my favorite pie

If you’re looking for the best pizza in town, don't miss TONY'S PIZZA NAPOLETANA at 1570 Stockton St, near Washington Square in North Beach. Late this afternoon, Lauraine Jacobs, a fellow food writer from New Zealand, and I stopped for a late lunch of pizza margherita and a half-bottle of Umani Ronchi Lacrima di Morro d'Alba 2008.

Tony was away in Naples defending his title as top pizza maker in the world, but his chef produced this amazing pie with a chewy yet soft and delicate yeasty thin crust, and ever so slightly charred on the edges to give it great smoky flavor. It was topped with San Marzano tomatoes, fresh buffalo mozzarella and sweet, sweet basil. I could have eaten two pizzas they were so good. I closed my eyes and for a minute I was eating pizza at L'Antica Pizzeria Da Michele in Naples.

And as we left Marni, the wine buyer and manager, handed me a big bag of '00' flour that had just arrived from Italy. So maybe homemade pizzas are on the menu in my kitchen tonight... As you know I pray that my last meal on earth will be a big pizza pie.