I’ve eaten pizza in four of the top ten pizzerias in America. Soon, I’ll be making the trip to NYC to check the fifth and possibly a sixth off that list.

I have plans to spend a weekend in Brooklyn, and a weekend in Boston to eat pizza. I hope to make the trek to New Haven again and explore more of the pizza there. (I have eaten at Pepe’s.)

I’ve driven as far as 2 1/2 hours one way just to eat pizza at a single pizzeria, and then I turned around and came right back.

I’ve eaten at every single Neapolitan style pizza joint within a 2-hour radius of Albany. Every. Single. One.

I’ve eaten at 95% of pizzerias that have a wood oven in the area (that I’m aware of), and at most of the wood-fired pizza trucks. If I discover a pizzeria that has a wood oven and I haven’t been, I usually go immediately.

I’ve eaten pizza at well more than 100 local places and counting.

I just spent a weekend in Buffalo, the primary impetus to go there was to eat the pizza at Jay’s Artisan, a fantastic Neapolitan style pizza joint.

I once talked my wife into spending a weekend in Syracuse to go shopping at its giant mall, but I secretly wanted to go to eat pizza.

I put all of that out there not to toot my own horn, but to list my credentials. My opinions are based on a fair amount of experience. One can disagree with me (and you should!), but my opinions are not born out of ignorance.

The best pizza in the Capital Region is Anna’s Wood Fired in Latham.

The most underrated pizza in the Capital Region is Restaurant Navona in Albany.

The most overrated pizza in the Capital Region is Marino’s in Schenectady.

The best pizza you’ve not eaten is the pan pizza at Talk of the Town in Glens Falls.

The best place to ‘hang out’ while eating pizza is DeFazio’s in Troy.

DeFazio’s is the only pizzeria in the area that’s neither underrated nor overrated.

The best hidden gem in the Capital Region is Pizza Works in Burnt Hills.

85% of pizza in the Greater Albany area is mediocre. One of those mediocre places is probably your favorite.

All truly great pizza is cooked in a wood oven.

It is impossible to make a great pizza without the super high temps (500 degrees Celsius and above) of a wood oven (except in some cases a coal oven).

Great pizza is light.

Great pizza is tender.

Most people have never eaten truly great pizza, and have no idea what it is.

All great pizza has at least some char.

New York City is the pizza capital of the US.

NY style pizza is overrated.

Naples Italy is the pizza capital of the world.

Neopolitan style pizza is the most delicious style of pizza.

Pan pizza is underrated.

Takeout hurts pizza.

Delivery hurts pizza more than takeout.

If you’ve not eaten deep dish pizza in Chicago (I have) you’ve not eaten deep dish.

The Uno chain’s deep dish is crap.

Domino’s is an abomination, and the worst pizza I’ve ever eaten.

Blaze Pizza is good. If you take into consideration a pie is less than 9 bucks, then it’s excellent.

Supermarket frozen pizza is terrible.

Utica tomato pie is delicious and should be eaten room temp. I hate room temp pizza, but I like tomato pie.

Loading a pie down with too much cheese is the number one mistake most pizza makers make.

Loading a pie down with too many toppings and/or too much sauce is the number two mistake most pizza makers make.