National Pizza Day is Sunday. Here's where you should celebrate.
The Avenue
This no-frills Somerville haunt serves niche Detroit-style pizza: thick, rectangular, browned at the edges, heavy on the red sauce stripes, with a fatty smear of caramelized cheese. Avenue has simple versions (plain, pepperoni) but also next-level pies with short ribs or grilled chicken and ranch sauce.
158 Boston Ave., Somerville,
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Bosse Enoteca
Exceptional pizza at a shiny new pickleball complex? Scoff if you must, but Chris Coombs is in charge of the food here (Boston Chops, Deuxave), and people are already raving about his craterous, charred Neapolitan pies. The taleggio and honey is said to travel well.
310 Speen St., Natick,
Pizza at the new Bosse in Natick.
Andrew Ryan/Andy Ryan Photography, Inc.
Ciao Pizza & Pasta
Wood-fired, char-riven, and known to impress even the most hardened of New Yorkers. The Neapolitan-style pies can be ordered in simple margherita form or laden with carbs, as in the husky potato, egg, and bacon version.
59 Williams St., Chelsea,
Denly Gardens Old World Pizza
Denly Gardens opened in 1933, and the wood-paneled ambience is purely grandma's rec room. The pizza, however, spans geographies: Greek (feta and black olive); Hawaiian (ham and pineapple); Roman (capicola and cherry peppers). Look for the blue awnings.
25 Lake St., Weymouth,
Florina Pizzeria and Panoteca
My New Yorker pals swear by this grab-n-go Beacon Hill pizzeria, and so do the judges at the Boston Pizza Festival, where it's won top honors twice. The parking situation is bad, but the paper-thin, oily, crackly pizza is just so good. Fold up that pie like a kite and dig in; let the oil dribble down your chin. A slice of roni ($4.75), with expertly crisped cups that cradle the oil like a baby, will put a pep in your step on even the dreariest February day.
16 Derne St., Boston,
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Jinny's Pizza
A newer entry on the pizza scene, but no less worthy: Cofounder Dave Punch is behind lovable Newton spots like Buttonwood, Little Big Diner, and Sycamore, where he worked with Jinny pizza master Lydia Reichert (her grandma is Jinny). Despite
1231 Centre St., Newton,
Sausage pizza with broccoli rabe at Jinny's Pizzeria in Newton Centre.
Lane Turner/Globe Staff
Joe's
A New York City export in the heart of Harvard Square? People were both intrigued and aghast when Joe's came to town, but any territorial pride has clearly vanished,
3 Brattle St., Cambridge,
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New York-style slices at Joe's in Harvard Square.
Erin Clark
Joanie's
Hardcore pizza connoisseurs venture to the Drum Hill Rotary in Chelmsford for Joanie's, launched by pedigreed pizza-maker Dan Rodriguez (Clio, Craigie on Main, Harvest, Uni). As for the style? It's tough to define. He calls their pizza 'New York'-style, though he uses the term strategically.
'That's a gateway word, to draw people in,' Rodriguez
83 Parkhurst Road #5, Chelmsford,
Pepperoni pizza from Joanie's in Chelmsford.
Jennifer Beaumont Wilfrid
Kelley Square Pub
Some people stop at Santarpio's before taking off from Logan. But others prefer the down-to-earth Kelley Square Pub in Eastie, where fans praise the 'cheese intensity' and judicious application of oil. Fans hail the $20 shrimp scampi pizza and the breadth of non-pie options, from steak tips to stuffed quahogs and, yes, crab rangoon.
84 Bennington St., Boston,
Leone's
A Somerville classic, right down to the Eisenhower-era signage (fitting since it opened in 1954). They specialize in trays of Sicilian pie, bready and square, with a crisp undercarriage and a generous blanket of cheese. Good for feeding a crowd.
292 Broadway, Somerville,
Lynwood Cafe
Sometimes, simple works. This is a beloved destination for bar pie: crisp, buttery crust; caramelized sauce and cheddar cheese that stretches to the end of a round pan; burnt at the edges. No surprises, just satisfaction. Get a glimpse at the
320 Center St., Randolph, 781-963-3100
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Louie's Pizza
If you've been around for 72 years, you're doing something right: People call early for Louie's Pizza in Woburn; dough is made fresh daily, and when they're out, they're out. Grab a seat at a red-checkered tablecloth and dig in. No unusual toppings; no extras; no-frills — and that's how their longtime fans like it.
118 Main St., Woburn,
Pizza Lisa
This New Hampshire pizzeria (in a gas station!) is a wildly popular newcomer, with fans using words like 'obsessed' and 'no joke' to describe their experiences. People praise the nicely crisped pepperoni cups; the assortment of bases (from barbecue sauce to ranch); and the gluten-free crust options. Perhaps not a pie for purists, but definitely a place to fuel up happily in every sense of the word.
32 Indian Rock Road, Windham, N.H.,
Real Italian Gusto
Matteo Ronzio and his wife, Francesca, came to Medford from Italy dreaming of opening a restaurant. They made it a reality with Real Italian Gusto, serving light, greaseless, sparsely topped Neapolitan pies (a dab of mozzarella here; crisp pepperoni saucers there). On Wednesdays, buy one pizza and get another free. Oh, and there's also a full menu of Italian dishes: The fluffy, cloud-like arancini is not to be missed.
24 High St., Medford, www.realitaliangusto.com
Super Dough
Chef Ian Maschal worked at Bar Mezzana, Eventide Fenway, Menton, and Sportello before finding peace in the world of pie. He specializes in slowly fermented sourdough pizza with seasonal ingredients, from hatch chilies to fennel pollen to local squash, asparagus, and sunchokes. Order early: He only makes 50 pies per day.
150 Needham St., Newton,
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The Salty Pig
Charcuterie. Pizza. Charcuterie on pizza. This South End spot trades in meat: Get your pie topped with pig parts and ladled with mustard cream, and pair it with a make-your-own charcuterie board rife with terrines, pork pates, and marmalades. Come hungry, and possibly on Lipitor.
130 Dartmouth St., Boston, www.thesaltypig.com
A Salty Pig pizza in Back Bay.
Essdras M Suarez
Woody's Grill & Tap
Restaurants come and restaurants go in the Fenway area, but Woody's offers a sense of consistency and routine (one fan likens it to 'Cheers'): burbly, wood-fired pies; staffers who know the regulars; and a gouda and jerk-chicken pie made with Guinness that's just the antidote to a snowy winter's day.
58 Hemenway St., Boston, www.woodysfenway.com
Kara Baskin can be reached at
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