If first impressions counted for everything in the omnibus of American pizzerias, then Giannoni's would barely register as a footnote. Crammed between a Sally Beauty Supply and a Taco Del Mar in the Westwood Village Shopping Center, with a full battalion of soccer mom minivans and SUVs parked out front, you would not be faulted for mistaking Giannoni's for a knockoff of some national chain like Round Table or Papa John's. The modest interior is minimally decorated with a definite slant toward the utilitarian, save for some stylish graffiti on one wall and two ancient arcade cabinets. But once a piping hot pie hits your table and you dig in, any aesthetic crime committed by the prosaic architecture is forgiven. More

Home to loaded 5,969-calorie pizzas and thinner crusted "Blue Collar" pies, Joe Peep's slices (which include up to 2 regular toppings) are both cheap and filling at $2.25. I usually order a plain cheese slice, but if you do order toppings, they pile them on. More

In researching pizza in Denver, I have yet to come across anyone who claims it's a great pizza city. Equally clear is that the past few years have seen a radical improvement in the local pizza scene, and Virgilio's certainly deserves some of the credit for that. More

You may know Pizzasnob (aka Tim Kang) from the comments here and a couple of My Pie Mondays he's submitted. Today, he brings word of some great New York–style pizza in San Diego. —The Mgmt. [Photographs: Tim Kang] Who knew that Californians had decent New York–style pizza? I didn't. When our hosts on a recent trip to San Diego raved about this place, my eyebrow must have arched a foot high with skepticism.... More

Denver seems to dominate the Centennial State for the best pizza, but great pies can be found all over Colorado. Whether you are looking for vegan pizza, a New York slice or a Colorado mountain pie, you can be sure that there is a spectacular place in the colorful state for you. More

There is a restaurant in New York City called Hill Country, which is patterned after the barbecue meat markets that surround Austin, Texas. The barbecue at Hill Country is a pretty close approximation of what you can get in Texas, essentially mimicking the menu at Kreuz Market in Lockhart to the point of importing their sausages. Truth be told, it is not quite in the same league as the barbecue down in the Lone Star State, but for a homesick Texan it will offer a slice of home. Similarly, Home Slice Pizza in Austin will offer a homesick New Yorker a taste of home in the form of pizza. More

No artisanal toppings adorned the pie at Bonello's New York Pizza. Nor were Caputo flour or San Marzano tomatoes used. And the sausage, which consisted of somewhat odd pellet-shaped pieces, was neither fennel nor house-made. Yet somehow, the pie came together, clearly illustrating how the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts. More