Portland's Best Pizza

"Over the past decade, Portland has been pulled into a fiery national debate. On one side, international pizza experts have argued that Portland-not New Haven, Chicago, or NYC- is the best pizza city in the country. They point to our farm-to-table ethos, diversity of styles, and abundance of quality, as thick Sicilian squares rub metaphorical elbows with neo-Neapolitan pies and New York slices. The opposing argument: Other cities do pizza better."

"This . Hawthorne pizzeria was one of the main players in Portland's pizza revolution when it opened in 2005, serving muscular, 18-inch neo-Neapolitan pies made with eccentric perfectionism and fine-tuned toppings. Not a bad choice to be found here (down to the whole-leaf Caesar salad), but it's hard to get past the Diablo Bianco, a sauce-free wonder splotched with super-creamy ricotta pools, jalapeño wheels, and a roasted tomato-pumpkin seed pesto that tastes, somehow, like chorizo -Karen Brooks "

"You may not think of this café as a pizza joint, but its impressive bakery lays the foundation for some of the best crust in the city. In line with the rest of the menu, pizzas here thrive on simplicity. Take the pomodoro, an unadorned tomato pie that sings with a soulful, oven-roasted sauce and paper-thin garlic reminiscent of Goodfellas. Go for the optional stracciatella (essentially the gooey center of burrata, added to the pizza after cooking) and anchovies and hang out in the gorgeous, sun-drenched dining room. -Matthew Trueherz"

Portland's pizza reputation centers on a farm-to-table ethos, stylistic diversity, and abundant quality across the city. Local debates prioritize finding the best neighborhood pizzerias over national rankings. A Hawthorne pizzeria that opened in 2005 helped fuel Portland's pizza revolution with muscular 18-inch neo-Neapolitan pies and meticulous toppings, highlighted by the sauce-free Diablo Bianco with ricotta pools, jalapeño wheels, and a tomato-pumpkin seed pesto tasting like chorizo. A café with a strong bakery produces exceptional crusts for simple, soulful pies such as pomodoro with optional stracciatella and anchovies. Dove Vivi offers hefty pies on crunchy cornmeal crusts topped with sweet corn and smoky mozzarella.

Read at Portland Monthly