Tampa Bay, FLPizza

Eddie And Sam's gives Downtown Tampa a busy New York-style slice counter with crisp, foldable pies and a broad topping board. Start with a plain or pepperoni slice to judge crust and cheese before moving toward a specialty combination. The fast-moving room is part of the experience.

Santoro's brings a New Jersey slice shop model to West Riverfront, centering the menu on plain, specialty, square, and Sicilian pies. The classic cheese slice is the clearest introduction to its crisp crust, balanced sauce, and restrained toppings. Chicken cutlet subs and other Italian American staples round out a casual counter service meal near the University of Tampa.

Forbici approaches pizza through a modern Italian dining room, with Roman-style inspiration, a crisp base, and toppings that extend beyond a slice shop. Compare a simpler pie with one house combination when sharing, then use a salad or vegetable plate to keep the table from becoming too rich.

Bella's folds pizza into a long-running South Howard Italian menu rather than treating it as a separate counter product. Order a pie with a restrained topping set, then add pasta or a starter only if the group wants to compare the kitchen's broader range. The dining room makes a full meal more natural than a quick slice.

The Violet Stone brings a strong neighborhood personality to St. Petersburg through deeply baked pies, substantial crust, and sandwiches that share the same attention to bread. Begin with a house pie that shows the dough clearly, and avoid overloading the first order with toppings. The one-location shop merits a focused visit.