CleverRoot

f a l l 2 0 1 8 | 8 5 IS THERE ANYBODY on the planet who doesn't love pizza? The Italian staple is everywhere, so much so that when Phaidon Press published Where to Eat Pizza: The Last Word on the Slice a couple of years ago, the book edited by Daniel Young listed no less than 1,700 of the best pizza joints around the world. Who picked them? More than 1,000 pizza experts and aficionados, including myself. At 576 pages, it's a terrific resource for every style of pie imaginable, but how can even the most fervent pizza fans keep up now that you can find solid options at roving trucks, pop-ups, wine tastings, brewpubs, and more? To add even more heat to the oven, here are a few great pizza al taglio—meaning "by the cut"—spots so new they never made it into the book. TRIPLE BEAM PIZZA, Los Angeles The crust at this spot, which opened in February 2018, gets its DNA from Nancy Silverton of L.A.'s famed Pizzeria Mozza. Silverton, the recipient of the James Beard Founda- tion's 2014 Outstanding Chef award, developed the concept with fellow James Beard Award–winning chef Matt Molina while also seeking input from the Roscioli family of Antico Forno Roscioli in Rome. Triple Beam turns out 5-foot-long, Roman-style pizzas made to appeal to the kid in all of us. "Show us how much pizza you'd like: We cut your perfect piece—with scissors," reads a sign over the counter. Guests can choose from half a dozen pies of the day, one of which is almost always vegan (this is L.A., after all). It could be a classic marinara or roasted eggplant with to- mato and oregano, or, better yet, wild nettles with mozza- rella and fontina or potato with Yukon gold potatoes, black truffle cheese, and rosemary. Triple Beam pours just four wines by the glass—bubbles, white, pink, and Dolomite— and offers a compact natural wine list, too. For dessert, it's cannoli all the way.Triple Beam Pizza, 5918 N. Figueroa St., 323-545-3534, triplebeampizza.com BELLEVILLE, Portland, Maine Opened last year, Belleville in Portland's East End "aims to serve its neighbors and community with rustic pastries and pizza," according to the restaurant's website. Baker/ owner Chris Deutsch offers terrific pizza al taglio for lunch at this small, charming neighborhood spot: Order a classic Margherita or the salame with pickled chili peppers at the marble counter. Belleville's shiitake-gruyere pie may not be conventional, but it's pretty great, too. Deutsch adds in variations from time to time, such as potato or fig with rosemary. Plus (and it's a big plus), the Paris-trained baker and his wife, Amy Fuller, also serve up picture-perfect— and highly delicious—French pastries.Belleville, 1 North St., 207-536-7463, blvl.me Standouts at Bonci in Chicago include the Margherita di bufala and the zucchini pizza with ricotta, black pepper, and lemon peel. PHOTO: FRED SEIDMAN BONCI, Chicago Gabriele Bonci of Pizzarium in Rome has been called the Michelangelo of pizza, and it's thoroughly deserved. Baked in rectangular pans and cut to order, his pizza al taglio in myriad variations is world-famous.Gabriele has now ventured stateside with Bonci, a Chicago branch of his iconic Rome pizzeria, and I'm happy to say nothing has been lost in translation: The dough is perfect and the toppings are fresh and inventive. At Bonci, you'll find maybe 20 or so varieties of pizza laid out in a row; order what you want and the staff will cut it, warm it up, and slide it to you on a wooden board. Standouts include zucchini with ricotta, black pepper, and lemon peel; prosciutto cotto and mozzarella; Margherita di bufala; and fiery arrabbiata. Good news: Bonci just opened a second Chicago location and has plans to expand across the U.S. Bonci, 161 N. Sangamon St. (312-243-4016) and 1566 N. Damen Ave. (872-829-3144), bonciusa.com ■cr

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