Best Pizza

Here are my top five favorte pizzas of all time.  I don't have a scoring system, just a, ahem, gut feeling about them.  Places don't get extra "points" for having more or less toppings, or for any specific style, though I do prefer thin crust.

5.  Mama Nuccio's, Somerdale, NJ-I haven't had this in a while, who knows if it's the same as when I lived near it, but for me this was quintessential South Jersey pizza.  Thin and gooey, with the sauce not too sweet not too salty.  I honestly prefer this to much of what I can get in South Philly.

4.  Chicago-I don't remember the name of the place, I'll have to track it down, but though it's not my typical preference Chicago style pizza can be awesome, and if a good version was available on the East Coast I might get hooked. The crust is ridiculous, like a bakery pie crust, with cheese resting inside of the lip.  Very filling.  I got out eaten slice by slice by a friend half my size who lived in Chicago and was used to putting that stuff away. 

3.  Osteria, Philadelphia-This is an upscale Italian joint on North Broad St..  The pizza is wonderful.  Cooked in a wood buring oven, super thin and crispy.  We got the polpo, which had a spicy sauce and octopus on top.  It was sensational, maybe the single best pizza I've ever had.  The others rank out higher bc/ for me, at the end of the day, pizza is more of a takeout experience.

2.  Slice, Philadelphia-Slice is amazing.  Great ingredients and toppings, like clams casino, grilled eggplant, fresh basil.  The crust is "well done," which I love, as it's all crackly and a bit burnt.  I could order from this place every night, money and calories aside.

1.  Mack and Manco's, Ocean City, NJ-This is my favorite favorite favorite.  Is it the salt air?  The perfect sause that they shoot on out of those weird tube things?   The brick oven?  Thin crust?  Salty cheese?  The overall effect is that I am always so sad after the last bite, as it's generally a once a year meal for me.  There's a place in Philly called Mack's Jersey Shore pizza, but I promise you it's not the same.

Honorable mentions: Pizzeria Stella, Philadelphia.  Celebre's, Philadelphia.