After working music festivals and pop-ups for few years, Will Fagg, a former Hopkins operating room nurse turned self-professed pizza nerd, opened TinyBrickOven in 2019. He had a bunch of loyal regulars, but it still wasn’t enough to sustain the business. And it didn’t help that he was having issues acquiring a liquor license in bar-hopping Federal Hill. So, last December, Fagg decided to call it quits.

“I had tried everything possible but still was not making any money,” he says. “I was going to close on Christmas Day and tell my regulars, ‘Please come in for free pizza,’ so I could give a sweet goodbye.”

That is, until social media celebrity and Barstool Sports One Bite Pizza reviewer, Dave Portnoy, wandered in for a cheese pizza just 12 days before closing.

“I had been wanting this guy to show up for four years,” says Fagg, who actively encouraged customers to recruit Portnoy on social media. And with good reason. Portnoy is essentially the fairy godfather of pizza joints. A single visit from him can turn around the fortunes of any struggling business. “His timing was incredible and all these emotions were running though my head. I started  thanking him for all the grants he gave to local businesses to help them stay open during the pandemic—we just connected.”

As per One Bite Pizza tradition, Fagg made Portnoy a cheese pizza to-go. Portnoy stepped outside the Light Street shop to record his reaction. After taking a few bites, he turned straight to the camera and said, “There’s no way this place should be going out of business.”

On the spot, he offered Fagg $60,000 to help him get through another year (donations later poured in, including $10,000 from New York hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman).

“This is wild,” said Fagg when the moment was captured on camera. “I am going to cry.”

(To date, the video of Portnoy’s visit to TinyBrickOven has nearly 600,000 views on YouTube.)

Now that Fagg has had time to dry his tears and is back in business (and busier than ever), we caught up with him one morning as he taught us how to make pizza.

Why did you decide to make pizza your specialty?
I was an Airbnb host long ago and had bartended at the Washington Hilton. I got the idea from working there—food and beverage were an important part of the hotel. And since I was running my own hotel with Airbnb, in my limited-budget way, I tried to have my own little Hilton.

In the beginning, I had cookouts with burgers and dogs from Sam’s Club. But as Airbnb became more mainstream, we started getting hosts who were more affluent. By then I was a “super host” and had hundreds of five-star ratings. When that happened, I realized my little Hilton was not keeping up with the food and beverage options. For a year, I thought about what kind of food I could make that would be more upscale, so I started cooking pizza in my backyard on an oven I built myself.

How did you become such an expert?
My first foray into making pizza started with this high-temperature oven, which is what you need for making great Neapolitan crusts. I had this book, The Pizza Bible by Tony Gemignani, I checked out of the library, because I was so broke at that point—it was like $26 on Amazon. At the beginning of that book, he mentions a three-day dough master class that he offers. But if you want to go take the master class at his studio kitchen in California, it’s like $9,000. Being broke, but having access to YouTube, I figured I’d do the master class on my own.

So, what is the secret to making a great pizza?
You add the right amount of sauce using fresh-packed canned tomatoes that have been canned within four hours of being harvested, plus Jersey tomatoes with extra garlic and spices, and cheese—we use a part-skim and whole-milk mozzarella blend and you bake it for the right amount of time using a deck oven with a pizza stone on the bottom so it’s really crispy. When you do it that way, using the right ingredients, you are following the traditions and recipes that Italians have been using for hundreds of years. It’s going to come out like a New York slice.

Tell me about the cheese you use.
We use what’s called an “East Coast blend.” When you bake the cheese at 550 degrees for six minutes, there’s a little bit of separation and you get this orange oil on top like most New York pizza. That’s from the beta carotene that’s in the grass the cows eat—it gets expressed from the oil in the cheese when you bake it. But if you look at Papa Johns’ cheese, they’ve added sugar cane fiber into the cheese mix—the wood pulp in the cheese absorbs the grease so the cheese stays white.

How did you perfect the oven that you first built?
I saw this propane-powered pizza oven at Home Depot. It was not that expensive, it just looked kind of pathetic, so I went home and did research and read Amazon reviews. People were saying that it didn’t get hot enough to make the crust.

I decided to build my own version of it. I took apart an old Weber grill, put fire bricks in the lid, a pizza stone below, and used this weed burner, so you could basically turn it into a blacksmithing tool to melt steel. It was way more powerful than we needed for a pizza oven but I got it up to 900 degrees—that’s a great temperature for making Neapolitan pizza.

You were a nurse long before becoming a pizza maker. Is there a connection between nursing and making pizza?
Nursing and pizza share this great history—things get passed down through tradition.

What has your comeback story taught you?
I was excited we could shine a positive light on Baltimore and be a story of resilience—there are a lot of resilient people in this city.

Locals Only oozes attitude. And the Federal Hill bar is unapologetic about it.

Start with the décor inside the space that previously housed Pretty Awesome Live Music (P.A.L.M.) and Social Pub & Pie. “Pizza is my Porno” screams one sign. On another wall hangs a portrait of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with several free-floating hands flipping the bird in the background. On another is a neon sign with a slice of pizza and the declaration “I licked it so it’s mine.” Message received.

“We weren’t trying to overthink it,” Andrew Wheeler told Baltimore when he opened the pizza-focused bar in 2023. “I’ve been in the neighborhood for 15 years now, and I understand the clientele. They don’t want something that’s stuck-up or too fancy. They want cost-effective offerings that are fun, and a playful vibe to go with that.”

That playfulness permeates every facet of the place. The cocktail menu trends toward the sweet and offers several drinks not seen elsewhere.

Frosty’s Kinky Coco is made with Deep Eddy vodka, hot chocolate, and heavy cream and garnished with whipped cream, marshmallows, and chocolate sauce. It’s liquid dessert for grown-ups. Mint & Mischief is a peppermint espresso martini, and the one we drank was perfectly prepared. You don’t see many cocktails with Fireball in them these days, but the Fire N Cider uses the cinnamon whiskey to create a warming drink that especially satisfies on a chilly night.

A few wines and seltzers are available, as is a selection of canned beers. Orange, lemon, lime, and grapefruit crushes are made with freshly squeezed fruit and they’re just $5 during happy hour.

Pizza is the focus of the food menu and Locals Only does it right. Creative combinations, fresh toppings, and a slightly pillowy crust make for solid pies. The Chimi Neutron was the pizza of the week when we visited in December. Topped with shaved rib-eye, red onions, peppers, and a garlic-bread crust, it was the secret ingredient—chimichurri sauce that made it great.

The Cheesus Christ features truffle ricotta, mozzarella, Parm, hot honey, hazelnuts, and herbs. The Golden Arches is a pie with ground beef, mac sauce, shredded lettuce, American cheese, pickles, red onion, and sesame seeds. Ronald McDonald would surely approve.

On the “Not Pizza” section of the menu, a plate of fries topped with Parmesan, truffle oil, garlic, and herbs stood out. Wings, burgers, and the Naughty Nugget, a chicken sandwich with honey mustard, also are available.

The clientele at Locals Only skews younger. On weekend nights the place can get packed. There’s a deejay spinning tunes, the tables downstairs are moved aside to make room for dancing, and the upstairs often opens for those who want to eat.

Despite a sign on the back wall proclaiming, “Locals Only—F*ck Off,” the bartenders we encountered couldn’t have been more friendly. They, like us, know that we’re all in on the joke.

Seeking respite on election night before the results started rolling in, we canvassed for a happy hour spot with top-notch drinks, excellent food, and, most importantly, no TVs. The winner: Cosima, the beautiful Sicilian restaurant in Hampden that recently revamped its menu in hopes of making itself a more attractive candidate for all.

With its location inside an old sailcloth factory in historic Mill No. 1, Cosima feels like an oasis, removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. Owner Judith Golding and concept director Donna Crivello have maintained it as a fine-dining staple since it opened in 2016, but in October it pivoted to add more Italian street food and affordable pizzas and pasta dishes. The new philosophy works especially well at its lovely, large, U shaped bar that faces an open kitchen.

Cocktails here always have been, and continue to be, outstanding. The night we visited, beverage director Aaron Simons was behind the bar. He was a wealth of knowledge and one-liners; when we asked if a certain pasta dish was a small plate, he said, “Every plate is a small plate if you believe in yourself.”

We started with an Arancina, the restaurant’s signature take on an Old-Fashioned. Made with Buffalo Trace bourbon, Amaro Sibilla, Luxardo Maraschino liqueur and served with an orange peel, it’s a smooth drink that works before or after a meal. The Il Focolare, on the other hand, is like dessert in a glass. It’s a combination of Baltimore Spirits’ 1904 apple brandy, Aperol, Bigallet China-China Amer, lemon juice, and apple brandy brulée. Perfect for a chilly fall evening.

For round two we leaned on Simons’ expertise. He recommended the Il Fumatore, a mezcal-based cocktail he accurately described as being pleasingly smoky and tart.

Cosima’s happy hour deals are among the best in town. From 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays (that’s right, weekends are included too) at the bar, the Arancina is just $8 (it’s regularly $15). There are $5 Negronis and Spritzes, $7 select glasses of wine, and a high-quality selection of $5 draft beers (including local favorites like Brewer’s Art Resurrection, Monument City 51 Rye, and Diamondback Green Machine).

We ordered arancini and a bowl of fried olives from the street food section of the menu to go with our drinks. Both were nice complements. Tuesday is pasta night, which means half off all pasta dishes. We went with the eggplant ragu, a hearty helping with tomatoes, onion, fennel, raisins, capers, and olives. Contrary to Simons’ quip, this plate was almost too big for even two of us to finish. Wednesdays, bottles of wine are half off, and Thursdays all pizzas are $10. (We’re partial to the Semplice, with rustic tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, pecorino, roasted cherry tomatoes, and basil.)

Shifting courses is never an easy thing for a restaurant that’s been around as long—and been as respected—as Cosima. But if the early returns are an indication, Cosima’s future will be as successful as its past.

As a first-year college student, Vlado Petrovski, co-owner of Baltoz Bakery in the Towson neighborhood of Anneslie, was studying art and architecture in Rome when he fell in love with the local pizza.

“Pizza has been part of my life since I can remember,” says Petrovski. “I always made it at home, but when I went to Rome and had it there, it was next-level pizza—it blew my mind. They make a pizza rosa there that’s just a little tomato and bread and olive oil and little else. I remember eating that for a month and a half every day and went home and started making it myself.”

In 2012, the Macedonian-born artist traveled to America to study at the Columbus College of Art and Design in Ohio, where his grandparents lived. While still a student, he staged for the high-profile restaurant group Cameron Mitchell. In 2016, he came to Baltimore for graduate school to study painting at the Maryland Institute College of Art, all the while working in his other favorite medium—the art of pizza-making.

While Petrovski has continued to pursue painting at his studio in Station North, he opened Baltoz in February, along with his life and business partner, Redeat Assefa.

“Opening my own place was partly impulsive, partly organized,” says Petrovski, “but it all came together like a crescendo.”

Is there a connection between painting and pizza-making?
When I started improvising and making the dough, I would get different results, and that still happens, depending on the conditions. If something isn’t working the way I want it to, I work until I get the results I want, which is a lot like painting. I can work on a surface sometimes for a month—or even years. Suddenly, you get this moment of, “Oh, that’s what I needed.” Sometimes it’s a simple mark, other times it’s like a whole picture is wiped out. You do it until you bring it to a natural conclusion.

What sets your pizza apart?
I want to use the best possible ingredients that are easy on the stomach and super digestible. Most of the things we make have two or three ingredients maximum. I want to share with people what I like to eat at home—that was one of the strong intentions that we had when we first opened the store, and we will never stop doing that.

What’s your favorite pizza on the menu?
I love spicy food, which is why there’s a spicy margherita pizza on the menu. I grew up vegan—I was never introduced to dairy until I was in college—so my favorite pizza is a tomato pie. The first time I ever tried cheese was on cheese pizza in New York City, which is how I fell in love with New York pizza. We don’t have a tomato pie, but you can order the margherita without the cheese.

What’s the story behind the name of your business?
The name Baltoz came from a book called Balto—Disney made a movie out of it. I added the “z” because I liked the way it sounded. It’s about a dog that delivered medicine [to save children with diphtheria] for an expedition across Alaska. It stuck with me. Balto is this underdog—and that’s how my journey started with this bakery.

A few months after JBGB’s, the new Remington restaurant and sister spot to the original John Brown General and Butchery in Cockeysville, opened in the summer, we bellied up to the bar and perused the cocktail menu before dinner. One drink immediately stood out: the Dijon-Vu.

A gin-based concoction made with mustard—you read that right—the cleverly named cocktail is the invention of bar manager Shaun Stewart, who became “obsessed” with it after having a similar drink at an establishment in Philadelphia. He created his own using a mustard syrup he makes that includes agave, fennel, turmeric powder, and, of course, Dijon mustard. Garnished with a pickle chip and slice of sausage, it’s a shockingly refreshing drink that goes down smoothly and excites the taste buds with every sip. And yes, it’s yellow. We’ve never had anything like it. Like literally everything we tried during our trips to JBGB’s, it’s a creative idea that’s executed flawlessly.

Walk into the butcher shop, which is open daily and serves a selection of to-go sandwiches like a classic cold cut and an eggplant po’boy for lunch, or the restaurant, which is open only for dinner Wednesdays through Sundays, and you might experience déjà vu. It’s housed in the same industrial brick building that was home to Parts & Labor, James Beard Award-winning chef Spike Gjerde’s butcher shop-and-upscale-restaurant concept that closed in 2018. While the layout of the butcher shop—with its glass cases of seafood, housemade sausages, salami, and myriad cuts of locally sourced beef, pork, and poultry—and the connected dining room and bar are essentially the same, the look and focus of the restaurant, a one-time auto repair shop, has changed. The bar was repainted, a new mural was added on the back wall, and, most importantly, a wood-fired pizza oven was installed.

“We really wanted this place to be big, inviting, and a little bit louder—just a more comfortable environment,” owner Robert Voss told us last July. “To me, a dinner table should be this last bastion of shared space where we can leave our shit at the door and have a good meal.”

The pies we tried that emerged from that new oven had perfectly charred crusts, bubbling cheese, and high-quality toppings that blended harmoniously. The sausage variety, one of six pizzas on the menu, includes fontina, white sauce, sweet Italian sausage, cherry peppers, onion, and thyme. The mushroom also has a white sauce and is topped with fontina, sweet and sour onions, and thyme. There were several people waiting at the bar to take a pizza (or three) home, but these beauties are best tasted seconds after they come out of the oven, when the crust is extra pillowy and piping hot. The pizzas are substantial in size, as well as flavor. One pie is enough for two people, though leftovers are highly likely.

Meat from the butcher shop is used in several of the appetizers. Beef tartare is mixed with shallots, garlic, and Worcestershire and served with crostini. It was decadent but not overwhelmingly so. A pâté plate featured several wedges of the house-made country variety, which was rich yet subtle. It came with pickled kimchi, melons, onions, and tomatoes, all of which were pleasingly pungent.

Along with the pizza, executive chef Tyler Johnson (formerly of B&O Brasserie) offers six approachable entrees. There’s a smashed cheeseburger with two four-ounce patties and mac sauce, and a sausage of the night from the butcher shop (which comes with collard greens and ham hocks). We opted for the brick chicken, which was served with schmaltz rice in chicken jus. It was one of the freshest, juiciest, and most remarkably cooked birds we’ve ever eaten, beautiful in its simplicity and expert preparation. We also ordered the rigatoni Bolognese. The ingredients—beef and pork Bolo, Parmesan cheese, olive oil—mesh perfectly to create a dish every bit as tasty as one you’d find at a restaurant in Little Italy. After one of our dinners, we were talked into trying a slice of pastry chef Rebecca Karten’s chocolate mousse cake. After a few bites of silent bliss, all we could muster were moans of appreciation—it was that good.

Following another meal, we passed on dessert and instead revisited the enticing cocktail list. A special fall-inspired Old-Fashioned made with apple brandy was the perfect after-dinner drink, warming our bones and bellies. A Bae City Rollaz, made with vodka, raspberry, elderflower, pineapple, and lavender bitters, was sweet yet tart at the same time.

“When I was trying to put this menu together, I wanted to feel like we were being that side dish to the food, where you could have a cocktail that is fantastic by itself, but when you have it with a meal it brings that cocktail to a new level,” says Stewart.

At JBGB’s, just about everything is already reaching those lofty heights.

Evan Weinstein was working as a successful festival promoter when everything came to a grinding halt in March 2020, as the pandemic took hold in Maryland.

With way too much time on his hands, he started making his favorite, hard-to-find Detroit-style pizza, a square pan pizza with a thick crust.

“I found a recipe online, I made some home bakes, and I posted on Facebook, and friends were like, ‘Hey, can you make me one?’ Then people started offering me money to make them a pizza,” says Weinstein. “I was making a couple pizza doughs here, a couple doughs there—the next thing I know, I’m doing 100 doughs in my house out of a regular kitchen oven. I was baking as many as I could.”

Before long, the 39-year-old entrepreneur was selling his pies of perfection out of ghost kitchens and at pop-ups around town. And when supply could barely keep up with demand, it was clear that he had an opportunity for a new business.

So last December, Weinstein opened his first brick-and-mortar, Detroit-style Underground Pizza at the former Joe Squared spot on the Inner Harbor at Power Plant Live!

“I love Detroit as a city,” says Weinstein, who actually worked the pizza station as a student at UMBC in the 2000s. “I’ve been there many times for what was called the Detroit Electronic Music Festival. It’s a city built on underground culture, which is part of what my career has been built on and how I did this—from selling homemade pizza to friends to strangers hearing about it and meeting me in parking lots. It was all underground. Calling it Underground Pizza just made sense to me.”

Before opening his own pizza place, Weinstein was more than happy to drive the distance for his favorite pies.

“I was driving to D.C. to get Detroit-style pizza because there wasn’t anything like it near here,” he says. “One day, I was like, ‘This is ridiculous—I know I can make this myself.’ This type of pizza is a very niche thing—I found it at a festival in Ohio that I was running. And I had been talking about the idea of doing a concession for Detroit-style pizza at Moonrise Festival since 2018. The idea just never took off.”

Until now. To date, Weinstein sells between 100 and 400 pizzas a day—and for good reason. The crust defies logic—it’s hefty, yet light, airy, soft, and springy; dense, yet crispy, and a great canvas for a variety of big and bold creative toppings.

To wit: “The Woodlands,” generously loaded with hen of the woods and oyster mushrooms or “The Jawn,” a harmonious marriage of ribeye, mozzarella, provolone, and fried onions, and “The Tiger King,” a meat lover’s pie laden with bacon, Italian sausage, hot honey, and pepperoni. And Weinstein uses only the best ingredients, from high-quality Stanislaus tomatoes to California olive oil and seasonal items whenever possible.

Though the focus—at least until the pandemic is over—is on carryout and delivery (they also ship frozen pizzas to 50 states), plus indoor and outdoor dining at the Power Plant Live! location, plans are underway to open two additional locations in Fells Point and Montgomery County.

“We just started out to open a carryout place,” says Weinstein. “Now, it’s kind of funny we’ve have had to figure out how to do this dine-in component.”

UNDERGROUND PIZZA 30 Market Pl., 443- 347-6190. HOURS: Wed. 4 p.m-9 p.m.; Thurs. 1-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. noon to 11 p.m.; Sun. noon- 9 p.m. PRICES: Appetizers, salads, and sandwiches: $9-12; entrees: $13-33. AMBIANCE: Industrial.

What makes a great neighborhood restaurant? It’s a delicate combination of factors, to be sure. The setting needs to be welcoming, but not so casual that it can’t accommodate the odd special occasion. The food needs to have broad appeal, but still be interesting enough to warrant repeat visits. And the service needs to be efficient without sacrificing warmth. If a restaurant can meet all three of these objectives, it could be a contender.

We had reason to ponder this question after a recent dinner with friends at Char’d City, a new wood-fired pizza place in Hamilton. Open since September in the space formerly occupied by Clementine—once the gold standard in Baltimore neighborhood restaurants—Char’d City seems to be aiming for that same sweet spot.

Chef Yassine Rmadhnia, a native of Tunisia, and his wife, Sindee Gibson—both veterans of Baltimore’s hospitality industry—have altered the space with dark wood paneling, low lighting, a piano for the occasional live performance, and an open kitchen that showcases the restaurant’s wood-fired oven that burns at 900 degrees and cranks out pizzas in 90 seconds.

Those pies—with appropriately charred crusts—form the basis of the compact menu, which is rounded out with strombolis and a smattering of Tunisian-inspired dishes. We tried four pizzas—the crab-topped Charm City Pie, the mushroom-laden Tartufo, the spicy Sopressata Picante, and a classic Margherita—and all were tasty, though some flavor combinations succeeded better than others.

Best of the bunch was the Tartufo with its creamy base of ricotta and mozzarella, accented by the umami of black truffles and the zing of garlic and lemon zest.

Less successful was the Sopressata Picante, which was distinguished by the inspired use of harissa instead of tomato sauce but burdened by thick slabs of sopressata. A thinner, more neutral meat topping, like prosciutto, may have worked better. As for the Charm City Pie—a somewhat odd mix of mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmesan cheeses, Maryland blue crab, and cherry tomatoes (why?)—let’s just say that Matthew’s Pizza’s title of best crab pie in Baltimore remains safe.

The most impressive dish we tried wasn’t pizza at all, but an appetizer straight from Rmadhnia’s Tunisian heritage. The Tajine el Bey—a sort of Tunisian shepherd’s pie that layers ground beef, lamb, spinach, and ricotta—was a knockout: savory, flavorful, but somehow still light. It made us wish that Rmadhnia and Gibson would add more Tunisian-inspired plates to the menu. Minor menu quibbles aside, we have high hopes for Char’d City as a neighborhood favorite, mostly because of how fun it was to eat there.

]The restaurant has no liquor license, so alcohol is BYOB, and this helps keep the vibe relaxed and the bill affordable. The big-hearted service reinforces the gaiety. When one of our table’s half-eaten pies accidentally crashed to the ground, staff insisted on making a new one at no charge, proving that pizza can be replaced, but there’s no substitute for neighborly kindness.

›› CHAR’D CITY 5402 Harford Road, 443-760- 1501. Wed.-Thurs. 5-10 p.m., Fri. 5-11 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun. 11-8 p.m.

The Arthouse, which dubs itself a “pizza bar and gallery,” is just different enough in just enough ways to have carved a niche for itself in hype-competitive Hampden. Owner Joan Dolina added food and drink to an existing art gallery in 2013, and the result is a welcoming, slightly funky bar that’s neither as fancy as some of its newer neighbors nor as divey as some of its older ones. Creativity is paramount here. During one of our recent visits, I ordered a pickle-topped pizza and was rewarded with a crunchy, tangy pie unlike anything else I’ve tried.

The focal point of the first floor is the long wooden bar, where couples sip wine, friends throw back beers, and solo drinkers enjoying a post-work cocktail. On my visits, the two TVs were turned off while bands like Gang of Four and Devo played on the sound system. Paintings by local artists hang on the yellow walls of the narrow dining room. We particularly admired one of a woman with a Dalmatian by Mattye Hamilton that’s selling for $1,500.

Luckily, happy hour deals at The Arthouse, 1115 West 36th Street, 443-438-7700, are considerably more economical. For every $12 cocktail like the Bitters and Smoke I imbibed——a combination of tequila, mezcal Cynar (an artichoke-based bittersweet liqueur), and fernet that packs a serious punch—there are several $6 craft beers. Drafts are $2 off from 4-7, and Natty Boh and Miller High Life are always $3.

Plenty of them are downed on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights when late-night revelers pass the hours in the second-story lounge with a pool table, dartboard, and bagatelle table (a centuries-old tabletop game involving balls, pins, and pegs) and devour pizza until the kitchen closes at 1 a.m.

About those pies. They emerge from the brick oven in the back (split logs rest in a bin just beside it) with perfectly charred crusts. Artsy combinations like spicy blueberry and brie—blueberry and chili compote, mozzarella, brie, chives, and balsamic reduction—dot the menu. After eating one slice too many, a few sips of the Bitters and Smoke remained in my glass. “It’s very spirit-forward,” said the bartender, Nick, who’s always happy to whip up something new for a customer. “It’s a sipper. An end-of-the-night drink.”

He was right. After finishing it my evening was over, but I plan on ending many future nights at The Arthouse.

While there are plenty of pizza purveyors around town these days, few get it just right. One place’s crust is too toothsome, another’s too flimsy. And ovens that are perfectly capable of generating the immense energy that a properly blistered and charred crust necessitates are often set at a pedestrian 500 degrees.

Enter Paulie Gee’s. The Hampden location was originally slated to be the first franchise of the original restaurant in Brooklyn, but the opening was pushed back for a few (painful) years to this past summer, and it is now the fifth outpost of the pizza palace. At the Hampden location—the cavernous building that once housed the Hampden Republican Club—two ovens serve as the restaurant’s centerpiece, with dark wood paneling all around. (And with the exception of two salads, pizza dominates the menu.) Seating consists of a mix of long communal tables and bistro tables, with a spacious, lounge-y bar located in the rear.

The aforementioned ovens are fed a steady stream of logs, stacked high and contributing a pervasive campfire whiff to the air. Coal proponents can rest easier knowing that cooking temperatures hover around 900 degrees, right in the money zone for pizzas to develop leopard spots in 90 seconds or so of cooking time. This ripping heat is kept at a safe distance from the pizzaiolo via extra long peels used to rhythmically rotate the pies, which are ultimately swung around in a graceful pirouette onto the counter, where finishing touches are dotingly added before being served.

The other critical component to good char is, of course, the dough, and the dough here is the real deal. It’s the right mix of good flour and water to respond well to intense heat, it’s tender with chewiness, it has the right amount of bubbly poofiness and savory flavor indicative of a slow, steady rise, and it’s sturdy enough to support the toppings even while cardstock-thin.

Whatever pizza you pick (there are 22 varieties in all), toppings are all high quality. We’re talking excellent fresh mozzarella, Berkshire guanciale, simple slices of lemon, and brisket supplied from Blue Pit BBQ. Toppings are paired thoughtfully and applied with deliberate precision, balanced in both arrangement and flavor. Judicious applications of honey or hot chili oil provide provocative punctuation. Yet the outstanding crust is never overdressed. This is the faithful, skillful expression of this style of pizza that we’ve been waiting for.

›› Paulie Gee’s 3535 Chestnut Ave., 410-889-1048. Hours: Tue.-Thu., Sun. 5-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Prices: $9-18.

In between brewing the signature Green Machine IPA and Forte pilsner, the team at Diamondback Brewing in Locust Point has been firing up the oven, rolling out dough, and testing recipes in an effort to make their dream of having an in-house food program a reality.

Though the prep space that the owners have built inside the modern-industrial brewery is only about 50 square feet, co-founder Colin Marshall assures that its size has no effect on the flavors: “The kitchen is small,” he admits, “but the taste that comes out of there is pretty mighty.”

This Wednesday, Diamondback will debut its inaugural menu featuring 12-inch Neapolitan pizzas, hand-twisted Bavarian pretzels with Green Machine beer cheese, and large charcuterie boards meant for sharing. The new eats are launching in conjunction with expanded hours at the taproom, which is staying open until 8 p.m. on Sundays and will begin opening on Tuesdays starting next week. (In addition, Diamondback’s new food license has one drawback in that dogs are no longer allowed inside.)

Marshall says that offering food has been a priority since 2016, when the brewery opened and began hosting local food trucks and pop-ups on busy nights. But it took some time to come up with a plan to execute a menu made in-house.

“It’s been in the works since we opened,” he says. “But, in the past six months, we have really been working through the concept, deciding what we’re going to serve, and figuring out how we would begin to keep it sustainable moving forward.”

Taproom manager Ryan Belton and baker/bartender Cassidy Johnson—industry veterans who were both brought on within the past year—further helped to solidify the path toward pizza. Given the tiny kitchen space, the two thought it was best suited for a small menu of simple, well-executed fare.

With flavors ranging from a margherita with fresh basil to the “Inverno” topped with lemon and ricotta, the deep-crust pies are formed using dough handmade by Johnson. They are then covered in Belton’s signature, herby red sauce and custom five-cheese blend by local distributor The Great Cheese before heading inside a TurboChef pizza oven.

“Theoretically and also conceptually, we just kind of thought, ‘If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it well,’” Marshall says. “It can’t just be filler, like ‘Hey, we have food now.’ It needs to be something we would all enjoy ourselves if we were eating it elsewhere.”

Of course, the food menu is also meant to align with the beer program. Just as the draft lineup rotates monthly, the pizzas will also change based on which toppings are in season.

“You can always count on Forte and Green Machine, but the other seven or eight beers on tap are changing from month to month,” Marshall explains. “The same goes for the pizza—you’re always going to be able to get a cheese, but with summer coming along you might have a lighter, zesty citrus option as well.”

To further the seasonal approach, the brewery hopes to craft the summer menu using leftover vegetables from its Community Supported Agriculture program with One Straw Farm—one of the many neighborhood initiatives that Marshall hopes to continue as Diamondback evolves with its new menu and taproom hours.

“We want more of the community members around here to frequent us,” he says. “Being out on the peninsula, we’re a bit isolated, but we’ve definitely got that neighborhood feel.”

The seed for Well Crafted Kitchen—the pizza counter serving delicious wood-fired pies from a space at Union Collective—was planted six years ago when co-owners Liz and Ryan Bower, then working as local wedding photographers, were taking engagement shots of their best friends Laura and Tom Wagner.

After the session, the four Bucknell University alums sat around a campfire in Upstate New York and mulled the idea of running a food business together, though they relegated it to their wish list at the time.

Two years later, in 2015, the Bowers embarked on a cross-country RV trip. They dubbed it “The Amazing Marriage Adventure.” The idea, hatched from their disillusionment with wedding-day drama, was to meet, interview, and photograph couples in all 50 states, ranging from newlyweds to 50-plus-year partnerships, to see what real married life looked like around the country and pass that knowledge on to their clients.

On the yearlong journey, they shared their experiences and continued to discuss the possibility of running a food business with the Wagners. Before they returned from the road trip, which also included a three-week European jaunt, where they ate pizza and photographed a wedding in Florence, Italy, they solidified plans to launch Well Crafted Pizza, convincing Laura and Tom to move from Brooklyn to Baltimore. By spring of 2016, the business was born in the form of a modernized 1949 Dodge pickup truck.

Now, in addition to the food truck, there’s Well Crafted Kitchen, a brick-and-mortar joint inside the industrial-style barroom at Union Collective, the redeveloped former Sears warehouse off I-83.

The Neapolitan-inspired pizzas—margherita, white, radical radish, collared greens and chorizo, and spicy blue (with mozzarella, chicken, buffalo sauce, bleu cheese, and scallions; at $15, the most expensive menu item)—have a chewy, charred crust and are offered with recommended beer pairings. Toppings rotate every two weeks, so there’s always a reason to return. Innovative sides and satisfying snacks such as seasonal sausage, a twice-baked sweet potato, or pretzel with beer mustard, all locally sourced, are available, too. Order at the counter and take a seat at one of the high-top wooden tables nearby and you’ll get a text when your food is ready for pick up.

Each co-owner has an area of expertise that lends itself to the business. Tom Wagner is a civil engineer by day. He manages the now 20-plus-employee schedule and helps run the kitchen. Laura Wagner, who also holds a job helping refugees and asylum seekers, works with area farmers who supply cheese, tomatoes, and even the salt for pretzels. Liz Bower runs marketing, event planning, and truck logistics, while Ryan, a former engineer at Northrop Grumman, handles financial and mechanical operations. As for the weddings? Yes, the Bowers still occasionally photograph them—but now they could just as easily cater, too.

WELL CRAFTED KITCHEN 1700 W. 41st St., 410-929-4547. HOURS: Wed.-Sat. noon-10 p.m., Sun. noon-6 p.m. PRICES: Pizzas: $9-15; snacks: $5-8; other eats: $6-11. AMBIANCE: Industrial.

First things first: there really is a disco ball hanging from the ceiling at Italian Disco, the Atlas Restaurant Group’s latest eatery in its burgeoning Harbor East empire. When we visited in the fall, it started rotating around 8 p.m., adding an extra dash of funk to the festivities. Not that it was needed—we were already having, well, a ball.

Housed in the former home of Bagby Pizza, which felt like a take-out joint, Italian Disco exudes a much more happening vibe than its predecessor. A long bar with circular stools lines one wall; high-top tables and conventional ones fill out the space. Looming above it all is the back half of a vintage Fiat that doubles as a DJ booth on weekends. We loved the classic rock playing on our weeknight visit—Italian Disco is actually a genre of music that originated in Italy in the late ’70s.

Our meal began inauspiciously. The restaurant opened in May, and the service is still rough around the edges. Our waitress didn’t know the answer to several of our questions about the menu and was oddly hesitant to ask the bar or kitchen for answers. We started with fine but unremarkable cocktails, forgettable complementary breadsticks, and an order of fried olives that were far too bready. We barely touched the appetizers (we finished the drinks, of course), which turned out to be a good thing, because everything that followed was fantastic.

Three large turkey meatballs doused in marinara sauce, Parmesan, and basil were beautifully flavored and impressively moist. The sausage and peppers sandwich, while not as spicy as we would have liked, was accompanied by a fistful of terrific fries prepared in peanut oil. A plate of penne pasta, made in-house, was topped with tender blackened chicken in a subtle red sauce that included peas. It was rich, but not overpoweringly so.

But all that served merely as a precursor. The pizza oven is visible from the back, and in it, chef Julian Marucci, whom Italian Disco shares with its across-the-courtyard sister restaurant, Tagliata, produces some of the best pies in the city. Most of the 12-inch varieties cost $14-19 and are worth the dough. The toppings on the Carbonara—bacon, leeks, soft egg, black pepper, and pecorino—were delicious, but the crust was the real star. Thin and impossibly crispy, yet not over-charred, we delighted in each crunchy bite.

Strangely, our second pizza had not emerged from the kitchen by the time we’d finished with our first. It had been burned, our server explained, and another was being prepared. (I applaud this honest approach to an honest mistake.) By then we were already quite full, so there was no panic at the disco.

When the white anchovy pie arrived, we immediately knew it was worth the wait. Devouring a slice of this masterful melding of fragrant fish, peppers, olives, and oregano was a lot like Italian Disco itself: a blast (from the past).

Italian Disco 1006 Fleet St., 410-605-0444. HOURS: Sun.-Wed. 11 a.m.-midnight; Thur.-Sat. 11 a.m.-2 a.m. PRICES: Appetizers: $4-19; salads: $11-18; sandwiches: $11-19; entrees: $14-25; pizza: $14-28. AMBIANCE: Upbeat.

If you’ve never had the pleasure of eating food cooked by a James Beard Award-nominated chef, chances are you wouldn’t expect your first experience to come from a neighborhood pizza joint in a Gaithersburg strip mall. But what’s happening inside Inferno Pizzeria’s suburban storefront is far from ordinary.

This is Tony Conte’s place, where the 46-year-old former head chef of the multi-starred Oval Room, located near the White House, hand-makes no fewer than 140 certifiably authentic Neapolitan-style pizzas five nights a week, serving them to a steady stream of customers in a laid-back 40-seat space. He then spends an hour after close making the dough, the restaurant’s one-of-a-kind flour included, for the next evening. No refrigeration. No multiple batches. “Neither of those make any sense to me,” says Conte, a self-described perfectionist, even if that means turning customers away if capacity is reached. There’s a reason Inferno’s hours are Wednesday to Sunday, 5 p.m.—“until the dough runs out.”

In 2015, seeking a departure from the fine-dining world, Conte decided to take on this new challenge. It’s part homage to his heritage (his father and grandparents hail from Pontelatone, north of Naples, in Italy), part practicality (he lives with his wife and two children two miles away), and primarily a passion project. (He got his start in the restaurant business in high school, making New York-style pizzas in Hamden, Connecticut.)

We don’t normally review restaurants in Gaithersburg, but all we can say is, make the hour drive southwest and you’ll get it. This year, Conte earned a distinction that all chefs covet—he was nominated for his profession’s highest individual honor—for making mostly $10 to $13 pizzas, no less. Yes, they are that good. The thin, light, crispy-bottomed pie is a true elevation of the pizza form. Marinara, smoked prosciutto and black truffle are among six choices on the menu, and locals know to add organic egg topping to any pizza they order.

On a recent Friday night, our party of two sat at the six-person counter. On Saturdays, this area is used for special tasting parties, and it overlooks the small open-concept kitchen, where Conte takes 45 seconds to build each 11-inch artisanal pizza, and where his assistant fires the pies in a wood-burning tiled oven at about 900 degrees for as long as the nearby large plastic containers still have risen dough in them.

We started with a healthy sampling of flavorful and seasonal, locally sourced appetizers—roasted cauliflower, a beet salad, and burrata—while drinking Brookville IPAs and white wine, and we ended with an equally fantastic dessert. (We’re still talking about the house-made ricotta cheesecake and affogato.)

In between was the main event: My margherita pizza bore a huge, trademark Neapolitan air-bubble blister. The kid in me couldn’t help but poke at it as I eyed a piece of the pie that offered a healthy mix of San Marzano tomatoes, Fior Di Latte mozzarella, olive oil, and basil. With its beautifully crunchy dough and satisfyingly fresh toppings, it begged for another bite, and maybe another order.

“I’ve been known to eat two of them myself,” Conte told me. I’ve been to pizza heaven, and its name is Inferno.

›› Inferno Pizza 12207 Darnestown Rd., Gaithersburg, 301-963-0115. Wed.-Sun. 5 p.m.-9 p.m.; appetizers: $6-13; pizzas: $10-18.

Sporting a rustic look that mixes the terra-cotta colors of the Southwest with vintage fixtures and repurposed wood, Forno boasts one of the most inviting interiors we’ve seen in a while. This cozy and casual wine bar, situated in the Bromo Tower Arts & Entertainment District directly across from the Hippodrome Theatre and next door to Everyman Theatre, serves up what husband-and-wife co-owners Emina Dukic and Bryan Noto are calling “coastal cuisine”: brick-oven pizzas, small plates and quick bites, and a handful of more substantial entrees. Forno is well-positioned to fill a need in a neighborhood clamoring for more good dining choices, and, given the location, attracting theater-going customers should be a no-brainer. But long-term success will mean attracting loyal neighborhood customers as well. Can Forno fill the bill? If first impressions mean anything, we’re betting this charming spot will draw in both kinds of diners.

Noto (a former manager at nearby Alewife) and Dukic have fashioned a space that makes a great first impression. As you enter, the light-filled main dining room beckons on one side, while the cool, marble-topped bar entices on the other. That impression continues with the welcoming waitstaff. After a friendly greeting from the hostess, a knowledgeable waitress quietly, but enthusiastically, led us through chef Kris Sandholm’s menu, which emphasizes locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. As befits a wine bar, there is a nicely priced selection of reds and whites—many of them New World offerings in the $25-35 range, with most available by the glass as well.

We began with a sinful-sounding item from the “Bites” section, the crispy chicken skins with spicy barbeque sauce. Translucent shards of greaseless and, yes, crispy bits of what I consider the best part of the chicken were good enough to eat without the kicky sauce. Grilled whole squid from the “Small Plates” section was also a pleaser. Five whole squid atop a bed of baby kale—a generous portion big enough for a table of four to share—were grilled just to silky tenderness, with a touch of smoky flavor for depth. We couldn’t help but order the intriguing “Dr. Joe’s bacon-cured duck breast wrapped cornichon” (whew!), but this small plate was a bit less successful. Although they didn’t quite live up to their title, the little pickles in their smoky duck jackets were just fine, but they were perched atop croutons spread with a too-sweet mash of caramelized onions with an unpleasant, mushy texture. We simply plucked the cornichon off the croutons, which were superfluous. Problem solved.

No such problem with the entrees. There are only five or six to choose from—on our night, two fish selections, a grilled pork loin, chicken, a Moroccan-spiced rabbit, and a dish of curried vegetables with mustard greens and hominy—but that’s about right for a restaurant serving lots of eat-and-go theater patrons. But if you’re going to the theater, try to arrive early because these entrees are meant to linger over. Pale pink Arctic char is delicate and perfectly cooked, and its sides of braised fennel and artichokes with sundried tomato-flecked wild rice are a delicious complement. The Springfield Farm half chicken is moist, juicy, and smoked just enough to hint at summer barbeques and outdoor picnics. It, too, comes with pleasing vegetable sides: tiny baby beets, turnips, and fingerling potatoes glazed with chicken demi-glace and roasted. Next time, we’re going for the rabbit, which diners at the next table were “oohing” and “aahing” over.

The brick-oven pizzas at Forno—which is, after all, Italian for “oven”—hold a prominent place on the menu, and they’re solid, certainly good enough to comprise a meal. Thin-crusted and slightly charred around the edges, all but one feature fresh vegetables and cheeses—in the case of the Farmer’s Pizza, a moist house-made ricotta. The only thing standing in the way of perfection was an overdose of rosemary, which overwhelmed both the ricotta and the roasted vegetables. The pizza funghi was closer to heaven, with big hunks of earthy porcini studding a properly thin glaze of tomato and Parmesan. We’re looking forward to trying the pizza carne, which substitutes the mushrooms for confit duck, smoked bacon, and pulled pork, and the Parmesan for Asiago.

Desserts at Forno are just big enough to share and small enough not to overwhelm. We enjoyed a flourless chocolate “bar”—two dense and fudgy triangles presented in a cup and surrounded by fresh coffee-flavored cream—that was happily more semi-sweet than sugary, which is just how we like it. And just how we like to cap a meal of small bites and more substantial fare, in a setting we’d gladly return to, whether en route to a play or just to enjoy Forno’s quietly enticing pleasures. 

[2/25/21: Editor’s Note: This roundup has been updated since its original publication.]

For a town not known for its pizza, we sure have a lot of pizzerias. The pies show up on a number of restaurant and bar menus, too. And while we don’t have a signature pizza style a la New York or Chicago, we have so much variety that you can just let your taste buds lead the way. Want classic? Go for a straightforward Margherita. Traditional? There’s pepperoni and sausage everywhere. Gourmet? Choices abound—from crab and roasted duck to mac and cheese. (Yes, on a pizza.) Nowadays, the type of preparation is important, too, as we’re seeing more coal-fired pizza places showing up, as well as those with fancy specialty ovens. So how do you decide where to go? We sent out a troop of pizza-loving scouts to search for the best options in town, from A to Z. Warning: Grab your car keys as you look at the list.

We know you’re going to want a hot-from-the-oven pizza soon after digesting our picks.

Alexander’s Tavern
This Fells Point tavern has been a favorite brunch spot of ours for years. But tucked away in its lunch/dinner menu are delicious pizzas, about 10 inches, with cracker-thin crusts in nine varieties. The Buffalo chicken pizza—with tangy hot sauce, tender chicken, juicy cubed tomatoes, and blue cheese—was a perfect balance of flavors. 710 S. Broadway, 410-522-0000.

Alonso’s
“Alonso’s has pizza?” Yes—and it’s delicious! For as long as the Roland Park staple has been open, it’s been known for its big, juicy hamburgers. But right there on the menu, under the burgers, are the pizzas. The crispy, 12-inch pies are full of flavor with a tangy sauce and a four-cheese blend (mozzarella, Asiago, Bel Paese, and Parmesan) that serves as an excellent base for specialty pies like the “BBQ Chicken Pizza,” with fresh tomato, roasted red onion, and roasted red peppers along with big chunks of chicken. And if you can’t leave the burgers alone, try “Alonso’s Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza” with ground beef, applewood-smoked bacon, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and marinara. 413-415 W. Cold Spring Ln. 410-235-3433

Angeli’s Pizzeria 
The pies at this Little Italy favorite are as heavenly as the angel attached to its logo. Go for an order of the “Stolen Meatballs”—which are served fresh out of the oven—before digging in to the signature pizzas that are available by the slice or as 12- or 16-inch rounds. You can choose your own adventure with customizable toppings and crusts (including vegan and gluten-free options), or opt to sample one of the “Tried and True” varieties listed on the menu. Among them are the “Della Carne” (a meat-lovers’ dream topped with capicola, pepperoni, Italian sausage, and pancetta) and the “Veggie Angeli” with pesto sauce and roasted cauliflower. 413 S. High St. 443-708-7556

The Arthouse
Pizza purists would probably say that blueberry and brie aren’t meant to work on a pie, but at this Hampden stalwart, they do. Aside from the “Spicy Blueberry and Brie”—flavored with blueberry and chili compote, mozzarella, and a balsamic reduction—Arthouse’s outside-of-the-box options include a barbecue pork belly pizza with cheddar and green apples, and traditional French onion soup in pizza form with bechamel sauce and caramelized onions. True to its name, the walls feature tons of local art for diners to marvel at while chowing down on all of the carbs.

Barfly’s
The personal pies at this Fort Avenue watering hole have long been a neighborhood favorite. In addition to the impressive whiskey collection—which includes more then 650 bottles—regulars have fallen for the chewy, crispy, thick-crust pizzas that come in many varieties to satisfy all palates. Offerings range from classic red and white-sauce pies to the “Shrimp Fra Diavlo” with feta and fresh basil to the “Chicken Club” with bacon and provolone. The bar also highlights customizable pizzas if you want to choose your own flavor adventure.

Bella Roma
Whether you’re in search of a classic slice, overstuffed sub, or a really good order of mozzarella sticks, this Hampden corner staple has you covered. Topped with everything from Canadian bacon and pineapple to tomatoes and ricotta, the thin, New York-style pizza has long been a favorite among neighborhood locals. In true Italian fashion, they even have a Chicken Parm pie with breaded chicken, mozzarella, parmigiano, and lots of red sauce. 3600 Falls Road. 410-467-2751

BOP Brick Oven Pizza
Depending on the time of day, you can find everyone from hungover revelers to families to business workers waiting in line for the brick-oven pies with a slight char on the bottom. Pair a thin, hearth-baked crust with the “Greek”—garlic sauce, onions, green peppers, green and black olives, tomato, and feta. The “Lucky 7” combines traditional cheeses (mozzarella, ricotta, provolone, Romano, and fontina) with the nontraditional (feta, Gorgonzola, and cheddar). BOP also lets you create your own slice, and passes the ultimate pizza test—everything tastes awesome cold the next day. 800 S. Broadway, 410-563-1600

Birroteca
At this Clipper Mill spot tucked away in a beautifully restored millhouse, the tempting crudos, salumi, cheeses, and pastas are terrific. But you don’t want to miss the selection of stone-fired pizzas. The menu lists classic Margherita and spicy Italian pies, alongside original specialties like the “White Locavore” (squash ribbons, fava beans, scallions, asiago, fontina, peas) and the fan-favorite “Duck Duck Goose,” topped with duck confit, fig-onion jam, balsamic, fontina and asiago, and a duck egg for good measure. If you want to mix and match, add shrimp, duck eggs, or any salumi item to any pie on the menu. 1520 Clipper Mill Rd. 443-708-1935

Char’d City
This newbie could be the next great Hamilton hangout. Opened in September 2019, the shop from Chef Yassine Rmadhnia, a native of Tunisia, and his wife, Sindee Gibson, specializes in wood-fired pies that feature the namesake charred crusts. Be sure to sample the Tajine el Bey, a layered quiche that pays homage to the chef’s Tunisian heritage, while digging in to pizzas such as the “Italian Meatball,” “Veggie Prime,” and “Fig & Pig” topped with fig, prosciutto, honey, and gorgonzola.

Chef Paolino Café
The sign on the front door says cleats are not allowed, and it’s easy to understand why. This cavernous restaurant, with murals of bucolic Italian scenes, is just the place to celebrate a winning game. Sicilian-style square pizza is available here, but the 14- and 18-inch New York-style pies are exemplary, with crusts that have substantial crunch and fluffy interiors, sauces that fill the mouth with garlicky flavor and just the right amount of cheese. Toppings include richly flavored sausage nuggets that turn even a single slice into a meal. Multiple locations including 726 Frederick Rd., Catonsville. 410-747-4949

Coal Fire
The spotlight at this pizzeria is on the crust, which is paper thin, crisp, and deeply charred along the edges. A sparing swirl of sauce and a dappling of translucent mozzarella circles seem intended to highlight that crust not hide it. The 16-inch pies are offered with a choice of three house-made tomato sauces, ranging from slightly sweet to gently spicy and an expected roster of toppings. The restaurant has a stylish dining area plus outdoor seating (though it overlooks a busy road) Multiple locations, including 5725 Richards Valley Rd., Ellicott City. 410-480-2625

DiPasquale’s Marketplace
A humble storefront in Highlandtown, DiPasquale’s exudes authenticity. There’s a full-blown Italian grocery and deli in the front, but at lunchtime, the dining area in the back is the place to hang. The eight brick-oven, 10-inch pies are thin-crusted and topped with mostly traditional, fresh Italian ingredients. The “Roma,” for example, is a full-flavored beauty loaded with homemade sausage and mozzarella, tri-color roasted peppers, and a not-too-sweet tomato sauce. For a Middle Eastern take, the “Lorenzo of Arabia” beckons with a pleasing combo of eggplant, feta, Kalamata olives, roasted peppers, and rapini. Bonus: Pick up some chocolate-dipped cannoli for later. 3700 Gough St. 410-276-6787

Giovanni’s Tutti Gusti
Canton residents have a pizza-lover’s gem in Tutti Gusti. Thin crust is the specialty, and you can build your own or pick from their menu of signature pies. We love the “Campagnola,” which practically overflows with fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, and roasted eggplant—all smothered in generous plops of fresh mozzarella. The crust is light and airy, providing just enough of a platform for all the fresh toppings. We also appreciate Tutti Gusti’s large and comfortable dining area, just the ticket if you’ve got a large party that needs to get its pizza on. 3100 Fait Ave. 410-534-4040

Hersh’s
The ever-changing menu at this Riverside restaurant features mouthwatering antipasti (think pork, veal, and pancetta meatballs and a tomato crostini on crispy foccacia), chopped salads, housemade pastas, and, of course, authentic wood-fired pizzas that arrive uncut—just like in Naples. You can’t go wrong with the “Kale and Pistachio,” fusing fontina, garlic, crushed red pepper, and pecorino. Other specialty pies to look out for include the “Miles Davis” (mushrooms, housemade ricotta, arugula, and lemon) and the “Salsiccia,” topped with Italian sausage, soppressata, mozzarella, provolone, and roasted red peppers. 1843 Light St. 443-438-4948

HomeSlyce
With five locations scattered everywhere from Canton to Columbia, this pizza haven has gained a reputation for its filling sandwiches, calzones, and bar snacks. While the round pies are sufficiently satisfying, the boat-shaped pides (Turkish pizzas that are cut into three triangular slices) are not to be missed. Diners can choose from a menu of favorite flavors (think meat lovers or spinach and artichoke) or customize their own “Slyce” with an array of cheeses, vegetables, proteins, and nuts.

Iggies
Given the staggering array of gourmet toppings at this hip and wildly popular BYOB hole in the wall—everything from artichoke pesto and pistachios to roasted duck—the best way to experience Iggies is to bring lots of friends so that you can share several of the brick-oven, artisanal, thin-crust pies, available in small  and large sizes. The delicate, toothsome crust is judiciously topped with primo ingredients like house-made mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes, Castelvetrano olives, and fresh vegetables. Eat in, carry out, or opt for Take n’ Bake, a ready-made pie you finish in the oven at home. 818 N. Calvert St. 410-528-0818

Isabella’s Brick Oven Pizza and Panini
This corner deli in Little Italy may not seem like much at first, but Isabella’s Italian offerings are about as authentic as it gets. While they have a dozen brick-oven pizza varieties, the Margherita is the real winner. This 15-inch pie has a thin, chewy crust heavily seasoned with oregano. The sauce is thinly applied, letting the toppings really sing. A thick layer of the house-made mozzarella is spread evenly on top of thinly sliced, juicy tomatoes. And the basil—immediately aromatic—tastes like it was freshly picked from the garden. But what gives Isabella’s bonus points is that it offers three-quarters-baked pizza for carryout, so it can just be popped in your personal oven and enjoyed right at home. 221 S. High St. 410-962-8888

Italian Disco
Featuring a colorful jukebox, the back half of a vintage Fiat that doubles as a DJ booth, and, of course, a spinning disco ball, the interior of this Harbor East pizza joint takes diners on a retro trip back in time. While grooving to the catalogue of disco hits, you can enjoy Sicilian-style pies served hot from the wood-stone oven. Choose from the classics—like a Margherita or pepperoni with house-made mozzarella—or sample something more unique like the “Funghi Misti” with shiitake mushrooms and truffle oil and the “Carbonara” topped with bacon and soft egg. 1006 Fleet St., 410-605-0444

Italian Gardens
This family-friendly neighborhood institution inside The Shops at Kenilworth mall is beloved for its New York-style, thin-crust pizza, which has just enough crunch to go with its minimal sauce and ample mozzarella. The pizzeria is also one of the few casual places in town that offers traditional, round, Chicago-style deep-dish pies (not Sicilian, which is more common in these parts). A plain Chicago-style comes in at a doughy two-plus inches. A specialty pie, like the ingredient-packed “Momma’s” with mushrooms, onions, black olives, pepperoni, and sausage, is over three inches, and a large slice is a delicious, filling meal. 814 Kenilworth Dr., Towson
410-821-0292

Joe Benny’s
Grab a group and pull apart the mouthwatering Sicilian pies at this cozy Little Italy focacceria. No stop to Joe Benny’s is complete without a cocktail from the rotating chalkboard menu above the bar, as well as an order of the baked beef and pork meatballs smothered in house red sauce and shaved parmesan. But you’ll also need to savor all of the house-baked focaccia pizzas, which arrive covered in everything from mozzarella and arugula to burrata and meatballs. If you happen to save room for dessert, do yourself a favor and order the famous “Bianco e Nero” that coats vanilla cream puffs in chocolate-hazelnut cream.

Joe Squared
The square-shaped pizzas at this Station North restaurant would be nothing more than a good gimmick if they weren’t so darn tasty, with fresh and plentiful toppings piled on top of a delicate thin-crust foundation, slightly charred from the coal-burning oven. Try the flag pizza a tri-colored medley of red sauce with mozzarella, provolone, Romano, Parmigiano, and Asiago; garlic sauce with mozzarella, cheddar, and ricotta; and pesto sauce with fresh mozzarella, which has earned kudos in Food Network Magazine. Two locations, including 33 W. North Ave. 410-545-0444

Johnny Rad’s
The expectations for bar pizza are inherently low—get drunk enough and almost anything tastes good. But Johnny Rad’s in Upper Fells Point raises the bar significantly with its Neapolitan-style, thin-crust pies, which come in 11 and 15-inch sizes. The “Primo,” with generous slabs of fresh mozzarella, basil leaves, olive oil, and sea salt, is one of several options with a salty edge—a perfect accompaniment to ice-cold brews. The “Trainwreck,” with mushrooms, baby spinach, black olives, olive oil, mozzarella, and sea salt, is a heartier pie, able to sate a big appetite. You won’t go home hungry. 2108 Eastern Ave. 443-759-6464

Ledo Pizza
Ledo has been a Maryland favorite since the first one opened in Adelphi in 1955. The menu includes salads, sandwiches, and pasta dishes, but the rectangular pizzas are what set the pizzeria apart. The crusts are thin and flaky, almost like pastry, and the sauce is more sweet than savory. Atop this delicate palette sits a thick layer of smoked provolone cheese. Instead of being cut into wedges, the slabs are divided into small squares. Several locations, including 8480 Baltimore National Pk., Ellicott City. 410-750-7087

Matthew’s Pizza
Matthew’s has been cranking out pizza pies in Highlandtown for more than half a century, occupying its current location on Eastern Avenue since 1943. The tiny restaurant is decorated with maps of Italy and dozens of kudos from local publications. On busy nights, the attentive staff whisks through the room, delivering pizzas with perfectly crisped crusts and toppings that range from classic pepperoni to a thick layer of backfin crabmeat and caramelized onions dusted with Old Bay (market price), or “Fra Diavolo” with Thai chili and a choice of shrimp or chicken. Matthew’s is as classic as the painting of its founder, who eyes the place from a perch above the cash register. 3131 Eastern Ave. 410-276-8755

Noona’s
House sourdough is the star at this Bolton Hill beauty from Dooby’s owner Phil Han, who dedicated the restaurant concept to his older sister, Christina. (Noona translates to “older sister” in Korean.) The neighborhood spot offers Italian-inspired plates by chef Cai Lindeman, but the pizzas are the true draw. Among the stellar options is the toothsome “Bambino” topped with fennel sausage, ricotta, fermented peppers, and hot honey. There’s also the potato and leek-topped “Magic Molly” and a DIY margherita that can be customized with mushrooms, pancetta, anchovies, and pepperoni.

Paulie Gee’s
This buzzy Hampden hotspot brings the recipes of its flagship pie palace in Brooklyn, New York. Perfectly charred crusts are fired inside the two custom-tiled ovens that act as centerpieces in the dining room. You can’t go wrong with any of the offerings, including the vegan varieties topped with dairy-free cheese and meatless “beetballs.” But staples continue to be the lemon and smoked mozzarella-topped “Stinger Bell” (yes, it’s named after the character in The Wire) and the “BPB”—which is covered in house-pickled red onions and its star ingredient: smoked brisket sourced from Hampden neighbor Blue Pit BBQ.

Pasta Mista
If you’re weary from shopping at Towson Town Center, we heartily recommend popping across Dulaney Valley Road to Pasta Mista. It offers a plethora of pies, both thin and thick crust, to satisfy any craving. If you’re in a tomato place, go for the 16-inch “Mondragone.” It’s a thick-crust interpretation of the classic Margherita pie—tomato, mozzarella, basil, and, in this case, oregano. The tomatoes are fresh, the cheese is bubbly and nicely melted, and the fresh basil is mouthwateringly fragrant. Wash it all down with San Pellegrino lemon or orange sodas in their cheerful, no frills eat-in area. Multiple locations including 822 Dulaney Valley Rd., Towson. 410-321-8855

Pizza Blitz
Pizza Blitz lives up to its name, offering a full battery of pies with classic toppings. And while Luigi Starace, the chef and co-owner, hails from Naples, the pies are pure New York—thin crust, a swipe of tomato sauce, and thick cheese. The pies come in three sizes, 10, 14, and 16 inches, with an additional cost for add-ons such as black olives, pepperoni, pineapple, and onions, or deluxe toppings that include ricotta cheese, meatballs, and anchovies. 2622 Quarry Lake Dr., Pikesville. 410-415-5644

Pizza di Joey
New Jersey native—and United States Navy veteran—Joey Vanoni has been quelling carb cravings in Baltimore since launching the Pizza di Joey food truck in 2014. Two years ago, he settled down with a brick-and-mortar at Cross Street Market, which now offers counter service, pickup, local delivery, and even a takeout window. Though the oven-fired pies come in all different shapes and sizes (including the square “Grandma-Style” or 12-inch “Monster” slices), Vanoni’s creativity shines through in each one. Get out of your comfort zone by trying out toppings ranging from mozzarella and vodka sauce to Buffalo chicken and bleu cheese.

Pizza John’s
When you’ve been around for more than 50 years, customers come not just for the pizza but also for the history. The Coruzzi family first started slinging pies in 1966. The pizza is hot and fresh with a nice sauce and perfectly crispy dough—unless you order the softer Sicilian crust. The pepperoni is Hormel, but the sausage and meat sauce are both homemade and delicious. Try “The Works”—a specialty that combines fresh veggies (black olives, onions, green peppers, and mushrooms) and yummy meats (sausage, meat sauce, and pepperoni). 113 Back River Neck Rd., Essex. 410-687-7733

Pub Dog Pizza & Drafthouse
Late-night Federal Hill carousers swear by this boutique pizzeria tucked away on the top floor of this row-house bar—and who can blame them? With 22 creatively named pies, ranging from the “Atomic Dog Pizza” with hot sauce, hot cherry peppers, smoked Gouda, mozzarella, smoked bacon, pepperoni, and red onion to the “Stinking Rose Pizza” with tomato sauce, olive oil, garlic, basil, mozzarella, and Parmesan, plus build-your-own options, this is the place to satisfy your post-pub pizza predilection. Two locations, including 20 E. Cross St. 410-727-6077

Squires
The sprawling Dundalk restaurant, which has expanded several times over the years from its origins as a small tavern in the 1950s, is a reliable place for heaping platters of spaghetti and meatballs, eggplant parmigiana, and Caesar salads large enough to share. It’s also the perfect spot for pizza and an ice-cold beer. The pies are offered with New York-style or thick Sicilian crusts. The Squires special is piled with pepperoni, meat sauce, sausage, mushrooms, and peppers—plus capicola ham. The ham, along with sliced almonds, is also a key to the salty-sweet Hawaiian pizza. 6723 Holabird Ave., Dundalk. 410-288-0081

Stalking Horse
Smack in the middle of the booze-fueled chaos of Cross Street in Federal Hill is unusually good pizza. The Stalking Horse menu offers compelling options including Buffalo chicken, ground beef, and a signature three cheese blend. And these nine-inch pies are loaded up—the “Meat Lovers Pizza,” for example, is saddled (sorry!) with a layer of homemade tomato sauce, pepperoni, bacon, and sausage. Luckily, the crust is substantial enough to handle the load, slightly yeasty, with good crunch and nicely browned patches throughout. 26 E. Cross St.410-244-6722

Uno Chicago Grill
Okay, it’s a chain, but Uno’s Inner Harbor presence shouldn’t discourage a visit. The franchise pretty much brought Chicago-style deep dish to the masses. Uno remains au courant, offering options like a “Farmer’s Market Pie” with eggplant, pesto, caramelized onions, feta cheese, and other yummy ingredients. There’s even a nod to the thin-crust crowd with artisanal pies topped with glazed figs, broccoli, and goat cheese. The deep dish, with its crispy, slightly oily crust, is just as we remember: decadent and delectable. Multiple locations, including 201 E. Pratt St. 410-625-5900

Underground Pizza Co.
What started as a ghost kitchen born out of the pandemic has now become a full-blown brick-and-mortar pizza joint at Power Plant Live. Owner Evan Weinstein is a festival promoter who pivoted into the food business when the COVID crisis hit. Inspired by the Detroit Style Pizza Company—a repeat vendor at many of Weinstein’s festivals—Underground Pizza Co. specializes in Detroit-style pies known for their square shape, thick, crunchy crust, and cheesy layers. Varieties include the pepperoni-topped “Roni Boi,” the “UPC Classic” with stripes of red sauce, and the “Funfetti” topped with peppers, onions, and spicy Italian sausage. 

Verde
Pull apart Neapolitan pizzas at this bustling Canton hangout that features communal tables, Edison light bulbs, and marble accents. In addition to the authentic antipasti, paninis, salads, and calzones, the expansive menu lists an array of signature pies that are charred in a wood-fired oven at a blistering 850 degrees for 90 seconds. Favorites include the “Tartufo” with homemade mozzarella, truffle cream, parmigiano reggiano, basil, and extra virgin olive oil, and the “Pistacchio e Salsiccia” topped with fresh pistachio pesto, sausage, pecorino romano, and basil. 641 S. Montford Ave. 410-522-1000.

Vito’s
With glistening pies on display behind glass, formica booths, and a wide selection of Neapolitan pizzas, along with subs, sandwiches, salads, and pasta, Vito’s could be any neighborhood takeout joint in America. But this eatery is a cut above, serving New York-style pizza with a satisfying crunch that few local outlets can muster, and just enough oregano sprinkled on top. There’s nothing fancy here, but if you’re looking for something hearty, try the “Gourmet” with pepperoni, mushrooms, and sausage. 6304 York Rd., Towson. 410-323-8486

Zella’s Pizzeria
Situated in the Hollins Market neighborhood, Zella’s serves as all-around watering hole and gathering place for locals who come for the decent roster of boutique brews and excellent pizzas. The medium-thick homemade crust is first-class—crisp and lightly doused with good olive oil, and so tasty you could eat it plain and be happy. But why stop there? Add on any of the staggering array of “build your own” toppings (34 and counting) and choose from six sauces (from traditional tomato to unorthodox barbecue) until you’ve created your own perfect pie. 1145 Hollins St. 410-685-6999

Go Gluten-Free

Pizzerias keep dietary concerns in mind

By Christine Boyd

It’s been hard to miss the surge of gluten-free foods claiming valuable real estate on grocery-store shelves and even some restaurant menus lately. And pizza hasn’t been left out of the trend.

We went in search of gluten-free pizzas and found several places offering them. (Not all pizza sauces and toppings are gluten-free. Be sure to check.) Here are some pizzerias to consider.

BOP Brick Oven Pizza: Most BOP pizzas can be made on its gluten-free crust. Check out the “Lucky 7” white cheese, chicken feta, and “Margarita Lisa,” starting at $17.49. 800 S. Broadway, 410-563-1600.

Cheezy’s Pizza and Subs: Cheezy’s gluten-free pizza starts as a New York-style, thin-crust pie with sauce and cheese for $15.99. Customize with toppings of your choice for $1.99 each. Gluten-free breadsticks and cinnamon sticks are also available for $5.99. 1637 E. Joppa Rd., Towson, 410-337-4992.

Pazani Trattoria Italiana Pazani keeps it simple with a thin-crust, gluten-free pizza with sauce and cheese for $12. 6060 Marshalee Dr., Elkridge, 410-540-5777.

Seasons Pizza: At Seasons, wash down a gluten-free cheese pizza ($9.99 before adding your choice of toppings) with a gluten-free Redbridge beer. Multiple locations, including 10010 York Rd., Cockeysville, 410-666-2660.

Sweet 27 Bakery and Restaurant: Sweet 27 offers cheese, Caprese, vegetable, and barbecue chicken pizzas ($9-11). Dairy-free pizza is also available. 127 W. 27th St., 410-464-7211.

Flatbreads Rule

By Suzanne Loudermilk and Max Weiss

Woodberry Kitchen
Go for brunch and get the “Morning Flatbread” ($14) as an entree. With its homemade sage sausage, cheddar cheese, potato, and a fried egg that you are encouraged (nay, obligated) to smear over the whole pizza, it’s a perfectly filling meal. 2010 Clipper Mill Rd. 410-464-8000

B&O Brasserie
The classic white flatbread ($14) is a symphony of winning ingredients: roasted garlic, fontina, torn basil, and just the right amount of olive oil. A word of warning: If you are planning on sharing this with any more than two people, do order two flatbreads. 2 N. Charles St. 443-692-6172

The Brass Tap
It might be a craft beer bar, but this Bolton Hill hangout delivers some top-notch snacks. Its flatbreads are especially mouthwatering, in varieties like Southwest chicken, classic caprese, and a five-cheese option. 1205 W. Mt. Royal Ave., 888-901-2337