Columbus, OHPizza

Columbus Monthly tasted New York-style slices at five shops inside the 270 loop and rated this North Market stall highest among them. The slice is large enough to be a meal, with filling cheese on a thin crisp crust that is not too doughy at the top, and it holds when folded, which matters at a market stall. Order a plain cheese slice and find a seat rather than walking with it.

Columbus Monthly put this East Gay Street pizzeria level with the North Market stall for New York-style slices, separated only by half a point. The magazine calls it an authentic East Coast experience down to the parking difficulties, with the thinnest crust of the five it tried and a crispy brown bottom that offers a pleasing chew. Order a cheese slice at the counter.

Columbus Monthly's pick for the elevated pie, judged on the room as much as the pizza. The wood-fired crust has a crisp char and the tomato sauce stays light rather than overpowering the pie. Two music stages and the adjacent I Like It Like That bar make a whole evening of it, or take the covered patio for a quieter one. Order the Margherita, which adds parmesan to the traditional mozzarella.

Chicago-style deep dish is thin on the ground in Columbus and Columbus Monthly's writer, who grew up just around Lake Michigan from the city, rates this Fifth by Northwest bar's version among the strongest in town. The crust runs a little sturdy, but the layers of pepperoni, gooey mozzarella and zesty red sauce are thick and well built. Order the deep dish and a beer with it.

One of four rooms Columbus Monthly tried for its elevated-pizza tasting, and the one with the tree-shaded patio. The magazine notes it serves a six-inch pizza boat all day, which makes a lunch visit easy when the crowds are smaller. Order a pizza boat at lunch or a full pie in the evening, and take the patio if the weather holds.