Best Pizza Toppings

Serious pizza fans know that the mother of all pizzas is served in Naples. It may not have been invented here, but it certainly was perfected here. And there’s little argument that the best pizza in Naples comes from Da Michele. The real contest is for second place.

Since Da Michele only makes two kinds of pizzas — marinara and margherita — ordering is a snap. The family has been making pizza since 1870, and some of the tables seem to date from then. There’s almost always a line, which has only gotten worse since the publication of Eat, Pray, Love. But most of those who are queued up know their pizza will be worth the wait. Da Michele also serves a baked calzone called a ripiena. They’re closed on Sundays, so plan accordingly.

With a more ambitious menu than most of the pizza restaurants in Naples, Ciro a Mergellina is a great choice when someone wants pizza and someone else doesn’t. It’s located right on the waterfront, and it has the freshest fish in Naples. Have it grilled or deep fried, or served with pasta. Their spaghetti alla vongole is excellent. And their pizzas are really good too. Top off your dinner with their delicious home-made gelato.

Also near the waterfront, Da Ettore is on Santa Lucia Boulevard facing Castel dell’Ovo. The service here is better than at most Naples pizzerias. In fact, the waiters are part of the entertainment. In addition to fantastic pizzas, Da Ettore also serves wonderful calzones, a frito misto with veggies, potato croquettes, and rice balls, fried zucchini blossoms, and fresh seafood.

Not far from the Archaeological Museum, Lombardi a Santa Chiara opened around the turn of the century and today, it’s still owned by the same family. You can dine upstairs or downstairs at the bar. There are plenty of pasta selections to choose from and the vegetable antipasto is very good. But pizza is the real reason to come. You’ll find some interesting pizza toppings here including Lardo (cured pig fat) and smoked provola cheese.

One of the oldest pizza restaurants in Naples, Pizzaria Brandi opened in 1780, and it was here that the Pizza Margherita was born. Italy’s first queen, Margherita di Savoia, tried the pie in 1889 and it was named in her honor. It’s one of the most conveniently located pizzerias, so you can have lunch here and then continue your sightseeing. The décor is charming with wood beams and framed photographs on the walls. And there’s some seating outside. For those craving more than tomatoes and cheese, there’s seafood pizza or rocket and bresaola. If your arteries can handle it, try all Toto, a deep-fried pizza.

Right across the street from Da Michele, Trianon has been serving terrific pizza for years. Recently, reviews have been mixed, so check it our before committing. If there’s no line and no locals, head for Da Michele. If Trianon is packed too, it’s probably back up to par. With 29 different pies on the menu, Trianon offers more variety than other Naples pizza restaurants. And they offer unusual pizza toppings like friarielli — a cousin of broccoli.

In business since 1936, Di Matteo is best known for it’s pizza fritta — deep-fried dough filled with ham, ricotta, mozzarella, provola, and a little pork fat. When President Clinton came to Naples for the G7 summit in 1994, this is where he ate. It’s located on a lovely street in the old part of town. Order some arancini (fried rice balls) or potato croquettes to munch on while you wait for your pizza.

See our list of the best pizza restaurants in Rome here.

1) Da Michele
2) Pizzeria Trianon
3) Ciro a Mergellina
4) Da Ettore
5) Lombardi a Santa Chiara
6) Pizzaria Brandi
7) Di Matteo

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Di Matteo Pizza Margherita Image Flickr: dawvon

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New Yorkers think that best Los Angeles pizza restaurant is an oxymoron. But the truth is, there are great pizza restaurants in Southern California. You just have to know where to look — and be willing to take a road trip. Many of L.A.’s best pizzerias are pretty far afield. But chances are, you’ll find them worth the drive.

A joint venture of Mario Batali, Nancy Silverton, and Joseph Bastianich, Pizzeria Mozza is one of the most popular restaurants in L.A. Thankfully, they take reservations. Without them, you’ll wait 20 minutes or so to eat at the bar. There are plenty of delicious things to eat here other than pizza. The baked artichokes, fried squash blossoms, and salumi are all mouth watering. And Nancy’s chopped salad is a great accompaniment to your pie.

But it’s the pizzas that are the stars here. Baked in a wood-burning over, the crust is surprisingly thick around the edges, but light as air. The individual pies are around Neapolitan size — about 14 inches — and slightly charred. You can opt for something with traditional Italian pizza toppings like fennel sausage and salami, or go for something unconventional like Stracchino cheese, lemon, and artichoke.

Whatever you do, save room for the Butterscotch Budino with sea salt and rosemary/pine nut cookies. This pudding swimming in caramel sauce is one of the most delicious desserts we’ve ever had.

There are several pizza restaurants in Venice. Abbot’s Pizza Company makes their crust with bagel dough. You can order yours with onion, garlic, or sesame seeds baked in. The center is thin and crispy and stands up well to all kinds of pizza toppings. Vegetarians will appreciate the ability to choose from four kinds of mushroom and five kinds of onions, including leeks. In addition to tomato sauce, you can also get alfredo, olive pesto, and garlic pesto sauce.

Ed Ladou has been making pizzas for a long time. Years ago, he was the pizza maker for Wolfgang Puck’s innovative Spago. After that, he helped create the concept and the menu at California Pizza Kitchen. He’s even credited with inventing the barbecued chicken pizza, which is now on menus across the country. Now, he has a place in Studio City called Caioti Café. And he offers some of the most inventive pizza toppings you’ll ever try. The simplest of pies, Pizza Antigua, is topped with sea salt, roasted garlic, Balsamic vinegar, and white truffle oil. Seafood lovers will adore De La Mare with shrimp, crab, scallops, and lobster sausage or Rockefeller with oysters, shrimp, spinach, and Gruyere. New York-style pies and bistro items like pressed crispy chicken are also on the menu.

Located out in Eagle Rock, Casa Bianca Pizza Pie is worth the drive to a lot of pizza lovers. It’s been in business since 1955. In fact, Barrack Obama used to eat here when he attended Occidental College nearby. The red-checked tablecloths, neon sign, and cash-only policy give the place a retro charm. And the dining room is always packed. There’s a full menu of pastas and Italian standards like Veal Parmigiana and Chicken Piccata. But nearly everyone is here for the pizza, which is pretty old school American Italian.

When actress Cathy Moriarty couldn’t find a decent New York-style pizza in L.A., she opened Mulberry Street Pizzeria in Beverly Hills. To ensure authenticity, she even ships water in from New York for the dough. The white pizza with spinach and ricotta is a best seller. The original North Canon Drive location is small with just seven tables inside and a few more outside. But pizza is available by the slice, so you can just grab one and go.

Another ardent fan of New York style, Garrett Policastro serves delicious thin-crust pizzas at Tomato Pie Pizza Joint in Silver Lake and on Melrose. The most popular pizza here, “The Grandma,” was rated one of the 25 best pizzas you’ll ever eat by GQ magazine. With only crushed, marinated tomatoes, garlic, basil, oregano, mozzarella, and Parmesan, the ingredients have to be perfect. And they are. A native of Syracuse, Mr. Policastro also makes a Buffalo chicken pizza with hot sauce and bleu cheese. Service and ambience here are also better than at most pizza restaurants.

Antica Pizzeria in Marina del Rey is a member of the Verace Pizza Napoletana Association, which means they’ve been trained to make Neapolitan pizza the authentic way. The owner, Peppe Miele, is from Campania, and he makes a great pizza margherita. But for those who want more flavors, there’s Pizza Capricciosa with artichokes, mushrooms, olives, and ham, or Quattro stagioni which combines four pizza in one.

Peppe also serves pastas, salads, and traditional Italian starters like fried rice balls and potato croquettes. The quality of the ingredients required by the VPNA ensure a truly superior pizza. If you love pizza from Naples, this is the closest you’ll find in Southern California.

Find the best Italian restaurants in Los Angeles here.

1) Pizzeria Mozza
2) Abbot’s Pizza Company
3) Caioti Café
4) Casa Bianca Pizza
5) Mulberry Street Pizza
6) Tomato Pie Pizza Joint
7) Antica Pizzeria

View Pizza restaurants in Los Angeles in a larger map

Pizzeria Mozza Image Flickr: arnold | inuyaki
Pizza Pie Image Flickr: donielle

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One of the great things about pizza is its variety. Depending on which pizza toppings you use, your pizza can be Italian, Asian, Mexican or Greek. Hearty or healthful. Gourmet or grass roots.

But if you’re like us, you have a few favorite pizzas that you end up making over and over again. So maybe it’s time to shake things up with some tasty pizza toppings that are out are of the box — the pizza box that is.

Zucca restaurant in Los Angeles makes a fabulous pizza with roasted butternut squash, goat cheese, caramelized onions, and smoked prosciutto. How good is that! To roast the squash, dice it, place it on baking sheet, drizzle with melted butter or olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then roast at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes. You can puree the squash to make a sauce, or just smash down the chunks with a fork.

Another great pizza restaurant is Sonsie in Boston. They make a pizza with grilled corn, smoked bacon, and brie, fontina, and Gruyere cheese that’s just incredible. You can grill the corn on your barbecue, or do it indoors on a grill pan. When it caramelizes, it gets incredibly sweet. And the contrast with the smoky bacon is wonderful. Cut the corn off the cob to use it as a pizza topping.

Squash blossoms are a popular appetizer in Rome. Stuffed with bread crumbs, cheese, and maybe a little anchovy, they’re fried until crispy. Pizzeria Mozza, also in Los Angeles, makes a pizza with squash blossoms, tomato, and burrata cheese. If you haven’t had burrata cheese, it’s basically mozzarella cheese with a heavy cream center. When you cut into it, the creamy center oozes out over the plate. Another Mozza specialty is Gorgonzola, fingerling potatoes, radicchio and rosemary.

Two of the most popular pizzas at Serious Pie in Seattle — part of the Tom Douglas restaurant family — are Penn Cove clams, house pancetta, and lemon thyme, and guanciale (bacon from pigs’ cheeks), soft eggs, and dandelion greens. We’ve had Capriciossa pizza on the Isle of Capri with an egg broken over the top of the pizza just before it goes into the oven.

If you find it challenging to get five servings of fruits and vegetables every day, try experimenting with different vegetable pizza toppings.

For something delicious but different, try roasted yams, fried sage, and brown butter. To brown butter, heat it in a heavy-bottom stainless steel pan over medium heat. When it turns medium brown, remove it from the heat and place the pan in a sink full or cold water to stop the cooking process. For even more flavor, add lemon juice and garlic. Slather it over the dough with a pastry brush, and save a little to drizzle over the top when it comes out of the oven.

To fry sage, take whole, fresh sage leaves and saute them in hot oil for about 20 seconds, or until they turn crisp and brown around the edges. These are absolutely delicious and require very limited effort to make.

Read more pizza topping articles here.

Prosciutto & Arugula Pizza Image Flickr: Sebastian Mary
White Pizza with Basil Image Flickr: nate steiner

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