Last week, the Food section of The New York Times published an article on a topic described by one reader in the comments as “the most divisive and inflammatory topics to be found in modern America” — pizza.
Our reporter Brett Anderson traversed the country examining how pizza has evolved across the United States, and worked with our staff to list some of the best pizza spots in the country. So, of course, the comment flood gates burst open and readers told us about all the places we should have included. And though our staff would love the pie-in-the-sky assignment of eating pizza around the world, we thought we’d turn to our readers for advice.
As recommendations poured in from Lithuania to Australia to St. Petersburg, Fla., it was clear we struck a chord. We combed through over a thousand responses, recapping the experiences of readers’ favorite slices, nostalgic pies and of course, their version of “the best.” Below are 15 of our favorite submissions, which have been edited and condensed.
Užupio Picerija
Vilnius, Lithuania
Al Funghi Porcini
The best crust! Wonderful cheese, mushrooms and tomatoes! The crust is thin, almost see-through but hardy. A little burnt in places, too, from a wood fired oven. They say the dough is matured for 24 hours. Authentic and can’t imagine it would be any better than if I traveled to Napoli!
Fire and Ice
Kathmandu, Nepal
Pepperoni and mozzarella
Italian pizza by an Italian owner using local ingredients in just about the last place you’d imagine. (There’s also a second location in Kolkata, India, that was equally good.) An expat’s treasure!
La Terraza de la Nonna
Chipilo, Puebla, Mexico
Tres quesos vegetariano
La Terraza serves a pizza that takes me back to my youth in New York City — Staten Island to be exact. Mexican pizzas are usually thick, have little sauce or cheese and toppings like avocado and (horribly) pineapple. La Terraza’s are thin, lots of sauce, cheese and oil. Salvador, the manager, learned his craft in Los Angeles and brought his knowledge to Chipilo. He doesn’t use avocados and gently discourages people from using salsa or ketchup on his pizzas.
Hideaway Pizza (original location)
Stillwater, Okla.
Mushroom, olive and onion
They had a fleet of VW Bugs as delivery vehicles in the ’70s and ’80s. The pizza is really, truly the best I have ever eaten from New York City to Italy, and all over the United States. The crust is neither thin nor thick. If you were looking for a category that might convince a skeptic as to why this really is the best pizza — it is the best slice for eating the next day. The leftovers (if you are lucky enough to have any) taste better than any other I have ever eaten cold.
Nnea
Amsterdam
Margherita
The owner is a pizza freak who is every night intensely working the dough himself, together with two other equally crazy guys. They are focused on using only the best, mostly local ingredients, and the chewy, tasty dough somehow melts in your mouth. If you ask, they will give you an impassioned lecture on what makes a (i.e. their) pizza great. One evening the owner gave me speech on how smart I was for consistently coming in later in the evening, because supposedly the dough matures further and gets even more flavor as the evening progresses. No idea if it is true, but I love the passion.
Bei Mama Lisi
Düsseldorf, Germany
Any pizza with spinach crust, and the classic Margarita
The family owned and operated restaurant is drenched in the history of the city. Little Italy is a neighborhood of Italian immigrant worker families who have stayed after the glass factory there closed. Bei Mama Lisi has not changed significantly in 15 years, keeping its dated but charming Mediterranean interior and letting the outstanding quality of the authentic food to do the talking.
Fin Gerke, Düsseldorf, Germany
Pizza Meine Liebe
Northcote, Australia
Green Peace pie
It’s an institution of Northcote, open for 20 years! The pizzas use fresh ingredients , the pizza bases are Roman style and are in perfect balance to their toppings. The vibe is warm, friendly, cozy and inclusive. Next door is the wine and cocktail bar called Joe’s Shoe Store — another Northcote institution.By the by, High Street Northcote was recently named Coolest Street in the World by Time Out.
Nomade Pizza
Nazaré, Portugal
The mushroom pizza (cogumelos)
Nomade pizza is in an amazing location looking over the Atlantic Ocean. We like to go at sunset. Reservations are required, though it’s an outdoor space, because they have to carry everything in to the location. The pizza is handmade, wood-fired and the best I’ve ever had.
Zorbaz
Detroit Lakes, Minn.
The Lowden with pepperoni, jalapeños and a tomato-peanut butter base
It’s the greatest Mexican-Italian pizza joint in the world. It is also right on the lake.
Mineo’s Pizza House
Pittsburgh
Pepperoni
This is pizza is different from any other I have ever tasted. The cheese is heavy, it must rest before eating and does not travel well. The pepperonis are Pittsburgh style, quarter size, and the crust is al dente. I’ve never eaten crust like this anywhere.
Victorio’s
Alliance, Ohio
Sausage and mushroom
It is a thin crust, square cut pizza, to-go. The crust is not crunchy, the small squares are foldable except the corners. The toppings go between the sauce and the cheese. The sauce has a bright acidity that makes you think it’s cooked not long, if at all; chunks of sausage with plenty of fennel gives a savory finish. It comes in a paper bag that the heat of the pizza seems to keep inflated. My hometown pizza in business for 50 plus years.
Monk
Kyoto, Japan
Japanese veggies from a mountain farm, and the Margarita
Quiet and humble location on the side of a mountain cradling Kyoto. Dinner is served omakase style, paired with sake. The chef Yoshihiro Imai and staff are very thoughtful, engaging, humble and skilled. Every course of the meal was exceptional. The bread and crust were crisp but soft. Best meal of my life.
El Pan de la Chola
Miraflores, Peru
Pomodoro pizza with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, shaved garlic and fresh basil
An expansive yet inviting three-floor industrial space where you’d feel welcome to sit for hours on a laptop while eating out of this world breads or pizzas and fresh drinks. I picked the pomodoro pizza because of the simplicity and familiarity, but was amazed at how well it all came together and how the crust went from golden brown and chewy to puffy and just the right amount of singed. The tomatoes stewed themselves into little sweet lumps, and there were pools of garlicky oil scattered across the cheese. Never expected to find such a pizza in Peru!
Mamma Jamma
Rio de Janeiro
The Toscana, with Tuscan sausage, Buffalo mozzarella, tomato sauce, Parmesan and black pepper
The pizza I chose is deceptive, because although it looks quite plain, the mix of flavors makes up for it. I would recommend that, if you are with a group of people, ordering a different pizza each and sampling a bit of everything. Ask for the starter bread and dip as well.
Lavana
Kigali, Rwanda
Blue Mushroom, with sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions, local mozzarella, blue cheese, truffle oil and white sauce
The pizzeria is set below the main restaurant in a beautiful garden with a view of the rolling hills of Rwanda. The pizza oven is built into a large shipping container, and you can see the chefs making the pizzas in front of you. The crust is the main attraction though. I’ve heard they make it from a mixture of local flour and barley and wheat germ, but whatever it is its got the perfect amount of softness and crunch. I live in Austin now — and there are many good pizzerias here — but I still have not found a better slice than this.
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