JOE'S

Tried: Plain

Crust: NY Style

Hype factor: Major hype

Overall tastiness: Just ok; the cheese is lower quality and the sauce is sweet

Notes: At both locations there are a zillion pictures of celebs getting their slice

IL PORTO

Tried: The Al Diavolo - Brocolli Rabe, sausage, hot peppers and mozzarella

Crust: NY Style

Hype Factor: None, and most people found out about it because of their delivery range.

Overall tastiness: amazing - the rest of their food is killer too.

Notes: They are by the navy yard, so as that continues to gentrify, they will gain momentum, but they have been getting by on delivery of awesome pizza for years.

SARAGHINA

Tried: Coppa Carciofi is the only thing I order and I don't want to otherwise discuss the menu

Crust: Neapolitan

Hype Factor: those that know love

Overall tastiness: Exemplar

Notes: Host is often a challenger, but the waitstaff is awesome

ROBERTA'S

Tried: pretty much all of them, but the best is the Bee sting (w/ sopresseta, chilli and honey)

Crust: NY Style

Overall tastiness: Awesome.

Hype factor: It's basically a haven for hipsters that don't have some kind of asshole eating restriction like gluten or cheese or meat... Note, Norbert's pizza is the Roberta's weak competition that does make gluten free vegan, ugh... it's too much of a disgrace to even finish writing.

Notes: They deliver. to my house, which has become a problem. the wait at the restaurant isn't bad, but the delivery wait is like 70 minutes or something. It's worth it. they also have pizza's named awesome things like cheesus christ, millennium Falco, the lil stinker, axl rosenberg, crispy Glover, and the speckenwolf.

JOHN'S

Tried: Sausage

Crust: NY Style

Hype factor: There's always a wait

Overall tastiness: Decent pie

Notes: No Slices

DI FARA

Tried: Cheese-only and pepperoni

Crust: NY style and Sicilian

Overall tastiness: unmatchable. It's about $5 for a slice, and $50 for a pie - but I'd pay $100.

Hype factor: "Best in the world," ranked in magazines ranging from time out ny to the art of eating. People wait for a couple hours for a slice, more for a whole pie;

Notes: Dominic is in his 80s and makes every pie himself. His daughter and son also work there, but he hides in the back to make the sauce - even his kids don't know the secret recipe. He puts his asbestos hands into the 600 degree oven to turn the pies without flinching. He cuts fresh basil that's brought to him washed and ready by his daughter - and he uses a few kinds of cheese.

GRIMALDI'S

Tried: cheese and Pepperoni mostly

Crust: NY Style

Overall type: Damn good.

Hype factor: Tourist spot in DUMBO, and new one in Coney Island

Notes: Often a line to get in, but the wait isn't that long. It moved locations (2 doors away) a few years ago which helped with this, but also made it less fun to go. There also used to be rumors that there was some sort of battle between them and Patsy's pizza - which I didn't care about and stopped reading

MOTORINO

Tried: a bunch - the straciatella one always gets me though

Crust: NY style

Hype factor: It's on the main strip (bedford) in williamsburg and it's decent - that's all it needs to succeed

Overall tastiness: Damn good.

Note: Not a 'destination' pizza spot like Di Fara (which is in midwood - avenue J - near nothing. nothing.)

LUIGI'S PIZZERIA

Tried: Every single one. their hawaiian has bacon instead of ham. my favorite is a cheese slice right from the oven.

Crust: NY style

Hype factor: none, really - but it's a know pizza counter - despite being a hole in the wall.

Overall tastiness: awesome.

Notes: take friends from out of town who want to try "New York Pizza"

TOTONNO'S

Tried: Margherita pie

Crust: NY Style; thin with nice charred bits on bottom

Hype factor: tons of hype. some claim it's the best in NYC

Overall tastiness: Prime.

Notes: Long-ass wait.

FORNINO

Tried: clam pizza is the best here. ran the gamut

Crust: Thin, Neapolitan

Hype factor: Known entity

Overall tastiness: solid

Notes: Still need to try 'AL Roker,' capicola, roasted red peppers and carmelized onions

SPEEDY ROMEO

Tried:: mushroom, bechamel & egg; veal meatballs

Crust: Neapolitan

Hype factor: Lot of moms and babies.

Overall tastiness: Decent.

Notes: Good cheese-to-toppings ratio. Date spot?

SAL'S

Tried: meatball and roasted pepper

Crust: NY Style

Hype Factor: Kind of a secret outside of Carroll Gardens

Tastiness Factor: Solidly delicious

Notes: The current owner is the original owner (Sal)'s son; the restaurant next door was on Kitchen Nightmares.

ARTURO'S

Tried: Pepperoni, mushroom, meatball, onion; pretty much all of them

Crust: NY Style with coal oven taste

Hype factor: Old place with jazz draws Village people and NYU parents.

Overall tastiness: Supreme

Notes: Go-to spot in the Village; better than John's.

L&B SPUMONI GARDEN

Tried: Square corner

Crust: Upside-down square (cheese on the bottom; sauce on the top)

Hype Factor: Most Brooklynite's favorite

Overall tastiness: Very, very tasty

Notes: There are those that like the square, those that like the round and a few hardcore folks (me) that get both. There's also a restaurant and ices/ice cream.

ANY OF THE 99 CENT SPOTS

Tried: plain cheese. toppings are sometimes $1 - which is more than it costs for a second slice

Crust: Basic

Hype Factor: crappy no need for hype. It's cheap, it's pizza crust with sauce and cheese any one who's drunk, poor, and/or hungry will try it.

Overall Tastiness: meh.