Belmont Pizzeria (Richmond, VA)
Buffalo Chicken & Margherita pies ∙
Fire buffalo chicken!! The flavor was incredible; the sauce was some of the best buffalo I’ve ever had (it maybe had some cheese in the buffalo sauce itself). Margherita – delicious sauce, somewhat garlic forward. Possibly overpowering? The basil (pre cook) totally hits. Crust is wonderful, light and airy. Delivery was a bit cold so we re-fired in the oven for a nice crisp!
Ledo Pizza (Arlington, VA)
I’ve been eating Ledo’s as long as I can remember. These are the (almost) thin crust mini square pizza bites that blew your mind as a child, a difference you can appreciate as an adult. The edges of the crust crack like a fried tortilla shell, while a thin, doughy, substantive crust supports the rest of the pie. If the crust hasn’t captured you, lets talk about the lightly spicy, tangy sauce. Imagine a thin crust platter pie presented to your person, perpetuating sensual seductions to your perception that dazzle the senses before they tantalize the tastebuds. Doesn’t matter what you’re doin in the DC metro area (an Adelphi, MD original), you have to grab a Ledo pie.
Pizza 7 (Saratoga Springs, NY)
Pepperoni pie ∙
Nice late night bar pie had next door at Spa City Tap & Barrel. No kitchen, so they don’t mind if you walk in with a pizza and stuff your face. Super gooey cheese on fairly doughy crust, the grease from the pepperoni and everything else dripped all over the bar. Nice hot pie in the winter never hurts.
The Pizza Shop (Warrensburg, NY)
Meat Lovers: Pepperoni, Sausage, Bacon, Meatball and Ham ∙
Arugula & Prosciutto: Imported Italian Prosciutto, Fresh baby Arugula, Olive Oil and Shredded Parmesan ∙
Chicken Basil Pesto: White Base, Basil Pesto, Chicken, Fresh Spinach, Tomato (did I eat this?) ∙
Best of the region for a reason!
Meat – the fat from the prosciutto, pep and sausage make the entire slice very tender. The crust is structured but almost melts away while you chew. The crust is delicious – light, airy, and disintegrates with each bite. The cheese is basically an accent. The sauce is flavorful and delicate, with no bite….almost a non event, a nice accent.
Arugula prosciutto – the cheese and prosciutto hits you immediately. Totally different flow. No fat, toppings tap. The taste is the prosciutto reheated (changes the flavor profile). The natural pie is excellent. Just like the slices from Panini Bakery in Oregon. In crust we trust. The sauce is delightful, cheese is fresh.
I don’t believe I tried the chicken pesto pie. I’m not much one for the white slices! Give me all the red sauce I can handle.
Right Coast Pizza (Denver, CO)
The Sunnyside slice is mind-blowing. The yolk breaks over the pizza, mixing with the bacon and chilies to give you the warm and fuzzies of every morning you ever wanted. No surprise it is the staff favorite!!
The basil pesto on the Tillie slice is some of the best I’ve ever had….an umami blast combined with the mushrooms and onion on the pizza. Not really my style, but a pleasant surprise after requesting the server choose her favorite slice for me.
The Brooklyn slice was fire…as expected. The cheese balance felt different than the other slices…but I wasn’t paying enough attention to see if that was on purpose. Still a good slice.
The cheese slice was light and airy, with some tiny holes in it. The crust is amazing – super light – cracks like a cracker…it’s thinner like NY style, with more crack and less pull. Nice color on the bottom as well. I would say its a thinner comparison to Joe’s slice in NYC.
Awesome Denver pizza shop you can’t miss!
Slices:
Sunnyside: This staff favorite starts with red sauce, followed up with bacon, house roasted green chilies, and topped with a fried egg ∙
Tillie: Basil pesto sauce, chicken, spinach, garlic, onions and mushrooms ∙
Brooklyn: Red sauce, homemade meatballs and fresh jalapeños
Fox's Pizza Den (Front Royal, VA)
Fox’s Pizza Den is every hometown need you ever had. Imagine sitting on the rolling hills of Shenandoah Valley, enjoying the delicate sounds of nature. Then a dude in a coupe drives up with two steaming pies. Where on Earth did you come from?
I’ve had many great pies delivered to a friend’s house from Fox’s Pizza Den. This is a blessing. The dynamic of desolate nature with the accessibility of delivered pizzas is incomparable. Embrace it.
Featuring my personal favorite custom topping combination: jalapeño, bacon, and onion
Angelina's Pizzeria (Key West, FL)
Cheese Slices ∙
Revisit from 2016 — the supremo late night slice following a long night on Duval Street. Crust is a pretty good NY style imitation, the sauce has a light spicy note after you eat it, the cheese is balanced and cooked well. Fire za in the Rick’s Complex satisfying your late night slice needs in the southernmost point.
Pizza Luce (Minneapolis, MN)
Half Classic (Italian sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, black olives and mozzarella on red sauce) ∙ Half Luce (Italian sausage, fresh garlic, onion and extra mozzarella on red sauce) ∙
The only comparison to the classic is a good frozen pizza. The Luce should not be the namesake pie of the shop. Its okay…little to note on any side. Unsure how this place competes in this market…it’s basically a local spot comparable to a chain. Not trying to be harsh, but it displays the spectrum of MSPZA.
Salvation Pizza (Austin, TX)
Meat slice: pepperoni, bacon, fresh jalapeno ∙
Cheese was eh… didn’t taste old, but we got the last 2 slices left at closing at 2AM…..so who am I to judge?? Jalapeños were money. Crust was well structured, with a little flop action at the end. Sauce was pretty good. Fresh jalapeño made for a solid late night slice in the Domain.
