For the most part, unless it's just bad, pizza is good . Thin crust, deep-dish, pan — unless it tastes like roasted cardboard, it's all pretty good. Don’t we all crave that last slice in the pizza box? Or is that just a newsroom, election-night thing?
Luckily for local pizza fans, the variety of pies has expanded in recent years. We've got foldable New York-style, Chicago deep-dish pizza, Detroit-style square pies, even Connecticut-style. That would be the thin-crust, oblong pie that uses cheese as a condiment instead of a layer to be melted.
There’s pizza for all palates and appetites. Here are five of our local favorites.
Palm Beach County pizzeria: Yelp’s ‘Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S.’
Adrienne’s Pizzabar
The most memorable pizza I’ve had in the past few months shattered my expectations. I had expected any pie named “Original Sicilian” to arrive with a thick, spongy crust. But the “Original” pan pizza at the 9-month-old Adrienne’s Pizzabar restaurant in downtown West Palm Beach was anything but spongy.
What makes this 14-inch square pie so perfect is its thin crust. But this is not a thin-crust pizza that’s crunchy like a cracker. Its crust is crisp, yet airy. Sliced into small, easy-to-grab rectangles, the Original ($24) is topped with a thin layer of tomato sauce and a toss of mozzarella, pecorino and Parmesan cheeses.
Because it is most delicious when fresh out of the oven, the pizza is best enjoyed onsite at the casual, friendly Adrienne’s, which is part of the mini-wave of restaurants with New York roots to open at The Square plaza in 2023. (The original restaurant is in New York’s Financial District.)
Pro tip: Take your leftovers with you. Adrienne’s Original Sicilian pie reheats nicely in the toaster oven.
Details: 378 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach, 561-834-0300, AdriennesPizzabar.com
— Liz Balmaseda, former food and dining editor
Joseph's Classic Market
If I'm picking favorites in West Palm Beach, one would absolutely be the pizza at Joseph's Classic Market. What's their pizza like? To me, it's the most classic New York-style pizza you could get.
Using dough that is made fresh daily, their crust has the perfect amount of char on the bottom, and while it's thin, it's foldable thin, not cracker-y. The sauce is also made fresh daily using imported vine-ripened tomatoes and is an excellent balance of sweet and savory.
Their cheese is a select blend of Grand Mozzarella from Wisconsin. Plus, and I'm not sure how they do it, but you never (at least I haven't) get the dreaded 'cheese pull off.' What's that? It's when you take a bite and instead of just a bite of cheese, toppings and dough, the entire slice worth of cheese and toppings comes off.
Details: 2751 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, 561-858-8819, josephsclassicmarket.com
— Eddie Ritz
Lynora’s
The pizza menu is beautifully simple at Lynora’s restaurants in Palm Beach County: The pies are wood-fired and topped with fresh, classic ingredients that will transport you to southern Italy. That’s where Maria “Mamma” Abbenante hails from. Her quality-control of the ingredients, sauces and prep practices at her son Angelo’s hip, local mini-chain of pizzerias has been Lynora’s secret sauce .
The pizza boasts a consistently flavorful crust, a nice char on its puffy edges, handmade mozzarella, freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and Lynora’s scratch-made pomodoro sauce.
Pizza varieties include bianca pies topped with burrata-and-prosciutto, wild mushrooms, fontina and mushrooms and other tasty ingredients. Red-sauced pies include a tasty Margherita, prosciutto and arugula and a spicy cherry pepper and soppressata pizza. There are cauliflower crust and vegan pies as well.
Details: For Lynora’s locations and info, visit Lynoras.com
— Liz Balmaseda
Hot Pie
New York-style pizza that some New Yorkers describe as so good that it's better than anything in the Big Apple itself? Can it be true? Yes, it is at Hot Pie in downtown West Palm Beach. Owner Johnny Ries jokingly says "West Palm Beach is now identified as the sixth borough of New York." Using a dough recipe from his grandmother that is over 80 years old, made from scratch sauce and fresh toppings, those pies are cooked to thin and crispy perfection in their coal-fired oven. Ries said it's actually a gas/coal hybrid oven in which the gas gets it up to 450 and then the coal "turbo charges it another 400 degrees." Ries said this allows them to cook pizzas in 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the toppings. If you're going an unsure what to try, the Johnny's New Yorker is their most popular. It has fresh mozzarella, basil, parmesan and extra virgin olive oil.
Details: 123 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach, 561-655-2511, hotpiepizza.com
— Eddie Ritz
Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza
When my family is craving a hot pie, our go-to is Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza's specialty: Paulie's Pie. The flavor-filled pizza is topped with homemade baby meatballs, Italian sausage, ricotta cheese and a choice of hot or sweet peppers. We prefer ours with sweet peppers. There are plenty of specialty pies to choose from at Anthony's as well as a build-your-own version. Each pizza is cooked in the restaurant's coal fired oven at 900 degrees. The crust comes out crispy, bubbling and slightly charred around the edges. Perfection.
Pro tip: On National Cheese Pizza Day, Sept. 5, Anthony has this special offer: A large cheese pizza for $10, dine-in only.
Details: For Anthony's locations and info, visit acfp.com
— Laura Lordi
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 5 best pizzas in Palm Beach County
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