A dough-focused pizza goes into the oven at Picco Restaurant in Boston.
It is an Italian import, first made in the U.S. in New York City at the dawn of the 20th century, but pizza is practically a national dish now -- certainly one of our favorites. Who can resist the combination of warm, melted cheese and tomato on a base of crisp but airy crust?
Aaahhh, the crust. During the gourmet pizza wave of the '90s, toppings ruled, and they became increasingly complex. But to the current crop of dedicated -- some might say obsessed -- pizzaioli (pizza makers), it's all about the crust. At pizzerias from Atlanta to Portland, Oregon, artisan pizza makers, many of whom began their culinary lives as bread bakers, are building mind-blowing pizzas from the crust up, working to perfect the foundation and keeping the toppings simple, using the best ingredients they can find.
Many credit Chris Bianco, of Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix, as an inspiration. People have been standing in long lines for his pizza, which has been called the best in the country, for nearly 15 years. "I think the reason Chris Bianco's pizza is so good is because he's able to transform some of who he is into the pizza," says Charlie Hallowell, of Pizzaiolo in Oakland, California.
Following are a few more outstanding artisan pizzerias across the country. Taste one of their pies and you will never look at this simple food the same again.
Atlanta -- Varasano's Pizzeria
Jeff Varasano, who opened Varasano's Pizzeria in Atlanta in March 2009, is a former software engineer and New York native who began making pizza at home because he couldn't find any he liked after he moved to Atlanta in 1998. "I was 100 percent focused on the crust," he says." After six years of tinkering, he finally had a breakthrough -- the light, airy crust that had been his goal.
