A Look at Pizzerias Across the U.S.

Amici | Maryville, TN

“Amici,” meaning “friends,” and it’s the heart of the business from conception to day-to-day operations. Inspired by his own experience with authentic Italian cuisine while living in Europe, Amici owner and head chef, Chris Thompson opened Amici in June 2019. With fresh pastas and pizzas from scratch, Thompson combines the traditional Italian cooking techniques with local, southern ingredients. The menu changing daily, based on what’s in season. It’s focused on starters, pizza, pastas and beer and wine. Starters include Short Rib Arancini with roasted garlic risotto, red wine braised beef, mozzarella and Pomodoro. The Tessa Pizza is made using fresh pulled mozzarella Stracciatella, a house-cured Tessa pancetta and local greens. The Potato has a ricotta base with local potatoes, caramelized cippolini, rosemary, honey and mozzarella. Pastas include the Bison Meatballs with spaghetti, roasted red pepper marinara and Pecorino.

Hail Mary Pizza | Los Angeles, California

The small and cozy Hail Mary has a huge following in Atwater Village. The pizzeria has created a strong connection between its local farmers and customers. The pizza dough consists of a significant amount of whole wheat flour and it’s made using wild yeast. Its seasonal pizza menu features pies like the rad-boi with marinated radicchio, Gouda, mozzarella, confit tomato and garlic. The Casanova is topped with mixed mushrooms, ricotta, caramelized onions, Mornay sauce and arugula. The Madison features winter greens, mozzarella, raclette, garlic and lemon. Hail Mary has a unique variation on wings. The four-spice rubbed chicken wings has a peach glaze and giardiniera.

The Gypsy Poet | Houston, Texas

The Gypsy Poet is a newcomer on the Houston pizza scene. It’s an artsy pizzeria serving up artisan pies. It has an eclectic vibe with live music and poetry. The menu is small and straight-forward: pizzas, salads and desserts. The pizza presentation is a standout. Pizza is placed on parchment paper on a metal tray and finishing ingredients lie beautifully around the pie. Pies include the Cappellone “Big Hat” with tomato sauce, fior di latte, mozzarella, Portobello mushroom caps, shallots and Italian sausage. The Dream Catcher features tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, fior di latte, truffle oil, cherry tomatoes, goat cheese, arugula and green onions.