Ah, pizza; the classic Italian treat that fills the stomachs and hearts of people around the world. While finding a pizza joint in your local area may not be difficult, finding a delicious slice that instantly makes you want to come back for more may prove to be more challenging. Here’s a quick swirl around some of San Francisco’s pizza parlors to help you know in advance what to expect.

Some guests of Pizza Delfina report that while the pizza is fabulous, repeat visits reveal some inconsistencies in terms of what you get each time you go. Other patrons report this is nonsense, and each time the pizza is extremely flavorful and meets all bread, sauce, cheese, and topping expectations. Operating with a gas-fueled over, the crust is a perfect mix between crispy and chewy, the sauce is tangy, and the creamy cheese is clearly high quality stuff.

At Pizzaiolo, guests can enjoy pizza from a more traditional wood-burning oven; a method of making pizza that takes the flavors to a whole new level. While the crust and sauce are rather simple at Pizzaiolo, the cheese is what makes this place stand out from the rest. The fresh mozzarella is creamy and buttery with a hint of nut making the sub-par crust and sauce seem unimportant.

Emilia’s Pizzeria was opened in just this year and reviews are already making it a must-see pizza stop in San Francisco. While it used to offer half-pie options (one half one topping, the other half another topping) and by-the-slice ordering, in late October the owner, Keith Froelich, changed the game and the restaurant now runs with a “whole-pie” only rule. Forelich said that “it is easier to take orders for pies rather than having a long line for slices, and only a handful of people ever ordered by the slice anyway.”

Flour + Water is infamous in the Bay Area for its late opening hours, apparently a rarity in the area. The restaurant opened its doors in May after pizza-maker Jon Darsky left Pizza Delfina (he also worked at Pizzaiolo prior to that). While, unfortunately, the pizza doesn’t seem to have any reviews that take it beyond the average pie, the restaurant seems to do very well with guests who enjoy their other food, such as lavender smoked duck breast with persimmon, roasted pork leg, and seared pheasant breast.

Pizzeria Picco features some delicious pizza with each ingredient adding to the sheer enjoyment of each bite. The Cannondale pizza, named after the bike brand because the chef is a huge bike enthusiast, includes house-made sausage, roasted red pepper, spring onions, mozzarella, grana Pandan, and basil leaves.

Via: Serious Eats