The only activity that’s more quintessentially New York than eating pizza is hunting down the best pies. We've got the crunchiest, cheesiest, freshest options from all over the state, from long lines in Brooklyn to cup-and-char pepperoni in Buffalo.

Di Fara (New York City)

The wait at Di Fara is notoriously long, but that doesn’t stop pizza lovers in the know from making a regular pilgrimage to Midwood in Brooklyn for the legendary “Best Pizza in New York City.” Each pie is made by only one man, Domenico DeMarco, who’s been making Di Fara’s pizza by hand since 1965. The ingredients are fairly simple and mostly imported from Italy, save the basil and other herbs he grows outside his window to be snipped over the piping hot pies as a finishing touch. With the wait, the cash-only policy, and the limited seating, getting your hands on Di Fara pizza isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. Brooklyn

The family that owns Pizzeria Posto cooks their pizza in a wood-fired oven that was delivered from Italy and reassembled in-shop. Maybe that’s why it’s so common to hear knowledgeable diners liken their pies to the ones made back in the Boot. Pizzas come with only a few toppings each, but a great deal of attention goes into composing unique flavor combinations, such as the Mirandi, which comes with pistachios(!), or their Mama-Mia with smoked mozzarella, wood-roasted onions, and fennel sausage. Don’t leave without trying the one and only dessert option, the Baba Louie: gooey Nutella wrapped in pizza dough and baked to perfection. Rhinebeck

Apizza Regionale is a true New York pizza, not just because of the style but because almost all the ingredients are sourced from New York. The dough is made from stone-ground wheat from Trumansburg, the Calabrian pie is topped with chili-infused local honey, and they even cure their own olives. Gourmet toppings are kept light and don’t overload the crust, so if you think the idea of potatoes on a pizza sounds too heavy, their Patata pie with Yukon golds, caramelized onion, aged gouda, and fresh rosemary will convince you otherwise. Syracuse

Andriaccio’s has been a staple for the pizza-lovers of Chautauqua County since the early ’80s. If you’re lucky enough to visit on a warm day, there is ample outdoor seating, which gets pretty cozy at night thanks to the glow of string lights. The most popular item on their menu is their Neapolitan Pizza with spinach, mushrooms, sweet peppers, and three kinds of cheese. If you want to mix things up, we’ll set aside the rivalry just this once and admit their Chicago-style is seriously delicious too. Mayville

The next time you visit Lake Placid, do yourself a favor and head to a strip mall about a mile west of Main Street where you’ll find a hidden gem called Caffé Rustica, helmed by Culinary Institute of America grad Chef Kevin Gregg. The menu has plenty of delicious high-end Italian dishes, but the star of the show is the pizza, with a crust made perfectly crispy in the wood-fired oven. And good news if you’re a meat-eater—the sausage and meatball toppings are made fresh in-house. Lake Placid

There are so many reasons why this little Troy eatery is a favorite of pizza fanatics, starting with the crust. Or rather, the crusts—you can choose from one of seven dough options, including one that’s made with locally-sourced brown ale. Add that to the plentiful topping combinations and high-quality cheeses and you’ll understand why Defazio’s is regarded as one of New York’s best. Troy

Overlooking the beautiful St. Lawrence River in Clayton you can find an excellent selection of craft beer to pair perfectly with the wood-fired pizza at the Wood Boat Brewery. The more adventurous among you should definitely try one of the unusual specialty pies, such as the BLT Pizza or the Reuben Pizza, which comes with Thousand Island dressing, swiss and mozzarella cheese, corned beef, and sauerkraut. Plus, it's across the street from the Antique Boat Museum, a great place to explore before or after pizza-time. Clayton

When you’re out in the mountains, there is nothing as satisfying as eating food that’s been cooked over an open fire. That’s exactly what you get at Oakley’s Place in the Catskills. The enormous wood-fired oven adds a subtle smokiness to the homemade tomato sauce and the 20 options of toppings you can get on your pie. Plus, the outdoor seating is the perfect place to sit and enjoy the nature while you eat—if you’re not too distracted by the glorious pizza. Arkville

Little Vincent’s is a no-frills pizza joint out on Huntington, Long Island. Crunchy crusts and well-seasoned tomato sauce make their pizza great, but what turns it from great into extraordinary is one ingredient: cold cheese. Cold-cheese pizza is a regular cheese pizza topped with a mound of cold, unmelted, shredded mozzarella. In one bite, hot meets cold and crunchy meets melty meets chewy. It’s an addictive textural experience that is brilliantly simple and simply brilliant. Long Island

We have Buffalo to thank for its signature style of “cup-and-char” pepperoni, that’s specially made to curl into a little cup that holds all the delicious juices on top of the pizza. And if you want the best example, head straight to Bocce Club Pizza in Amherst. The dough is fluffy, the tomato sauce is just the right amount of sweet, the mozzarella is made in-house, and the pepperoni is cuppy, charry perfection. Amherst

Meet the oldest pizza shop in New York—and second oldest in the country—O’Scugnizzo Pizzeria in Utica, which opened its doors in 1914. If 100+ years of business don’t convince you to try it, consider the pizza that made it famous: the tomato pie. For those who are unfamiliar, tomato pie, sometimes called “upside-down pizza,” is made by placing the toppings directly on the uncooked crust followed by a layer of mozzarella. After it’s baked, the pie is then smothered in a layer of delicious tomato sauce and dusted with freshly grated parmesan cheese. It might sound strange until you try it, but the Uticans are definitely on to something. Utica

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