This week’s task was to pick the best pizza in Orlando …

Jennifer
Picking the best pizza in town was easy for me. Ever since BJ’s (a smaller westcoast chain) opened near Mall at Millenia, I’ve been craving their gourmet pizzas. If you like deep dish pizza with thick crust, this is the place to go. My favorite pizza on their menu so far is the traditional Cheese & Tomato pizza. Definitely follow up dinner with a PiZookie - a hot, made-to-order cookie pizza that comes with a scoop of ice cream.

Amanda
Being a major tourist destination for families, and especially for tots, kid-friendly pizza can be found countless places in Central Florida. But, at Downtown Disney West Side, visitors can find pizza, and other fare, fit for palates big and small at Wolfgang Puck Café. This upscale restaurant also offers sushi and other culinary delights by world-renowned chef Wolfgang Puck, but it is the wood-oven pizzas that are the real crowd pleaser.

I suggest sitting out back on the open-air patio that overlooks the water while munching on Puck’s BBQ Chicken Pizza. Adults can pair it with Puck’s tasty vodka drink, Starburst, as opposed to the traditional beer pick, and kids can munch on any number of kid’s pizzas, including classics like cheese and pepperoni. Of course, the restaurant serves up lots of other pizza choices, including a breakfast pizza in the morning hours.

This is a sit-down affair, and it is a bit on the fancy side, so if that doesn’t suit your taste you can also find most of these pizza choices at the adjoining Wolfgang Puck Express take-out restaurant (there is also an “Express” location at Downtown Disney Marketplace). Who says theme park pizza has to be tasteless and greasy!

Chad
Picking the best pizza place in town is tough, since there are so many and I generally don’t drive more than 10 miles or so for a pie. However, since I only need to pick my favorite, I can narrow down the contenders to a handful and make the decision a little easier.

Starting with a top three, I’d have to pick Carmela’s (which is great all-around, except for their wine list) on Kirkman Rd near Universal, Metro Espresso Pizza Cafe in Downtown Orlando and NYPD Pizza on Hiawassee in MetroWest. What these three restaurants’ best pizzas have in common is a thin crust and a rich tomato sauce with a hint of sweetness. Of my top three, the place that puts it all together the best is NYPD Pizza.

It’s a close race and I’m sure there are many more pizzerias in town that could hold their own, too. For me, though, if I’m craving pizza and not ordering in, I’m heading to MetroWest for NYPD Pizza.

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