For the sake of efficiency, I constrained this list to locales within Route 128. I realize that the South Shore is die-hard bar pizza country, and I personally know several people who swear by Tripoli’s beach pizza in Salisbury. Nominate them below.
Armando’s
This is a Cambridge classic: no frills, no new-fangled toppings. Their crisp, crackling, lightly browned and ever-so-sweet spongy Sicilian slice is the best $4.50 you’ll spend on lunch all week. Cash only, please. 163 Huron Ave., Cambridge, www.armandoscambridge.com
Avenue
A comfy hangout in Somerville’s Ball Square, which presents as an ordinary pub on the outside but just so happens to churn out some of the area’s huskiest, heartiest Detroit-style squares, too. Get The Reg, with burbling browned cheese and drapes of sweetish marinara, or innovate with blackened short rib and a spicy gorgonzola. And, hey, a special shout out to their range of appetizers: this is one of the rare places to order excellent pizza but also pierogies, deviled eggs, and andouille sausage cakes, made with care. Consider it better-than-bar food. 158 Boston Ave., Somerville, www.avenuesomerville.com
Coppa
Coppa, that magnificent monument to meat, that cozy cavern of charcuterie: a South End staple for 25 years thanks in large part to its earthy, toppings-strewn pizzas, namely the forest-like funghi with maitakes, pickled beech mushrooms, and leeks on a sheet of creamy crescenza. Owner Ken Oringer calls the pie style at his classic corner enoteca “a cross between New York and Roman … I am from New Jersey, after all.” We won’t hold that against him. 253 Shawmut Ave., Boston, www.coppaboston.com
Ernesto’s
Ernesto’s, in the North End and in Somerville, makes an exemplary floppy, foldable slice. But the reason I love it so much will get purist pushback. Their Assembly Row location sells a gloriously lowbrow cheeseburger pizza that tastes like a Big Mac/In-N-Out hybrid: melty American cheese, tons of chopped pickles and onions, ground burger meat, and a spicy creamy sauce that conjures a summertime drive-through. Is it authentic? Nope. Is it delicious? You bet. Various locations, www.ernestosnorthend.com
FiDo
A new entry to the Allston pie scene, this is New York-style pizza with pedigree from Traveler Street Hospitality, the team that runs Bar Mezzana, Black Lamb, No Relation, and Shore Leave. A cut above your typical slice, chef Colin Lynch experiments with potato, guanciale, and parmesan cream, and also braised greens and anchovies. Of note: a pepperoni pizza-flavored Negroni on draft. 250 Western Ave., Boston, www.fidopizza.com
Florina
A gem in the shadow of the State House, and the only pizza my Jersey-born friends will swear by. Line up with construction workers, suited commuters, and tourists for an eye-poppingly greasy, crackly cheese slice with a sweetish-pulpish sauce smeared delicately. Fold it up like a butterfly’s wings and be on your way: The pizza itself is satisfying, but the location is key, too: smack in the heart of it all. You’ll feel like a real urban denizen when you order, grab it to go, and find a bench where the oil can dribble down your chin. 16 Derne St., Boston, www.florinapizza.com
Gary’s
Chef Jamie Mammano helped to put Boston on the fine-dining map with elegant sanctuaries such as Mistral and Mooo. But immediately he’s tackling pizza with the same curation and care. Munch Roman-style pizza (airy, bouncy) with bright, seasonal topping combinations befitting a worldly chef: honeycrisp apples and maple szechuan peppercorns; juicy pork sausage, flecks of kale, and pickled peppers. Gary’s smartly does not try to do too much; just a few gourmet offerings, prepared right. 1744 Washington St., Boston, www.garyspizzaboston.com
Jinny’s
Wood-fired pies from Lydia Reichert, longtime collaborator with affable Newton restaurateur Dave Punch (Little Big Diner, Sycamore). Blistered in a 700-degree oven, chewy and charred, these pizzas mix familiar (margherita, pepperoni) with cheeky (pumpkin spice, a honeynut squash and cilantro-mint blend). These pizzas also reflect how regular folks actually love to eat in the privacy of their own home: Order a side of dipping sauces, like ranch and hot honey, for the crust. No judgment here. 1231 Centre St., Newton, www.jinnyspizza.com
Joe’s
Yes, it’s a Greenwich Village export, but it’s also really tasty: Joe’s caters to the Harvard crowd with slices served hot and quick on oil-soaked paper plates, fresh out of the gas oven. You will not find pickled shallots or hand-spun leeks here. Just get the pepperoni, crisp cups with spot-on burnt edges. No deep thinking; no airs. Plus, it’s open for pickup until 3 a.m. on weekends. Sometimes, a great slice really is that simple. 3 Brattle St., Cambridge, www.joespizzacambridge.com
Leone’s
A nostalgic haven in Winter Hill with the 1950s-style sign to match and heavy, cheesy Sicilian trays: They kind of look like something you’d line up for at your elementary school cafeteria, but I mean that in the kindest possible way: warming, comforting, browned at the edges. Tastes like something you’d win for good behavior after a field trip. 292 Broadway, Somerville, www.leonessubsandpizzas.com
MIDA
Award-winning chef Douglass Williams pays homage to New Haven-style pizza with Connecticut-bred business partner Seth Gerber: a bit of char (guests can request no char if they prefer), a hint of chew, and simple toppings: pepperoni, mozzarella, prosciutto. While New Haven originals Frank Pepe and Sally’s have expanded to the area, it’s nice to have a homegrown option, too, and clearly the recipe is working: What started as a South End experiment immediately has locations in East Boston, the Fenway, and Newton. Various locations, www.midarestaurant.com
Papa Gino’s
Bear with me: If you grew up outside Boston like I did, you probably logged plenty of hours at Papa Gino’s. I remember it as a special treat: the mottled cheese, the slightly spicy tomato sauce, the aroma of oil dripping onto a shiny silver tray, those parmesan shakers on the red-and-white checkered tables with god knows how many fingerprints. Nowadays, I lump Papa Gino’s with Friendly’s — a New England institution in danger of going extinct. But still I adore it: a little floppy, a little gloppy, with a tinge of piquant spice. In a world of new age pizza, this is my sentimental favorite, and maybe yours, too. Various (but not enough!) locations, www.papaginos.com
Pleasant Cafe
Neon signage, decor that seems untouched since the Ford administration, and simple, thin-crust goodness: Pleasant belongs on this list for sheer, wholesome endurance, with toppings that stretch to the edges (nothing fancy! ham and pineapple!). Plus, this is one of the few places where you can also find a Yankee pot roast for $16, with potato and a vegetable, just the way your Nana used to do. 4515 Washington St., Boston, www.pleasantcafe.com
Prep Neighborhood Kitchen
My Arlington neighbors might throttle me for spilling this secret, but Prep — a wee little storefront in Arlington Heights that isn’t quite sure whether it’s dine-in or takeout— has some of the smokiest, soul-warming pizzas in the area: nutty, long-fermented crust with nooks and crannies that crackle under the weight of bright, light seasonal toppings: broccoli rabe, delicata squash, and maybe a surprise like ajvar (a Balkan eggplant and sweet red pepper relish). This is pizza best eaten slowly, with a knife and fork. 1367 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, www.prepnk.com
Santarpio’s
Flatbreads and hand-helds masquerading as pizzas might come and go, this is the real offer. Santarpio’s is a well-worn affair in the shadow of Logan Airport serving burbling, bubbly, straightforward slices with house white wine and steak tip skewers. The atmosphere is minimal, but the reassuring longevity — it’s been around for more than 120 years — make this an urban touchstone. You land in Boston; you stop at Santarpio’s. In a turbulent world, consistency matters. There’s immediately an offshoot in Peabody, but East Boston will forever set the standard. 111 Chelsea St., Boston, www.santarpiospizza.com
Scampo
Sophisticated yet subtle: Lydia Shire’s brick-oven, buttered lobster pizza at The Liberty Hotel’s Scampo is the kind of treat you share on a second date. It’s creamy, it’s velvety, it’s not something you do every day — but it’s also very satisfying, especially when it comes with a whole bottle of Sauvignon Blanc or Cabernet Sauvignon for $55 at the bar. No oil, no red sauce, just a little pop of elegance in a reliable location. 215 Charles St., Boston, www.scampoboston.com
Tenderoni’s
Tiffani Faison makes a playful pie at Tenderoni’s at High Street Place, where the vibe is Roller Kingdom meets Hampton Beach: frosted overhead lamps, disco font, red cafeteria-style trays with checkered paper lining, and cheese-laden, 2.5-foot-long loaves with crackly little pepperoni cups and sheets of glossy mozzarella that bring out even the most hardened downtown denizen’s ravenous middle schooler. 100 High St., Boston, www.tenderonis.com
Kara Baskin can be reached at kara.baskin@globe.com. Follow her @kcbaskin.
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