Six pizzerias in New York City are redefining pizza, according to Food & Wine magazine's new list of "The 27 Best Pizzas in America Right Now."
America's pizza scene has come a long way from the old arguments over New York thin crust versus Chicago deep dish. Food & Wine said a new generation of pizza makers is putting its own stamp on the American pie, experimenting with dough, toppings and techniques, while the masters of traditional styles keep finding ways to make a good thing even better.
For pizza lovers, it's a delicious time to be alive. There's more variety, more creativity and more reason than ever to venture beyond the neighborhood pizza joint, even if it means hopping on a train or taking a road trip.
For example, a Philadelphia pizzeria tops its pies with corn. For a pickle on your pizza, head to Minneapolis. Vivid green pizzas topped with chile chutney are found at a Los Angeles restaurant.
In New York City, Food & Wine editors were impressed with:
The 'Nduja Pie at Ceres, owned by Eleven Madison Park alums in Little Italy, is deeply umami and topped with "creamy dollops of burrata" and a dash of aged balsamic vinegar.
Don Antonio, owned by the daughter of a pizzaiolo from Kesté, makes what Food & Wine editors call a "transcendent" La Montanara Classica, made with decadently smoked mozzarella, pecorino, and basil.
The coal oven in the basement of Lucky Charlie is more than a hundred years old and is one of the oldest, continually operating pizza ovens in the city.
This oven creates a classic pie's crisp, charred crust, which earns the modest pizza tavern a spot on the list.
Pizza, Tokyo style. The 5 Formaggi is a smoky sensation, with Okinawan salt tossed in the fire and fermented dough, Food & Wine editors say.
The unique outlook on pizza and unconventional toppings explain the constant lines that trail out the door.
Stretch is both stretching dough, as well as what the "outer limits of what pizza can be," Food & Wine editors write.
The Everything Bagel pizza is a perfect example, topped with a cream cheese sauce and flecked with spices and chives.
Find the archetype of Neapolitan pizza at Una Pizza Napoletana in the form of the Margherita pie.
At once minimalist and complex, the pie is recognized by the Food & Wine critics for its naturally fermented dough, "superlative" ingredients, and expert use of heat.
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