A16
2355 Chestnut St. (at Scott), 415-771-2216, www.a16sf.com
For the second year in a row, A16 is our favorite gourmet pie. They’re too humble to admit it, but they really started the thin-crust Neapolitan craze, and theirs are still the best in town. Since the talented Nate Appleman took over as executive chef, the pizza at A16 has only gotten better – like his predecessor, Christophe Hille, he’s a certified pizzaiolo and has been firing pies in the blasting brick inferno since opening day.

Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria
2200 Lombard St. (at Steiner), 415-885-4500, amicis.com
Finally moved into their spacious new digs from their former Union Street space, Amici’s continues to produce solid thin-crust pies with classic toppings, but our favorite is the soy cheese. Surprisingly, in this self-consciously health-conscious part of The City, it’s tough to find a good soy cheese pizza, but you can get one at Amici’s – and it’s almost as gooey and pliable as the real thing. Top it with fresh bell peppers, baby spinach, and black olives for a healthy, but satisfying vegetarian treat.

Cinecittá Bar and Roman Pizza
663 Union St. (at Columbus), 415-291-8830
Adnan Daken is baking up thin, crispy square pizzas in North Beach. While living in Italy with his Roman wife, Romina, Daken decided it was time to introduce San Francisco to the pies he’d grown to love. The crust, made with high-gluten flour mixed with wheat flour, is denser than Neapolitan style, but still has the four main attributes: thin, crisp, bubbly, and charred.

Nicky’s Pizzeria Rustica
2109 Polk St. (at Broadway), 415-771-4222
Nick Fasanella isn’t your typical pizzeria owner – he graduated from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America and wound up the chef for a private yacht before settling in San Francisco. He approaches ingredients as many chefs would at an upscale bistro, using organic flour and local, sustainable meats and produce. The rustica style is a welcome respite from the beloved, but ubiquitous thin, Neapolitan crusts that abound – think airier, crispier foccaccia baked in a pan in the brick oven and then cut into squares.

Pizza Orgasmica
3157 Fillmore St. (at Greenwich), 415-931-5300, www.pizzaorgasmica.com
Let’s face it, at 2 a.m. on a Saturday, this isn’t just the best pizza in the Northside, it’s the best pizza on earth. Lest you think Orgasmica doesn’t have what it takes in the light of day, check out the 50 gourmet toppings, including Brazilian-style chicken, marinated shrimp, scallops, and pine nuts. You’ll also find one of the best lunch specials around – a personal pizza with two toppings, a Caesar or house salad, and a soft drink – all for $7.50. Toss in another buck and you can walk away with a cold beer from the tap.

Pizzetta 211
211 23rd Ave. (at California), 415-379-9880
Sea Cliff and outer Richmond dwellers don’t have to drive all the way to Chestnut Street to get their thin-crust pizza fix. Pizzetta 211 makes crisp cracker crusts, puffed-up, chewy cornichone (the edge of the pie), and offers a myriad of fresh toppings ranging from paper-thin Prosciutto and roasted asparagus topped with over-easy eggs to the simple, but elegant Margherita.

Tomasso’s
1042 Kearny St. (at Broadway), 415-398-9696
Opened in 1935 by a family from Naples, Tomasso’s had the first wood-fired brick oven on the West Coast. Nothing fancy here – just classic family style pies topped with everything from anchovies, sausage, and peppers to the ever-popular clams and garlic. Tomasso’s hasn’t changed their pizza recipe in over 70 years, and that’s a good thing in our book.

Za Pizza
1919 Hyde St. (at Union), 415-771-3100
Still one of Russian Hill’s best-kept secrets, Za makes a wonderfully gritty, thin cornmeal crust and tops it with traditional items like sausage and peppers or more adventurous ones like slices of red-skinned potatoes in pesto sauce. Their slices are always fresh and hot from the oven – choose from a few daily specials handwritten on the chalkboard, or order a slice of cheese or pepperoni, which are always available.