No disagreement here- Cheeseboard is outstanding, and always vegetarian, which I appreciate. It's actually mentioned in Post #32 as a top ten in the country on some list, although I always take those with a grain of salt.

I'll put in a plug for Vesta in Redwood City, which is really excellent thin-crust, wood-fired pizza. Interesting toppings and flavor combinations, red and white pizzas, and also good vegetable sides. I'm usually a traditionalist, but the pistachio pesto pizza with smoked goat gouda, ricotta salata, honey and calabrian chili absolutely blew me away. Of course you have to like sweetness on a pizza, but it's really a wow.

There is nothing better in the world than a New Haven pizza(partial to Modern) with birch beer.

Now I want pizza..

Wow - didn't expect to see Nashville here - was just about to post about Joey's House of Pizza, run by a family of Bensonhurst natives transplanted to Nashville, accent and all. I'm from NY and this is some of the best pizza I have ever had. The physical restaurant is in an NY pizzeria/cafeteria style, and the pizza itself is practically gourmet. Five Points is good, but feels a bit too polished to me. Joey's feels like home.

Joey's brother runs Manny's House of Pizza at the Arcade downtown, which is good (not as) with a very strong NY vibe.

round table

*ROFLOL* Best major chain, perhaps, but that's a low bad.

I have had very few pizzas in my lifetime that were better than Round Table. Chain or not.

+1

De gustibus, I guess.

Probably also depends a bit on what style you like -- if you like medium-thickness with a lot of toppings ("California style") they are probably better for you than if you like NY style, or real Neapolitan-style, and ditto the thick crust (NY-)Sicilian or rustica styles.

Let alone the "it's not really the same dish at all" styles from Chicago.

I can think of two Bay-Area-wide local chains that I'd regard as much better -- one doing an approximations of NY style (Pizza My Heart) and one doing a particularly thin crust version of California wood-fired (Amici's; the "east coast" part is pure puffery, but it's quite good for what it is.)

You nailed it. California style it is, followed by slightly thinner crusted wood fired oven types.

La Val's pizza (local east-bay chain), Applewood Pizza (with a couple of peninsula locations; not sure it counts as a chain) and Aldo's (local in San Mateo) all do a roughly similar same kind of California pizza better IMO than Round Table.

Or, if you ignore the silly fancy-restaurant prices for the pizza, CPK.

John's of Bleecker Street - New York, NY:

Excellent spot. Fun atmosphere, good staff, decent beers on tap (including Goose Island Autumn Ale) and of course delicious pizza. They also got it out really fast despite being packed.

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We got a half cheese and a half meatball and ricotta cheese.

One of my all-time favorites for many many years.

Really? I live right near many here in San Diego and have never been. I'll have to try it out!

Thanks for the tip. Tried the Camelback location a few weeks ago. Also got the Wiseguy, but no substitutions. Delicious!

Round Table was always my favorite growing up!

:)