Pizza styles
Beach pizza: This style of pizza is served on Salisbury Beach, at dueling shops Cristy’s and Tripoli (above), thus its name. But it can be found off the beach, too: It was invented at Tripoli’s original Lawrence location in the 1940s, and it’s still served there today. It’s thin and square, and the sauce is very, very sweet; it’s almost like eating a raspberry tart. Ask for extra cheese and you’ll get a slice of provolone melted across the top.
Where to find it: Cristy’s Pizza and Tripoli Pizza.
Detroit-style pizza: It’s thick, crispy, chewy, and rectangular, with the sauce applied in stripes atop the cheese (traditionally, Wisconsin-made brick cheese). Look for browned edges lined with cheese that has caramelized against the heat of the pan it’s baked in.
Where to find it: Avenue Kitchen + Bar, Diggy’s Pizza, Night Shift Brewing, Square MFG Co., True North Kitchen + Bar, Volo Craft Pizza.
Greek pizza: Found throughout New England, these pies are made in a pan and tend to be fluffier and oilier than other pizza varieties. If you grew up in the area, you know it, and there’s a pretty good chance you love it.
Where to find it: Any place with “House of Pizza” in its name, or with a menu that also offers gyros.
Neapolitan: The traditional style of Naples, at its purest made according to strict rules: It must be cooked in a wood-fired oven at a specific temperature for a specific time; the dough must include only flour, salt, yeast, and water; and so on. The result is a smaller, minimally topped, soft and stretchy pie, floppy at the center and with a golden-brown crust.
Where to find it: Ciao! Pizza & Pasta, da LaPosta, Posto, Quattro.
New Haven apizza: Often cooked over coal, it has a thin, charred, lightly sooty crust. Traditional preparations include tomato (no mozzarella) and white clam pies. Drink with Foxon Park soda, made in East Haven. Where to find it: Frank Pepe Pizzeria, Sally’s Apizza.
New York-style pizza: Tossed by hand, sold by the slice, with a thin, elastic crust. If you can’t fold it in half to eat it, it’s not New York pizza. Watch out for the delicious grease running down your arm. Don’t forget to top with garlic powder and chile flakes.
Where to find it: Dragon Pizza, Joe’s Pizza.
Sicilian: A thick, square pie baked in a pan. It’s bready but not heavy, and crisp on the bottom. Adjacent to styles like bakery pizza and grandma pizza, which would dollop the sauce over the cheese; Sicilian keeps it beneath.
Where to find it: Galleria Umberto, Leone’s Sub and Pizza, Pino’s Pizza, Pinocchio’s Pizza & Subs.
South Shore bar pizza: Many believe this style originated in Brockton, at the Cape Cod Cafe. It’s made in a 10-inch pan; the cheese is mostly cheddar, which lends a buttery taste; and the crust is crisp and biscuit-y. The sauce and cheese are spread all the way to the edge of the pan, where they caramelize. Some order it with burnt edges, or “laced.” In addition to the usual toppings, linguica is often on offer, thanks to the area’s sizable Portuguese population. Takeout is usually bagged not boxed.
Where to find it: Bardo’s Bar Pizza, Hotbox, Lynwood Cafe, Poopsie’s.