Let's talk about the Post-Gazette's list of the top pizza places

Should you chew, spew or pee-ew the pizza on this list?

Sicilian pizza from Rockaway that I’m still thinking about. How can this be so soft, chewy and crunchy? Dang.

Well folks, it’s list season again. The dog days of summer are behind us, news and content is slow, everyone is on vacation so what do we resort to? Lists. Making lists. Is that where the word Listless derives from? Perhaps. You lack energy, you make a list, you find purpose.

And the pizza lists today will invigorate you to push beyond your pizza comfort zones. Explore the outer reaches of Allegheny County and discover pizza shops in places you didn’t think a pizza shop could exists. Did you ever think you’d be a person that traveled to Harrison City or New Kensington? Do you dare travel across multiple bridges for what some deem the best pizza within a twenty or so mile radius of your Zipcode? Well, a pizza enthusiasts life is not for the feint of heart. It’s for the daring. The bold. And as we know, mozzarella favors the bold.

Eleven of the Best Pizza Shops According to the Post-Gazette

I’m not a huge list person, but people love ordered content. In theory it should help to settle arguments, but in turn it only it only lights the fire. Much like Ronald Thomas Clontle’s attempt to settle every argument about Rock N’ Roll with his book, Rock, Rot & Rule.

Hal Klein recently joined the Post-Gazette to write about food. Of course the guy goes and makes an impression by boldly declaring the top 11 pizzerias in Pittsburgh. If you want to get people talking you need to only leave Mineo’s out of a pizza list.

As I wrote in the intro to my book, Pizza Walk: Pittsburgh, “ I’ve long held the opinion that a city’s progress can be judged by the diversity of pizza places. They don’t have to be great, but they have to exist. The fact that Pittsburgh is home to a wildly diverse series of pizza shops is a sign that this city is booming.” This pizza list showcases some of the newest, innovative shops that we should all be proud to have in our city.

Much like Hal, I agree that nostalgia distorts tastebuds and maybe that pizza you grew up eating actually isn’t as amazing as you remember it. That’s okay! Things should get better. Isn’t that the whole promise of capitalism? Competition stokes innovation.

What I like about the Post-Gazette list is that there are very few legacy pizza shops on the list. Most of these places opened in the past five years. Young guns like Rockaway and Badamo’s lead the list alongside Woodfired Pizza and new comer Gus Franco’s.

Fiore Moletz makes the list for him and his pizza maker’s exquisite work at Della Terra - still the best Italian meal I’ve ever had. And of course he doesn’t just do pizza. Burghers is one of the best burgers in the city. The guy is obsessed with quality and the process in everything he does.

Here’s Graziano Bertuzzo with a wild pizza that barely has starch in it.

Hal hits on upon a very important part of the pizza making process. Good pizza shouldn’t leave you feeling lethargic. Good as defined by artisan pizza lovers I guess. But this is true when talking to high-level pizzaiolos. Back in my time at Pizza Expo I was able to interview Graziano Bertuzzo. Bertuzzo has taught a whole generation of pizzaiolos. At Pizza Expo he was on the show floor promoting a new way to make pizza dough that would reduce starch and, thus, reduce the bloat factor of pizza. He did not say bloat factor. But now that I think about it, he was talking to me in Italian through an interpreter so it’s possible he may have said bloat factor in another language.

The article goes into great detail about the fundamentals of the pizza shop, the ovens and dough formula. While it may not seem like a difference in hydration makes a difference it actually makes all the difference. Required reading (and watching) for anyone who signed up for a pizza newsletter.

Cast Your Pizza Vote in City Paper’s Best Of

Don’t like Hal’s list? Going mad that Mineo’s wasn’t on the list? Don’t boo, vote! City Paper has unveiled the finalist in their absurdly long Best of Pittsburgh award. There’s a category for just about everything I’m surprised there isn’t one for “Best Parking Chair.”

There’s a few repeats from the Post-Gazette’s list (Badamo’s, Gus Franco’s, Mercurio’s, Woodfired), but there’s a ton of fan favorites like Fiori’s and Mineo’s. I’m always intrigued how the popular vote splits from my personal preference, so I’ll be keeping an eye on this. If I had to predict…I have a feeling Mineo’s might pull this one out.

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Wow! Non-stop excitement in the pizza world. Do you think we are in the Golden Age of Pittsburgh Pizza? Can it possibly get any better than this? Maybe if Bread & Salt reappeared.

Thanks for reading and I hope I provided even a little bit of pizza insight for you. Don’t hesitate to share this with your pizza pals.

Pizza ya later!

-Dan Tallarico, Pizza Journalist