DETROIT- STYLE

If there is one pizza on the verge of its moment in the sun, it is the Motor City’s take, which while not new, is suddenly getting exposure. It plays well to a large audience because it is a hybrid between New York Sicilian and Chicago deep- dish but with an airier, more buttery crust — a thinner, lighter take on thick pizza, which lets the toppings shine. Legend has it that inventive Detroit cooks once used metal parts trays from auto factories to bake pizzas, and today pies are cooked in blue steel pans that are oiled and pre- heated before dough goes in. This makes the exterior crunchy and crisp, but the pizza is still light and airy inside, and the pies are square or rectangular, always four or eight slices. Many fans only order smalls so every piece is a double- crusted corner.

BUDDY’S PIZZA, DETROIT A Prohibition- era speakeasy that added pizza in 1946 to help pay the bills, Buddy’s is widely regarded as the birthplace of Detroit- style pizza, and there are now ten locations. Meat combos abound, but Buddy’s surprisingly progressive offerings range from a Kale Lovers to Dijon Smoked Salmon to gluten- free pizzas, with house specialties named for Detroit icons and each of the Great Lakes.

BROWN DOG PIZZA, TELLURIDE, COLO. Brown Dog is easily the best ski town pizzeria in America, thanks to its transcendent Detroit- style offerings, and recently opened an outpost in Denver, fittingly called Blue Pan Pizza.

PHOTOS BY LARRY OLMSTED FOR USA TODAY Buddy’s best- selling Detroiter