Pizza

So I guess one of the many things that NYC is supposed to be famous for is pizza. I would argue that Youngstown, Ohio, has some of the best pizza on the planet. During my two years in Cleveland, I searched (to no avail) for good pizza. There were places that were sufficient and some that were even a little eclectic, but none that were known for amazing pizza by my standards.

In Youngstown, there are amazing pizza places my favorite being Wedgewood Pizza http://www.wedgewoodpizza.com/. There are now several locations but this place has the best deep dish hearty pizza ever. It’s not too greasy, the ingredients are fresh and they don’t skimp on them. Then there’s Belleria Pizza http://www.belleria.net/ that Youngstown-ers love (I’m not a fan). It’s got thick cheese, hearty ingredients and super deep dish. They too have expanded but it’s definitely a Youngstown favorite.
Then there’s the Youngstown original Brier Hill Pizza. Wiki says that Brier Hill is a neighborhood in Youngstown, Ohio, that was once viewed as the city's "Little Italy" district. The neighborhood, which was the site of the city's first Italian settlement, stretches along the western edge of Youngstown's lower north side and encircles St. Anthony's Church, an Italian-American Roman Catholic parish.
The neighborhood was the birthplace of "Brier Hill Pizza," which is a humble, home-style pizza with its origins in the Basilicata region of Italy—made with a generous amount of thick Sunday sauce, bell peppers and Romano cheese rather than the usual mozzarella. It is un piatto tipico of Youngstown; one of several dishes the area prides itself upon, as New Yorkers do so of their thin-crust slices of foldable Pizza Margherita.

Oh the NYC thin crust. I’ve never been a fan of the thin crust (it makes me think of Donato’s which isn’t bad but certainly not a favorite) until I had Trattoria Amici at work last week. I had been hearing about the Meatza Meatza Pizza since my first week of work but for many reasons we hadn’t had it. Finally my dear office mate decided it was time I was introduced to the Meatza Meatza. It was amazing! For my meat lovers this pizza was heaven. It was thin crust which I surprisingly loved and it was loaded with meat (pepperoni, ham, bacon, sausage and real tomato sauce). This little bistro is also a great wine bar and traditional Italian Cuisine. The problem is that it’s another great restaurant that’s only steps from my front door. It’s located on Lenox between 129th and 130th.

I never thought I’d find pizza that compared to my beloved Youngstown Pizza but the Meatza Meatza gets pretty close.
Northeast Ohio or NYC, You Decide…