200 Essential Pizzerias From Pizza: A Slice Of Heaven
If you’re serious about pizza, chances are, at one point, you picked up Ed Levine’s Pizza: A Slice of Heaven. It was probably the first, or at least, one of the first serious books about the best pizzas in America. I’ve read my yellow Post-it-filled copy cover to cover at least three times (the binding is giving out).
Some of its information is dated, natural since it was published in 2005. By the time I got there, Maffei in Chelsea was a shadow of what it must have once been. Is New Haven’s Brü Room really bar pizza or just New Haven-style pizza being served in a bar? Would anybody call Todd English’s pizza “consistently good” anymore? Still, while legions of pizzerias Neapolitan, VPN, and otherwise have opened in the decade since, its reporting on old-school places mostly stands the test of time.
While I have and enjoy Daniel Young’s guide Where to Eat Pizza, which lists more than 1,700 pizzerias around the world (full disclosure: I’m one of the 1,000 experts quoted), there’s only so much context and history that can fit in a tome that dense. I usually crave a more background on the places.
I’m the kind of guy who creates spreadsheets and Google Maps of places “to do.” I have one such sheet for George Motz’s must-eat burgers from Hamburger America so I can check its famous burgers off my list (who are we kidding, I check before I go). But sheets can be a pain, and sometimes, I just wish I had a list I could search in Google.
“Some of the the book’s information is dated but the reporting on the old-school places mostly stands the test of time.”
Ed excerpted many of the write-ups from the book on Serious Eats years ago (you can find them using Serious Eats’ tag, Pizza: A Slice of Heaven), and you can still find that reporting online. But I’ve never found a full list of the places Slice of Heaven featured.
So it is that minus three pages of the world’s VPN pizzerias (80) that existed in 2005 (how that number has grown), I’m listing every pizzeria Ed or one of his guest essayists singled out. The pizzerias are cross-referenced a few times, so it can be confusing to count, but by my estimate there are about 213 pizzerias. Let’s call it 200. At last count, including the 46 pizzerias that have since closed, I’ve been to 56, just about half the remaining places in the book.
I hit more every year, and so turn to the book less to supplement my personal to-do list formed by the best pizza lists I read (and have written). But I have still used it occasionally as a supplemental checklist. And I’ve met enough other pizza fanatics like me who might just find this a helpful way to check off some of the country’s (and the world’s) most destination-worthy places for themselves.
So here they are!
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NORTHEAST PIZZA
NEW YORK PIZZA
MANHATTAN PIZZA: DOWNTOWN (South of 42nd Street)
Da Ciro, 229 Lexington Ave, NY (Now Closed)
Famous Ben’s Pizza, 177 Spring St, NY
Gonzo, 140 W 13th St, NY (Now Closed)
Joe’s Pizza, 7 Carmine St, NY
John’s Pizzeria of Bleecker St, 278 Bleecker St, NY
La Pizza Fresca, 31 E 20th St, NY
Lazzara’s Pizza, 221 W 38th St #2, NY
Lombardi’s, 32 Spring St, NY
Maffei Pizza, 688 6th Ave, NY (Now Closed)
Mezzogiorno, 2791 Broadway, NY
Otto, One 5th Ave, NY
Pizza Suprema, 413 8th Ave, NY
Ray’s Pizza, 27 Prince St, NY (Now Closed)
Stromboli Pizzeria, 112 University Pl, NY (Now Closed)
MANHATTAN PIZZA: UPTOWN (North of 42nd Street)
Angelo’s Pizza, 1043 2nd Ave, NY
Angelo’s Coal Oven Pizzeria, 117 W 57th St, NY
Brio Forno, 137 E 61st St, NY (Now Closed)
Celeste, 502 Amsterdam Ave, NY
John’s of Times Square, 260 W 44th St, NY
John’s Pizzeria, 408 E 64th St, NY (Now Closed)
Mimi’s Pizzeria, 1248 Lexington Ave, NY (Now Closed)
Naples 45, 200 Park Ave, NY
Nick’s Pizza, 1814 2nd Ave, NY
Patsy’s, 61 W 74th St, NY
Patsy’s, 1312 Second Ave, NY
Patsy’s, 206 E 60th St, NY
Patsy’s, 509 3rd Ave, NY (Now Closed)
Patsy’s, 318 W 23rd St, NY (Now Closed)
Patsy’s, 67 University Pl, NY
Patsy’s Pizzeria and Restaurant, 2287-92 1st Ave, NY
Sal and Carmine’s, 2671 Broadway, NY
Sullivan Street Bakery, 536 W 47th St, NY
T & R Pizza, 411 Amsterdam Ave, NY (Now Closed)
Manhattan Pizza Minichains
Angelo’s
Patsy’s
New York Designer Pizza
Fred’s at Barney’s, 660 Madison Ave, NY
Giorgio’s, 1343 Second Ave, NY (Now Closed)
Joanne’s, 1067 Northern Blvd, Roslyn, NY
New York Airport Pizza
Figs, Terminal B, LaGuardia Ext, Queens, NY
BRONX PIZZA
Louie and Ernie’s, 1300 Crosby Ave, NY
Mario’s, 2342 Arthur Ave, NY
Patricia’s, 1080 Morris Park Ave, NY
Patricia’s Pizza of Tremont, 3883 E Tremont Ave, NY (Moved)
PJ Brady’s, 3201 Philip Ave, NY
Tosca Cafe, 4038 E Tremont Ave, NY
WESTCHESTER PIZZA
Sal’s Pizzeria, 316 Mamaroneck Ave, Mamaroneck, NY
BROOKLYN PIZZA
Caserta Vecchia, 221 Smith St, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, NY (Now Closed)
Di Fara Pizza, 1424 Avenue J, Midwood, Brooklyn, NY
Franny’s, 348 Flatbush Ave, Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY (Moved, Now Closed)
Grimaldi’s, 1 Front St, DUMBO, Brooklyn, NY (Moved)
House of Pizza and Calzone, 132 Union St, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, NY
L & B Spumoni Gardens, 2725 86th St, Gravesend, Brooklyn, NY
Sam’s Restaurant, 238 Court St, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, NY
Totonno’s Pizzeria Napolitano, 1524 Neptune Ave, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY
QUEENS PIZZA
Bella Via, 47-46 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City, Queens, NY
Forno Italia, 43-19 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria, Queens, NY
Manetta’s, 10-76 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, Queens, NY
New Park Pizzeria, 156-71 Cross Bay Blvd, Queens, NY
Nick’s Pizza, 108-26 Ascan Ave, Forest Hills, Queens, NY
Rizzo’s, 3013 Steinway St, Astoria, Queens, NY
Rose & Joe’s Italian Bakery, 2240 31st St, Astoria, Queens, NY
Thirty One, 22-48 31st St., Astoria, Queens, NY (Now Closed)
T & J’s Pizzeria & Restaurant, 136-88 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, Queens, NY (Now Closed)
STATEN ISLAND PIZZA
Denino’s, 524 Port Richmond Ave, Staten Island, NY
Joe & Pat’s, 1758 Victory Blvd, Staten Island, NY
Nunzio’s, 2155 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, NY
LONG ISLAND PIZZA
Gino’s of Long Beach, 16 W Park Ave, Long Beach, NY
King Umberto, 1343 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont, NY
La Vera, 2085 Hillside Avenue, New Hyde Park, NY (Now Closed)
Nick’s Pizza, 272 Sunrise Hwy, Rockville Centre, NY
Salvatore’s Coal Oven Pizza, 124 Shore Rd, Port Washington, NY
Sam’s Bar & Restaurant, 36 Newtown Lane, East Hampton, NY
Umberto’s of New Hyde Park, 633 Jericho Turnpike, New Hyde Park, NY
WHERE TO BUY GRANDMA PIZZA
Grandma Pizza: Nassau County
Carlino’s, 204 Jericho Turnpike, Mineola, NY (Now Closed)
Cinelli’s, 1195 Hempstead Turnpike, Franklin Square, NY
Cugini’s, 432 Jericho Turnpike, Mineola, NY
Da Angelo, 815 Willis Ave, Albertson, NY
Gino’s of Long Beach, 16 W Park Ave, Long Beach, NY
King Umberto, 1343 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont, NY
Pasta-eria, 440 S Oyster Bay Rd, Hicksville, NY
Umbertino’s, New Hyde Park, Garden City, Hicksville, NY (Now Closed)
Village Pizzeria, 169 Tulip Ave, Floral Park, NY
Vinnie’s of Mulberry Street, 287 N Broadway, Jericho, NY
Grandma Pizza: Suffolk County
Emilio’s, 2201 Jericho Turnpike, Commack, NY
Mamma Lombardi’s, 400 Furrows Rd, Holbrook, NY
Our Little Italy, 636 Union Blvd, West Islip, NY
Villa Michelangelo, Eastport-Manorville Road, Manorville, NY (Now Closed)
Grandma Pizza: Queens County
Carlo’s Pizza, 74-02 Metropolitan Ave, Middle Village, NY
Gino’s, 158-46 Cross Bay Blvd, Howard Beach, NY
Grandma Pizza: Brooklyn
Papa’s Pizza, 8312 5th Ave, Bay Ridge, NY (Now Closed)
NEW JERSEY PIZZA
Grimaldi’s, 411 Washington St, Hoboken, NJ (Moved)
TRENTON PIZZA
DeLorenzo’s Tomato Pies, 530 Hudson St, Trenton, NJ (Now Closed)
DeLorenzo’s Tomato Pies, 147 Sloan Ave, Hamilton, NJ (Moved from 1007 Hamilton Ave, Trenton)
DeLorenzo’s Tomato Pies, 2350 NJ-33, Robbinsville, NJ
Papa’s Tomato Pies, 19 Robbinsville Allentown Rd, Robbinsville, NJ (Error: Listed as Papa’s Championship Pies, 931 Chambers St, Trenton)
Vic’s, 60 Main St, Bradley Beach, NJ
BOSTON PIZZA
Campo De Fiori, 1350 Massachusetts Ave # A, Cambridge, MA (Now Closed)
Emma’s, 40 Hampshire St, Cambridge, MA (Now Closed)
Pizza Oggi, 8 Perkins St, Jamaica Plain, MA (Now Closed)
Pizzeria Regina, 11 1/2 Thacher St, Boston, MA
CONNECTICUT PIZZA
Alforno, 1654 Boston Post Rd, Old Saybrook, CT
Mystic Pizza, 56 W Main St, Mystic, CT
New Haven Pizza
Amato’s Apizza and Restaurant, 858 State St, New Haven (Now Closed)
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, 157 Wooster St, New Haven, CT
Modern Apizza, 874 State St, New Haven, CT
Sally’s Apizza, 237 Wooster St, New Haven, CT
RHODE ISLAND PIZZA
Al Forno, 577 S Water St, Providence, RI
MID-ATLANTIC PIZZA
PHILADELPHIA PIZZA
Lombardi’s Original Pizza, 132 S 18th St (Now Closed)
Marra’s, 1734 E Passyunk Ave, Philadelphia, PA
Pietro’s, 1714 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA
Regina Margherita Pizzeria, 516 Lincoln Ave, Bellevue, PA (Now Closed)
Rizzo’s Restaurant & Pizzeria, 21 E Glenside Ave, Glenside, PA (Now Closed)
Tacconelli’s, 450 S Lenola Rd, Maple Shade Township, PA (Now Closed)
Tacconelli’s, 2604 E Somerset St, Philadelphia, PA
D.C. PIZZA
2 Amys, 3715 Macomb St NW, Washington, D.C.
Pizzeria Paradiso, 3282 M St NW, Washington, D.C.
BALTIMORE PIZZA
Egyptian Pizza, 542 E Belvedere Ave, Baltimore, MD (Now Closed)
Matthew’s Pizzeria, 3131 Eastern Ave, Baltimore, MD
PIZZA IN THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST
ATLANTA PIZZA
Everybody’s Pizza, 1593 N Decatur Rd, Atlanta, GA (Now Closed)
Fellini’s, 2809 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, GA
Fritti, 309 North Highland Ave Northeast, Atlanta, GA
CHARLOTTE PIZZA
Luisa’s Brick Oven, 1730 Abbey Pl, Charlotte, NC
DALLAS PIZZA
Antonio Ristorante, 4985 Addison Cir, Addison, TX
Ancodoro & Pomodoro, 100 Crescent Ct #140, Dallas, TX (Now Closed)
Campisi’s, 1520 Elm Street, Suite 111, Dallas, TX
Fireside Pies, 2820 North Henderson Ave, Dallas, TX
Taverna, 3312 Knox Street, Dallas, TX (Moved from 3210 Armstrong Ave)
HOUSTON PIZZA
Da Marco, 1520 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX
AUSTIN PIZZA
Vespaio, 1610 South Congress Ave, Austin, TX (Listed as 1620 South Congress)
MIAMI PIZZA
Pizza Rustica, 863 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, FL
Spris Pizzeria, 731 Lincoln Rd, Miami Beach, FL
MEMPHIS PIZZA
Coletta’s Restaurant, 1063 S. Parkway East, TN
NEW ORLEANS PIZZA
Ciro’s Côté Sud, 7918 Maple St, New Orleans, LA
R & O, 216 Metairie-Hammond Hwy, Metairie, LA
Reginelli’s Pizzeria, 5961 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA (Moved from 741 State St)
SANTA FE PIZZA
El Primo, 234 North Guadalupe, Santa Fe, NM (Now Closed)
Il Vicino, 321 W San Francisco St, Santa Fe, NM
MIDWEST PIZZA
Geraci’s, 2266 Warrensville Center Rd, University Heights, OH
Imo’s, 4479 Forest Park Ave, St. Louis, MO
Mama Santa’s, 12301 Mayfield Rd, Cleveland, OH
Sven and Ole’s, 9 West Wisconsin St, Grand Marais, MN
Valentino’s, 3535 Holdrege St #100, Lincoln, NE
CHICAGO PIZZA
Barcello’s, 3576 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL (Moved from 1647 N Milwaukee Ave)
Gino’s East, 162 E Superior St, Chicago, IL (Listed as 633 N. Wells St)
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, 6649 North Lincoln Avenue, Lincolnwood, IL (Listed as 439 N Wells St)
Marcello’s Father & Son, 2475 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL
Uno’s, 29 E Ohio St, Chicago, IL
Vito & Nick’s, 8433 S Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL
MILWAUKEE PIZZA
Ann’s Italian Restaurant, 5969 S 108th Pl, Hales Corners, WI
Il Ritrovo, 515 S 8th St, Sheboygan, WI
Louise’s Trattoria, 801 N Jefferson St, Brookfield, WI
Trattoria di Carlo, 8469 S Howell Ave, Oak Creek, WI
OMAHA PIZZA
Big Fed’s Pizza Garden, 1101 S 119th St, Omaha, NE
Godfather’s Pizza, Multiple locations
La Casa Pizzeria, 4432 Leavenworth St, Omaha, NE
Lansky’s Pizza, 4601 S 50th St #200, Omaha, NE
Sgt. Peffer Restaurant,1501 N Saddle Creek Rd, Omaha, NE
Zio’s, 7834 Dodge St, Omaha, NE
CALIFORNIA AND WEST COAST PIZZA
CALIFORNIA PIZZA
A16, 2355 Chestnut St, San Francisco, CA
Alto Palato, 755 N La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood, L.A., CA (Now Closed)
Angelini Osteria, 7313 Beverly Blvd, L.A., CA
Antica Pizzeria,13455 Maxella Ave, Marina Del Rey, CA (Now Closed)
Bistro Don Giovanni’s, 4110 Howard Ln, Napa, CA
Caioti Pizza Café, 4346 Tujunga Ave, Studio City, L.A., CA
Firewood, 4248 18th St, San Francisco, CA
Grimaldi’s, 4000 N. Scottsdale Rd Ste. 105, Scottsdale, AZ
Manzanita, 336 Healdsburg, Ave, Healdsburg, CA (Now Closed)
Miceli’s Pizza Parlor, 1646 N Las Palmas Ave, L.A., CA
Nizza La Bella, 825 San Pablo Ave, Albany, NY (Now Closed)
Pauline’s, 260 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA
Pizzetta 211, 211 23rd Ave, San Francisco, CA
Postrio, 545 Post St, San Francisco, CA (Now Closed)
RNM, 598 Haight St, San Francisco, CA (Now Closed)
The Cafe At Chez Panisse, 1517 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA
Tommaso’s, 1042 Kearny St, San Francisco, CA
PORTLAND PIZZA
Café Castagna, 1758 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR
Hot Lips Pizza, 721 NW 9th Ave #150, Portland, OR
Scholls Public House, 24485 SW Scholls Ferry Rd, Hillsboro, OR (Now Closed)
SEATTLE PIZZA
Pagliacci Pizza, 550 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle, WA
Piecora’s, 1401 E Madison St, Seattle, WA (Now Closed)
Tutta Bella, 4918 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA
HAWAII PIZZA
Antonio’s New York Pizzeria, 4210 Waialae Ave, Ste 109B, Honolulu, HI (Now Closed)
BAR PIZZA
The Reservoir Tavern, 92 Parsippany Blvd, Boonton, NJ
Santarpio’s, 111 Chelsea St, East Boston, MA
Vito & Nick’s, 8433 S Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL
Brü Rm. At Bar, 254 Crown St, New Haven, CT
Eddie’s Pizza, 2048 Hillside Ave, New Hyde Park, NY
Colony Grill, 172 Myrtle Ave, Stamford, CT
Denino’s, 524 Port Richmond Ave, Staten Island, NY
PIZZA IN ITALY
PIZZA IN NAPLES
Antica Pizzeria Brandi, Salita S. Anna di Palazzo, 1/2, 80132 Napoli NA, Italy
Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba, Via Port’Alba, 18, 80134 Napoli NA, Italy
Ciro a Mergelia, Via Mergellina, 21, 80122 Napoli NA, Italy
Da Ettore Ristorante e Pizzeria, Via Santa Lucia, 56, 80132 Napoli NA, Italy
Da Michele, Via Cesare Sersale, 1, 80139 Napoli NA, Italy
D’Auria, Via Simone Martini, 83, 80128 Napoli NA, Italy
Di Matteo, Via dei Tribunali, 94, 80138 Napoli NA, Italy
Gorizia, Via Gian Lorenzo Bernini, 29-31, 80127 Napoli NA, Italy
Il Pizzaiolo del Presidente, Via dei Tribunali, 120, 80138 Napoli NA, Italy
L’Europeo di Mattozzi, Via Marchese Campodisola, 4, 80133 Napoli NA, Italy
Lombardi a Santa Chiara, Via Benedetto Croce, 59, 80100 Napoli NA, Italy
Pizza e Contorni, Via Giulio Cesare, 27, 80125 Napoli NA, Italy
Pizzeria Cafasso, Via Giulio Cesare, 156, 80125 Napoli NA, Italy
Trianon, Via Pietro Colletta, 44/46, 80139 Napoli NA, Italy
PIZZA IN ROME
Acchiappafantasmi, Via dei Cappellari, 66, 00186 Roma RM, Italy (Now Closed)
Antico Forno Marco Roscioli, Via dei Chiavari, 34, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
Da Baffetto, Via del Governo Vecchio, 114, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
Dal Paino, 34a-, Via di Parione, 35, 00186 Roma RM, Italy (Now Closed)
Il Forno di Campo de’ Fiori, Vicolo del Gallo, 14, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
Ristorante Pizzeria Da Sabatino, Piazza S. Ignazio, 169, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
LIGURIA FOCACCIA AND PIZZA
Bedin, Piazza Dante, 56r, 16121 Genova GE, Italy
Panificio Dama, Via Palestro 34, 16038 Santa Margherita Ligure
Panificio-Pasticceria Moltedo, Via XX Settembre, 2/4, 16036 Recco GE, Italy
Panificio Rocco Rizzi, 126, Via della Repubblica, Camogli
PIZZA IN FRANCE
PARIS PIZZA
Amici Miei, 44 Rue Saint-Sabin, 75011 Paris, France
Da Mimmo, 39 Boulevard de Magenta, 75010 Paris, France
La Scuderia del Mulino, 106 Boulevard de Clichy, 75018 Paris, France
PIZZA IN THE SOUTHWEST OF FRANCE
Chez Etienne, 43 Rue Lorette, Marseille 13002, France
La Pizza Cresci, 3 Quai Saint-Pierre, 06400 Cannes, France
La Pizza Cresci Nice, 34 Rue Massena, 06000 Nice, France
Le Safari, 1 Cours Saleya, 06300 Nice, France
Le Vesuvio, 69 Boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes, France
Pizzeria Au Feu de Bois, 10, Rue d’Aubagne, Marseille, France (Now Closed)
MONTREAL PIZZA
La Piazzetta, 4097 St Denis St, Montreal, QC H2W 2M7, Canada
Pizzedelic, 1250 Mont-Royal Ave E, Montreal, QC H2J, Canada
Pizzeria Napolitana, 189 Rue Dante, Montréal, QC H2S 1K1, Canada
KEEPERS OF THE FLAME
Pizzeria Bianco, 623 E Adams St, Phoenix, AZ
Una Pizza Napoletana, 210 11th St, San Francisco, CA (Moved from 349 E 12th St, New York, NY)
Di Fara Pizza, 1424 Avenue J, Midwood, Brooklyn, NY
Nick’s Pizza, 108-26 Ascan Ave, Forest Hills, Queens, NY
Sally’s Apizza, 237 Wooster St, New Haven, CT
Totonno’s Pizzeria Napolitano, 1524 Neptune Ave, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY
Get a used copy:
Pizza: A Slice of Heaven, Ed Levine, Universe Publishing, 2005
