...Back then in New Jersey, I had my own business, and I had no employees, so I did everything. I waited tables, I answered the phone, I made pizza. It was funny because a lot of people in this small town where it was, especially in the winter, when there was no tourist season since we were near the beach, they got used to this weird way we did things. It actually got to where you would bring your dishes to the kitchen when you were done eating. I'm not kidding. And the drinks were in the refrigerator. People were like, "I'm going to get a Coke." It was beautiful, and a lot of those people became friends of mine, and some of those people came out here the first week that we opened, from all those years ago, from New York City, to here, they were like, "We're coming out for the opening."

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Anthony Mangieri is renowned for his uncompromising, spare approach to making Neapolitan-style pizzas. For many years, he did not offer a single meat-topped pizza on his menu. But, in honor of his infant daughter, he has added a new pie, topped with salami, to his rotation. We went to his temple of Neapolitan pizza to check it out. More

I know I am committing pizza purist heresy here, but I have to have a certain amount of saltiness emanating from the topping of the pizza. That means simple unadorned fiore de latte, or fresh unsalted mozzarella, or even buffalo mozzarella, on their own, unadorned with nothing added, do not cut it for me. So if a pizza is going to have only one kind of cheese as a topping, I prefer high-quality aged, low-moisture, whole milk mozzarella, which has a distinctly salty taste. Pizza police, I know I am going to become a wanted man with this proclamation, but so be it. I can take the heat. More

The Neapartisanal pies that have emerged in the Bay Area represent an American re-interpretation of classic Italian pies and evidence new ways to successfully build off of established, traditional techniques. And, oh, what options there are! So many, that limiting this list to just eight seems a crime, but you have to draw the line somewhere.While there are many, many worthy pies in and around San Francisco, here are some of the most memorable ones that we've tried to date. More

Most great pizzerias are the product of one compulsive, obsessive person who lives and dies with every pie. Is it possible for a pizzeria to expand beyond two locations and maintain the quality that makes them great? It's like pizza-obsessed folks have decided that their collective ovens get too hot for them to consider adding a third pizzeria. More

For years now I've suffered the shame of never having experienced Anthony Mangieri's pizza magic. Those days are over. My first UPN pie was unequivocally the equal of the very best pizza I've ever eaten. It truly left me in a transcendent, meditative state. More

Reaching in to the Slice mailbag, we've got ... a really eagle-eyed pizza nerd out there. ;)

Adam,
This is probably high on the pizza nerd scale, but I'd love to see if you can confirm this: Go to Hulu and watch the full episode of the Scarlett Johannsen SNL. At exactly 7:34 in the program, our favorite former East Village pizzaiolo's arm/oven makes a special appearance (in the credits). Right?

Wishing I was in San Fran,
Isaac G.

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Pizza-heads may need no reminder, but Anthony Mangieri, the man many consider the nation's finest Neapolitan pizza-maker, opened his long-awaited San Francisco spot Una Pizza Napoletana several weeks ago. Mangieri had shut down his wildly popular New York pizzeria of the same name in 2009, promising a move out West by early 2010; by the time he finally rolled up the metal gates in September, the pizza-mad citizens of San Francisco had lined up by the dozens, clamoring to get in. A few weeks later, Slice is ready to report. More

[Photograph: Eater SF] Eater San Francisco has a quick slideshow of Una Pizza Napoletana SF opening night. That's the line above. More pics of the cavernous warehouse space this way »... More

@michelemandell: Had the best pizza ever tonight in the church a.k.a. Una Pizza Napoletana. Give it a try, but be prepared to wait. http://yfrog.com/jtdt9zj Pizza pics, after the jump.... More