detroit  
9. Coalfire Pizza, Chicago    
10. Joe’s, NYC     
11. Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix          
12. Papa’s Tomato Pies, NJ  
13. Modern Apizza, New Haven   
14. Totonno’s, Brooklyn        
15. Pequod’s, Chicago 
16. Patsy’s, NYC   
17. Gino’s East, Chicago        
18. Co., NYC   
19. Motorino, NYC        
20. Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, SF      
21. Paulie Gee’s, Brooklyn 
22. Johns of Bleecker, NYC
23. Grimaldi’s, Brooklyn 
24. Kesté, NYC      
25. Lou Malnati’s, Chicago  
26. Antico Pizza, Atlanta   
27. Apizza Scholls, Portland 
28. Lucali, Brooklyn    
29. Una Pizza Napoletana, SF   
30. Lombardi’s, NYC    
31. Lorenzo and Sons, Philadelphia  
32. Al Forno, Providence   
33. 2Amys, Washington DC 
34. Pizzeria Delfina, SF        
35. Denino’s, Staten Island         
36. Santarpio’s, Boston 
37. Umberto’s, New Hyde Park, NY  
38. Pete’s New Haven, Wash. DC    
39. Delorenzo’s, NJ        
40. Gjelina, Los Angeles                   
41. Rubirosa, NYC    
42. Emily, Brooklyn 
43. Sotto, Los Angeles     
44. Pizza Domenica, New Orleans   
45. Varasano’s, Atlanta      
46. Serious Pie, Seattle  
47. Providence Coal Fired, Providence
48. Galleria Umberto, Boston   
49. Harry’s Pizzeria, Miami         
50. Pizzeria Paradiso, Wash. DC   
51. Colony Grill, Stamford, CT  
52. Pizzeria Regina, Boston  
53. Gino’s of Long Beach, NY   
54. Cheeseboard, Berkeley, CA 
55. Coppa, Boston       
56. Lee’s Tavern, Staten Island    
57. Zuppardi’s, West Haven, CT        
58. Matchbox, Washington DC 
59. Hog & Hominy, Memphis        
60. Pizzeria Lola, Minneapolis  
61. BAR, New Haven 
62. Pizzaiolo, Oakland, CA   
63. Tacconelli’s, Philadelphia         
64. Ken’s Artisan Pizza, Portland, OR 
65. Home Slice Pizza, Austin, TX  
66. Osteria, Philadelphia  
67. Domenick & Pias, Waterbury, CT   
68. Pizzeria Uno, Chicago  
69. Double Mountain Brewery, OR     
70. Barone’s, Los Angeles    
71. Metro Pizza, Las Vegas    
72. Brooklyn’s Pizza, Hackensack, NJ  
73. Pizza Rock, Las Vegas     
74. Ernesto’s, Boston    
75. Ernie’s Pizzeria, New Haven       
76. Area 4, Cambridge, MA  
77. Pizza Moto, Brooklyn 
78. Amore Pizza, Queens        
79. Punch Neapolitan, St. Paul, MN
80. Otto Pizza, Portland, ME      
81. Pi Pizzeria, St. Louis        
82. Star Tavern, Orange, NJ    
83. Pizzeria Beddia, Philadelphia
84. Roseland Apizza,  Derby, CT  
85. Sal’s Pizza, Mamaroneck, NY    
86. Margot’s Pizza, Brooklyn   
87. New Park Pizza, Queens 
88. Pizzeria Vetri, Philadelphia    
89. Tarry Lodge, Port Chester, NY     
90. Pizza Man, Milwaukee     
91. Zaffiro’s, Milwaukee    
92. Cane Rosso, Dallas, TX        
93. The Backspace, Austin, TX       
94. Pizza Delicious, New Orleans  
95. Pizzeria Locale, Denver    
96. Micucci’s Grocery, Portland, ME     
97. Tony’s Place, Philadelphia       
98. Artichoke Basille, NYC    
99. Piece, Chicago    
100. 800 Degrees, Los Angeles    
101. Ghigiarelli’s, Old Forge, PA 

BARBARA’S LIST

1. Pepe’s Pizza
2. Pizzeria Beddia
3. Di Fara
4. BAR
5. Lucali
6. Emily
7. John’s of Bleecker
8. Totonno’s
9. Grimaldi’s
10. Coalfire Pizza
11. Roberta’s 
12. Sally’s
13. Apizza Scholl’s
14. Mozza
15. Pizza Moto
16. Co.
17. Gjelina
18. Sotto
19. Pizzeria Regina
20. Pequod’s
21. Patsy’s
22. Antico
23. Ernie’s Pizzeria
24. Pizzeria Bianco
25. Cheeseboard
26. Lorenzo & Son’s
27. Kesté 
28. Roseland Apizza
29. Tacconelli’s
30. Una Pizza Napoletana
31. Flour + Water
32. Double Mountain Brewery
33. Osteria
34. Umberto’s
35. Paulie Gee’s
36. Hog & Hominy
37. Motorino
38. Otto
39. Ernesto’s 
40. Louie & Ernie’s
41. Buddy’s Pizza
42. Micucci’s Grocery
43. 2Amys
44. Home Slice Pizza
45. Modern Apizza
46. Pete’s New Haven Apizza
47. Tony’s Pizza Napoletana
48. Harry’s
49. Pizzeria Lola
50. Area 4
51. Tony’s Place
52. Santarpio’s
53. Pizzeria Delfina
54. Pizza Rock
55. Serious Pie
56. Joe’s 
57. Star Taven
58. Lou Malnati’s
59. Lombardi’s 
60. Pizzeria Vetri
61. Varasano’s
62. New Park Pizza
63. Galleria Umberto
64. Pizza Man
65. Pi Pizzeria
66. Providence Coal Fired
67. Pizzeria Paradiso
68. Piece
69. Amore Pizzeria
70. The Backspace
71. Zuppardi’s
72. Rubirosa
73. Delorenzo’s Tomato Pies
74. Brooklyn’s Pizza
75. Cane Rosso
76. Matchbox
77. Pizzeria Uno
78. Ken’s Artisan
79. Artichoke Basille
80. Pizza Delicious
81. Al Forno
82. Pizzeria Domencia
83. Gino’s of Long Beach
84. Denino’s
85. Margot’s Pizza
86. Colony Grill
87. Tarry Lodge
88. Pizzaiolo
89. Coppa
90. Punch Neapolitan Pizza
91. Zaffiro’s
92. Gino’s East
93. Pizzeria Locale
94. Metro Pizza
95. Sal’s Pizza
96. Ghigiarelli’s 
97. Domenick & Pia’s  
98. Lee’s Tavern
99. 800 Degrees
100. Papa’s Tomato Pies
101. Barone’s Famous Italian

ERIC’s LIST

1. Pepe’s Pizza
2. Pizzeria Beddia
3. BAR
4. Emily
5. Mozza
6. Di Fara
7. Sally’s
8. Grimaldi’s
9. Apizza Scholl’s
10. Pizza Moto
11. Roberta’s
12. Ernesto’s
13. Lucali
14. Hog & Hominy
15. Una Pizza Napoletana
16. Coalfire Pizza
17. Osteria
18. Totonno’s
19. Kesté
20. Pete’s New Haven Apizza
21. Sotto
22. Pequod’s
23. Margot’s Pizza
24. Tacconelli’s Original Pizza
25. Pizzeria Vetri
26. Johns of Bleecker
27. Cheeseboard
28. Pizza Rock
29. Umberto’s
30. Galleria Umberto
31. Buddy’s Pizza
32. Micucci’s Grocery
33. Ernie’s Pizza
34. Star Tavern
35. Co.
36. Tony’s Place
37. Ghigiarelli’s
38. Joe’s
39. Antico
40. Modern Apizza
41. Tony’s Pizza Napoletana
42. Pizzaiolo
43. Gjelina
44. Pizza Domenica
45. Amore Pizza
46. Pi Pizzeria
47. Pizzeria Regina
48. Lorenzo and Sons
49. Brooklyn’s Pizza
50. Pizzeria Bianco
51. Pizzeria Lola
52. Flour + Water
53. Motorino
54. Lee’s Tavern
55. Double Mountain Brewery
56. Lou Malnati’s
57. Harry’s
58. Zuppardi’s
59. Pizzeria Uno
60. Matchbox
61. Rubirosa
62. Pizzeria Delfina
63. Otto
64. Roseland Apizza
65. Pizza Man
66. Serious Pie
67. Area 4
68. Louie and Ernie’s
69. Paulie Gee’s
70. The Backspace
71. Providence Coal Fired
72. Gino’s East
73. Zaffiro’s
74. 2Amys
75. Piece
76. Tarry Lodge
77. Lombardi’s
78. Colony Grill
79. Santarpio’s
80. Home Slice Pizza
81. Pizza Delicious
82. Gino’s of Long Beach
83. Patsy’s
84. Punch Neapolitan Pizzeria
85. Al Forno
86. Varasano’s
87. Pizzeria Locale
88. Delorenzo’s Tomato Pies
89. Ken’s Artisan Pizza
90. New Park Pizza
91. Sal’s Pizza
92. Pizzeria Paradiso
93. Cane Rosso
94. Artichoke Basille
95. Coppa
96. Denino’s
97. Metro Pizza
98. Dominick & Pia’s
99. 800 Degrees
100. Papa’s Tomato Pies
101. Barone’s Famous Italian     

Our top 20 are pretty similar to each other’s. Pepe’s tops all three lists, with the Brooklyn pizzerias Di Fara, Roberta’s, Lucali, Grimaldi’s, Totonno’s all highly ranked. Coalfire Pizza in Chicago was obviously very high on our lists, as was Mozza in Los Angeles and Apizza Scholls in Portland. Major differences here between our lists and the list from the Daily Meal are Pizza Moto (also in Brooklyn, ranked high on our list but low on the Daily Meal’s) and Pizzeria Beddia in Philadelphia (we ranked this #2, it was that good!). We also both preferred the pizza at BAR to the pizza at Sally’s and Modern in New Haven, although we realize that Sally’s has its dedicated fans, being a much older establishment. (Photos below are from our top three of Pepe’s, Di Fara, and Pizzeria Beddia)

The next 20 places we start to disagree a bit more. The rest of the places that the Daily Meal had in their top 20 fall into our top 40, for the most part. Some of their higher-ranked places (like Louie and Ernie’s in NYC, Flour + Water in San Francisco, and Buddy’s Pizza in Detroit) we liked too, but we couldn’t rank them in our top 20. We both agreed with the Daily Meal that Pequod’s had the best deep dish in Chicago.

We then get to the middle of the pack at numbers 40-60. The Cheeseboard in Berkeley ranked right in the middle according to the Daily Meal, but we both have this up higher. Same with Hog & Hominy in Memphis, Emily in Brooklyn, and Sotto in LA. The Daily Meal also had a few ranked in this set that we put much farther down on our own lists, like Coppa in Boston, and Rubirosa in NYC. We’ve also got our second favorite deep dish here (Lou Malnati’s), although the Daily Meal listed this one much higher.

From numbers 60-80, the lists start to get tricky. These are the places that we really liked, but they didn’t thrill us. We wouldn’t say any of them were bad, and we’d definitely go to them all again. For whatever reason, we didn’t find them super special. Again, we put a few of the Daily Meal’s low ranked pizzas higher on our own lists, like Ernie’s in New Haven (can’t believe we had never been here before!) and both Osteria and Tacconelli’s in Philadelphia.

And finally, the end of the lists. As we said before, we didn’t HATE any of these pizzas. We can see why they all made it on to the list, and they all have the Yelp reviews to prove that they belong there. However, the bottom of our bunch consisted of Domenick & Pias in Waterbury, CT, Papa’s Tomato Pie in Robbinsville, NJ, 800 Degrees in Los Angeles, and Barone’s Famous Italian Restaurant, also in LA. If we ever go back to LA, these last two would not be places that we stopped at again, especially since LA also has Mozza and Sotto right downtown. (Photos from 800 Degrees and Papa’s Tomato Pies. Barone’s pizza looked too unappetizing to even add to this post).

Margot’s is also low on the Daily Meal’s list, and Barb’s as well, but mainly got deductions because it was so hard to get to. You’ll see on Eric’s list that it is much higher ranked, because the pizza was very good. Another place that is low on the Daily Meal list here, but we thought was highly underrated, is Micucci’s Grocery in Portland, Maine. We’d stop there again for slices.

Now, we want your suggestions! Where should we go next?