My daughter sent me the list of the Best Pizza restaurants from the March 2015 Connecticut Magazine. It’s an indication of the universal interest in pizza. Beyond a cultural phenomenon it has become the most talked about food I can think of. Restaurants from national chains to carefully conceived concepts are devoted to this one food. And we’re all lining up to eat lots of it.

I like pizza, but I’m not a fanatic. For most of my life, John’s Best in Broad River was my close-by favorite. My kids and I loved to watch the revolving oven bake crisp-chewy thin crust pies while the bakers rolled and twirled the dough and spread on the toppings right in front of us. Sometimes we even got a taste of cheese while we watched. When they closed, I didn’t eat pizza for a year – I just didn’t know where to go.

Coalhouse Pizza exterior - CopyI gradually re-entered the world of pizza, but the list from my daughter triggered a renewed interest to see what’s out there. Connecticut Magazine included restaurants from all around the state. There was, of course, the trinity of New Haven Pizza destinations: Sallys, Modern and Frank Pepe – all famous across the nation. Locally, Stamford’s Colony Grill and Coalhouse Pizza, Tarry Lodge in Westport, and Fairfield’s Nauti Dolphin and Brick + Wood all made the list. Just below the top tier in a Best of the Rest classification were Rizzuto’s (Stamford and Westport), Localli Pizza Bar in New Canaan and Bar Sugo in Norwalk. There’s no lack of recognized pizza excellence in our area.

In addition to these, I have a few favorites of my own. Amore, in Stamford, is too new to be on the Best list, but look Zuppardi's Apizza - Copyfor it in future years. Fat Cat in Norwalk has a crust a little thinner than my ideal, but the total experience of pizza, salad, cheese and the exhaustive wine selection is an irresistible draw. On the recommendation of a pizza enthusiast, we visited Zuppardi’s in West Haven, a pizza only establishment in business since 1939 and on many Best lists. No fancy ovens here, just a long tradition of excellent pizza. We ordered four, but agreed that the basic cheese was uniquely different and the best of the bunch.

There are four basic elements to pizza: dough, sauce, cheese and the oven. Toppings are a fifth category, but serious pizza eaters make their judgements on a simple cheese pie. The sauce and cheese are important (quality ingredients will always shine), but not much discussed. It’s the dough and the oven that get all the attention. Ovens are hot, hotter and volcanic.

Out of the hot oven at Amore

Out of the hot oven at Amore

In recent years commercial deck ovens have been eclipsed by brick ovens heated with gas, wood or even coal. Temperatures in these old world style ovens can be upwards of 900 degrees. At Stamford’s Amore the pizzaiolo showed me the reading on his infrared thermometer: 927° for the wood fired brick oven. Serious pizza is cooked quickly in a hot oven that yields a desirable brown, blistered, and charred crust for added flavor. Ninety seconds is all it takes in this oven.

Thin or thick, crispy or chewy, everyone is a partisan of their preferred style. Amore Chef Bruno

Neapolitan pizza at Amore

Neapolitan pizza at Amore

DiFabio is a champion pizza master who studied his craft in Italy. At Amore, he offers two styles, each with their own unique crust. Neapolitan style, baked round in the Italian wood-fired brick oven, is thinner, both chewy and crisp, the dough fermented with wild yeast he gathered in the Dolomite mountains in Italy’s north. Chef

Romano style at Amore

Romany style at Amore

Bruno’s Romano style is made with a poolish base (like artisan bread) that is slowly fermented over four days. Baked in a gas-fired flat-top oven, the square pie is pillowy, with complex flavors and a rich, moist texture – the most unique pizza I’ve had. Go to Amore with enough people to try one of each style – the contrast is fascinating and delicious.

There is a growing interest in making pizza at home. Without the resources of a commercial

My home made cheese pie

My home made cheese pie

kitchen and years of experience it’s hard to match restaurant results, but it is fun to try. A baking stone (actually ceramic) makes a hot surface in the oven for pizza baking. Most home ovens will go to 500° – hot but not as hot as a restaurant oven. I’ve used two dough recipes, one from Mark Bittman and the other from Cooks Illustrated magazine. Bittman’s can be made in a few hours, the CI recipe rests for 24 or more hours for added flavor. My tendency is to put on too much sauce, extra cheese and too many toppings, making the pizza heavy and a little soggy. Restraint is best in these areas. None the less, I’ve had a few successes along with some failures. It’s fun to do for a crowd – small children love to sprinkle on the cheese. At Aitoro’s I saw displays of pizza ovens that you can install at home for the very serious amateur pizzaiolos.

Like so much of eating, the pleasure of pizza is in the journey – trying pizzas, finding favorites, encountering new flavors, and tasting different styles. Pizza also goes well with beer and wine, which makes it even more fun. If I’ve missed your favorite pizza place, let me know. I’ll give it a try!