New York has a long love affair with pizza. Italian immigrants brought the dish here long ago and the brick oven pizza franchise opened in 1905. It's still in operation today. Whether you want Neapolitan, Roman, Sicilian, Chicago deep dish, or New York-style, you'll have no trouble finding a pie to fall in love with.

Try the local pie, which is baked in a coal-fired oven.

Located out in Brooklyn, Di Fara's is worth the trip. The owner here, Dominick DeMarco, has been fast casual pizza franchises by hand for 50 years. He makes his own sauce from San Marzano tomatoes that he imports from Italy, and each pie is made to order. You'll have to wait, but by the time if comes out of the oven, you'll be really ready for it. Each pie is topped with a little olive oil, some fresh herbs, and a grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

While you're in Brooklyn, check out Franny's. The married couple who run it use mostly organic, locally sourced ingredients to make California-style pizzas. They use a wood-burning oven to produce a thin, crispy crust that's lightly charred, in the Neapolitan style. They make their salumi and sausages in house, and use vegetables purchased that day at the market. A special here is the little neck clam pie. If you're not in the mood for pizza, several pasta dishes and appetizers are available.

Baker Jim Lahey was something of a legend at the Sullivan Street Bakery, so when he opened Co. - which is pronounced company - expectations were high. He's managed to exceed them with a pizza that's not duplicated anywhere else. He barely handles the dough - leaving it to rise and then just pulling it into a shape that only roughly approximates a circle. Artisinal cheeses and salumi make great starters while you wait for your pie. Toppings here include quail eggs, roasted cauliflower, veal meatballs, and guanciale.

If Grimaldi's was good enough for Frank Sinatra, it should be good enough for you. Baked the old-fashioned way in a coal-fired oven, the pizzas here have a subtle, smoky flavor that can't be produced any other way. The mozzarella and ricotta cheese is made in house, as are most of the pizza toppings. If you have to wait for a table, you'll enjoy the smashing views of the Brooklyn Bridge. Start your meal with one of the tasty antipastos or salads.

Off the beaten tourist path on Staten Island, Denino's has been run by the same family since 1937. With a thick, chewy crust that's dusted with bread crumbs instead of cornmeal, legions of fans think this is New York's best pizza. It's cooked in a brick oven and loaded with traditional Italian toppings. Order the MOR, which stands for meatballs, onion, and ricotta, or the Garbage Pie, which is a meat-lovers dream.

John's has been in business since 1929, and there's hardly a New Yorker who hasn't eaten here at one time or another, including Regis Philbin and Jack Black. Unapologetically New York in style, their pizzas are baked in a coal-burning oven and have delicious toppings, including ricotta cheese, fennel sausage, and fresh garlic. The calzones here are as good as the pizza, and the rich, gloppy meatball subs are the kind you dream about.