Boston's Best Pizzerias

List America's great pizza cities, and you'll inevitably think of Chicago, and New York, maybe New Haven, Connecticut - but probably not Boston. Sure, Boston is known more for clam chowder than for pizza. But that doesn't mean you won't find a variety of outstanding pizzerias in and around the city.

Regina Pizza - 11 ½ Thacher Street, Boston

Boston's North End was once known as the home of Paul Revere, and the Old North Church where lanterns were hung to alert him that the British were invading the city and the Revolutionary War was about to begin. But, for the past century, the North End has been Boston's Italian neighborhood, where TV commercials once depicted a young boy named Anthony running home because Wednesday was spaghetti day. Since 1926, Regina Pizza has been what the owners call "Boston's original pizzeria."

Polcari family recipes are the hallmark of the pizza at Regina. The dough and the sauce are unchanged in generations. The meats, including meatballs and sausages, are made fresh. But it's the hand-shredded cheese that gives these pizzas their distinct taste. Aged mozzarella covers each slice. Do yourself a favor, and let your pizza cool just a bit before you eat it. You'll be tempted, but the wait will be worth it. Giving your pizza some time after it comes out of the brick oven allows the piles of mozzarella to solidify just enough. After all, you don't want the cheese sliding off before you can eat it.

Santarpio's Pizza - 11 Chelsea St, East Boston

While Santarpio's may not have the trendiest culinary address, its fans would argue that the trip across the Mystic River to East Boston is well worth the drive. Half a dozen times over the past few years, voters in local restaurant guides have named Santarpio's "Boston's Best Pizzeria."

You don't go to Santarpio's for the glamour or the cache. Here, it's all about the food. The no-nonsense waitstaff will slide your pizza onto the table atop a dented old aluminum pan, and you won't care. This thin-crust pizza, with its puddle of creamy cheese, is so good you might not even want to alter it by adding toppings. There are plenty to choose from, and they are delicious, but the plain cheese pizza is a triumph all on its own.

The Upper Crust - 20 Charles Street, Boston

Twenty years ago, when celebrity chefs led the way toward trendy "gourmet" pizzas, the owners of The Upper Crust brought the upscale style to Boston's Back Bay. Mozarella, tomato sauce and pepperoni gave way to asiago, sun dried tomatoes and chorizo sausage. A couple of decades later, there are 14 Upper Crust pizzeria locations and a thriving delivery business. Many local residents will argue that this is the best pizza in Boston.

Hand-rolled, thin-crust dough is the foundation of every Upper Crust pizza. But the toppings are the stars. There are six different cheese choices, fresh meats and veggies. You can even get a variety of seafood toppings - shrimp, scallops, lobster or clams - which can make your Upper Crust pizza into a distinctly Boston creation.