National Pizza Day is coming up on Feb. 9, and it would be a shame if you missed out on all the local offerings you can choose from to celebrate.
We won’t start a feud about whether pineapple goes on pizza or if thin crust is better than deep dish, but we will dish about nine places you can get these pie varieties, and then some.
Any way you slice it, a good pie is a great idea (every day, if you ask us), and these Delaware pizza spots are the perfect choices to celebrate pizza’s special day.
Dom’s New York Style Pizzeria, Newport
Dom’s New York Style Pizzeria opened in 2005 as a single-unit takeout and delivery pizzeria. Since then, they’ve expanded to a full-service restaurant and have been serving Newport, in the kitchen and in the community, ever since.
Pizzas at Dom’s are twice-proofed, hand-tossed and stone-baked, leading a menu followed by cheesesteaks, wings, salads and more.
According to Dom’s CEO Dominick Filingeri, a native New Yorker, the best way to enjoy their crispy slices is to fold them in half to eat them.
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Some of their pie flavors include Dom’s Supreme, made with pizza sauce, extra cheese, pepperoni, sausage, black olives, red onion, mushrooms and green bell peppers; Hawaiian Fire on the Mountain, made with cheese, pizza sauce, pineapple, ham, red onion, bacon and hot sauce; and Grilled Chicken Caesar, made with cheese, grilled chicken, Romaine, Caesar and Pecorino Romano.
To Celebrate National Pizza Day, Dom’s will be giving away 100 slices of pizza to the first 100 customers.
Newport Plaza, 218 Market St., Newport, (302) 998-7154; ilovedomspizza.com
Gianni’s Pizza, Wilmington’s Trolley Square
Gianni’s Pizza in Wilmington’s Trolley Square, formerly known as Ciao Pizza until 2018, has been a community staple for 20 years.
Gianni’s is known for its vegetable Bianco pizzas and has won years of awards for this pie. If the critical acclaim is any indication of how good their slices must be, this is a pizza spot you need to check out.
They make the pizza dough and sauces daily and use imported Buffalo mozzarella for the thin crust and Sicilian Margherita pizzas.
Their gourmet pizza selection includes the Chicken Bruschetta Pizza, made with grilled chicken, tomato, basil and olive oil; the Greek Pizza, made with spinach, black olives and feta cheese; and the Bianco Broccoli Pizza, made with broccoli, ricotta, tomato, garlic and olive oil.
Gianni’s offers an outdoor patio for those warm and breezy days and offers wraps, calzones, baked specialties, beer on tap and plenty more.
1600 Delaware Ave., Wilmington, (302) 654-5331; giannispizzatrolleysquare.com
Snap Custom Pizza, Newark
On Main Street in Newark, Snap Custom Pizza is a local staple that keeps hungry college kids coming back year after year.
What started as a homemade pizza endeavor by two friends in the mid-1990s to serve the Villanova rowing team is now a full-fledged pizza operation with plenty of devoted fans.
Snap has a variety of pizzas, salads and grain bowls on the menu, as well as a create-your-own pizza and salad options if you’re feeling a little crafty.
If you have dietary restrictions, don’t fret. Snap Custom Pizza has gluten-free crust and vegan cheese available so you can indulge in ooey-gooey goodness, too.
Popular pizza options include the Barbecue Pizza, made with barbecue sauce, shredded mozzarella, chicken, red onions and fresh cilantro; Hot Little Honey, made with house red sauce, house-made fresh mozzarella, spicy pepperoni and J’s Hot Honey; and the Kennett Square, made with herb butter, shredded mozzarella, crumbled goat cheese, local mushrooms, baby arugula and truffle oil.
44 E. Main St., Newark, (302) 737-6766; snapcustompizza.com
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Crust and Craft, Rehoboth
Down at the beaches, Crust and Craft is tossing pies left and right into a wood-fired pizza oven.
This Coastal Highway eatery is known for its award-winning Grandma Pie, a square pizza with crushed tomato sauce, mozzarella, fontina, pecorino, Parmesan and sharp provolone. They also use a specialty house-cheese blend on all of their pies.
Pizza highlights include the Goodfella, made with crushed tomato sauce, spicy sausage, mozzarella, roasted bell peppers and sharp provolone; the Funghi, made with Kennett roasted mushrooms, house-cheese blend, caramelized onions and Cooper Sharp béchamel; and the Sweet Dreams, made with sweet garlic, fresh mozzarella, fontina, pecorino, Parmesan, provolone, thyme and ricotta.
If you need something else to go with your slice, Crust and Craft has a selection of pastas, salads and appetizers. To wash it all down, check out the extensive list of local beers or stop by for one of the happy hour or weeknight specials.
18701 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach, (302) 313-5029; www.crustandcraftrehoboth.com
Pizza by Elizabeths, Greenville
Pizza By Elizabeths in Greenville strives to “extract the glamour from Elizabeths past to present,” and you’ll find nods to old Hollywood and European, as well as modern greats sharing that name, all throughout their menu and dining space.
Elizabeths believes anything that tastes good on bread will taste great on pizza, so the menu is brimming with unique pairings hard to find elsewhere.
Each of the 60-plus toppings is made in-house, along with the flour they make from grinding up wheat berries, and their pizzas are baked in wood-fired ovens.
Some of the innovative pizza flavors are the Queen, made with creamy mushroom Duxelles sauce, white chicken chunks, Parmesan cheese and chives; White, made with creamy alfredo sauce topped with mozzarella, Monterey jack cheese, sautéed spinach, artichokes and chopped tomatoes; and the Clairborne, made with pesto sauce, fresh mozzarella and chopped tomatoes.
More of their topping options include pears, vegan mozzarella and cheddar cheese, eggplant, apples, pine nuts and capers.
Elizabeths offers regular crust, low-fat honey-wheat crust and gluten-free crust.
Greenville Shopping Center, 3801 Kennett Pike, Greenville, (302) 654-4478; pizzabyelizabeths.com/index.html
Grotto Pizza, various locations
Grotto Pizza was voted the best pizza by Delaware Online/The News Journal readers in 2019, and this might explain why Delaware has ended up with 17 locations across the state.
Grotto’s menu is packed with appetizers, stromboli, burgers, sandwiches, salads, pastas and, of course, pizza.
Some of their specialty pizzas are the Buffalo Chicken made with spicy pulled chicken breast topped with Grotto’s zesty wing sauce, and the Classic Margherita made with tomatoes, onion, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, fresh mozzarella and basil.
If you don’t see a pie that catches your eye, customize your own pizza with your favorite toppings, including local Pennsylvania mushrooms, ham, ground beef, marinated spinach and anchovies.
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Luna’s Pizzeria & Italian Grill, Middletown
Luna’s Pizzeria & Italian Grill makes New York-style pizzas using homemade tomato sauce and pizza dough that get fired in a brick pizza oven.
This Middletown spot is known for customizing pizza for customers and takes it a step further by cooking their pies at whatever temperature patrons request. Whether you like an extra crispy crust or soft bite, they’ll do it for you.
For National Pizza Day, Luna’s will be offering two cheese pizzas for $20.
They also serve pasta, sandwiches, salads, appetizers and more.
830 Kohl Ave., Middletown, (302) 601-6161;lunaspizzeriaanditaliangrill.com
Café Riviera Italian Pizzeria & Restaurant, Brandywine Hundred
Since 1981, Café Riviera in the Concord Mall has been serving Italian-style cuisine in a family-friendly atmosphere, complete with their famous pizza-by-the-slice counter.
This family-owned eatery, run by the same people as La Pizzeria Metro, makes New York-style pizzas in a variety of flavors.
Popular specialty pizzas on the menu include Philly Cheesesteak with mozzarella and wiz; the Delaware Blue Hen with chicken, tomatoes, spinach, bacon and onion; the Vegetable Cheese Italiano with roasted eggplant and zucchini, spinach and peppers; and the Café Special with pepperoni, mushrooms, sausage, onions, peppers and olives.
Aside from pizza, you can find pasta and Italian specialties like Veal Parm and Eggplant Parmigiana on the menu, as well as catering options.
Concord Mall, 4737 Concord Pike, Brandywine Hundred, (302) 478-8288; caferivierade.com
Pizzeria Mariana, Newark
Located on Cleveland Avenue near the University of Delaware, Pizzeria Mariana is a pizza spot baking an assortment of classic and creative pizzas. Owner Robbie Jester won Netflix’s latest cooking show “Pressure Cooker” last month.
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What makes the pizzas here stand out is the shop’s use of a wood-fired oven, which runs completely on local wood as opposed to gas. This gives the hand-stretched pizza a char and a light, smoky flavor.
For those of you who love meat toppings on your pie, you’ll be happy to hear that Pizzeria Mariana makes their meatballs and sausages in-house for an extra special touch.
If you want a pizza that will blow your mind, try the Coastal Blush, complete with pink vodka sauce, shrimp, cherry tomatoes, pickled cherry peppers, Parmesan and crispy calamari.
Other offerings include the Veggie Primo, made with roasted peppers, red onion, spinach, mushrooms, tomato sauce and shredded mozzarella, and the Nashville Cauli, made with crispy Nashville hot cauliflower, dill ranch, house-made pickles and shredded mozzarella.
The menu goes beyond pizza to include appetizers, salads, homemade pasta dishes and various spirits, including Italian brews, wines, craft beers and crushes.
While you’re dining, consider checking out the outdoor patio boasting bistro lights and park views.
140 E. Cleveland Ave., Newark, (302)737-2135; pizzeriamariana.com
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