Aaron Landry 🐱🍕

Really great cat day.

A pro-tip for pizza delivery drivers: don't store it vertically in the cargo box on the back of your moped.

8½ is a Richmond, Virginia market with Italian goods, takeaway foods and, of course, pizza. I took their recommendation for Margherita: excellent fresh ingredients atop of an unusually thick but almost flaky crust, with a strong buttery note. Delightful, actually.

Charlotte, North Carolina's Bird Pizzeria is excellent. I got their base pie, which has fresh tomato sauce, stretchy mozzarella, and bits of fresh basil. Dialed in, giving an illusion that the ingredients are fused together. Next time I'll reserve a seat inside to have their specialty pizzas.

The "Greenville Goddess" at Sidewall Pizza Company in Greenville, South Carolina: chopped bacon, artichoke hearts, basil, mozzarella, and goat cheese. Crust with a dense, chewy end, and ingredients blended to the point where you're getting all of them in each bite.

Atlanta's Jeff Varasano is a well-traveled pizza nerd who studied the best and creates unique pies at Varasano's. Long-ferment dough similar to Neapolitan but far larger in size. Excellent precision of ingredient and flavor balance. It's more mastercraft than high art. Better than Antico? Probably.

Atlanta's quirky Fellini's Pizza has large slices. Their white slice: ricotta, mozzarella, and garlic, had the oregano doing most of the flavor work. Their cheese "Sicilian" was cut in a triangle, and is in that grey area between pizza and a thick white bread with cheese. A fun place nonetheless.

A couple skittish hotel parking lot cats this morning in North Columbus, Georgia.

Pizza Dynamo is tucked in the back of Pour Taphouse in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward. I was able to nab today's first fresh slice. A nice hint of sour in the crust, and otherwise a straightforward slice that seems geared towards soaking up beer from the many dozens of taps here.

Leo DeCesaris, owner and pizzaolo at Cerrone's in Columbus, Georgia, has trophies. After studying in Italy, and under Tony Gemignani in the States, he's gone on to win pizza championships in Rome and Vegas. A treat this evening to sample his work in his hometown. Solid local pizzeria.

Bibb Street Pizza Company in Montgomery, Alabama, per some online reviews, is the best pizza in the city. And who am I to argue?

Curiosity got the best of me at the Pilot Flying J in Gulfport, Mississippi. A bit on the soggy side. Apparently the edge of the crust is "hand-roped 46 times", which is a unique technique that likely differentiates this slice from other truck stops. Like an odd breadstick at the edge.

Forbidden Pizza in New Orleans shines with their namesake pie, the Forbidden Fruit: mozzarella, fig jam, bacon, and dollops of ricotta, with a sprinkling of finishing cheese. Higher-tier New York style crust, a nice balance of sweetness to the bacon, and a real range of textures. Very fun slice.

New Orleans' St. Pizza is the best slice I've tried in Louisiana. A dense, chewy crust topped with tomato and an excellent cheese blend, with some bits of fresh basil after its out of the oven. Great range of flavors in a simple slice.

Pizza Delicious in New Orleans has been a neighborhood institution for almost a decade and a half. Got a couple slices of pepperoni: fairly standard New York-style crust, and gluttonously enjoyable oily cheese.

After walking through New Orleans' Garden District, I picked up a utility slice at Zee's Pizzeria.

I was led astray, acting on a tip to visit New Orleans' Domenica for pizza. Crust like a thicker pita bread, and the Prosciutto di Parma, pears, honey, and onion were more mild textures than flavors, with parts of slices dominated by Gorgonzola. I wouldn't even recommend it as a shared appetizer.

Columbus, Mississippi's Munson and Brothers Trading Post has a beer garden, live music, trivia nights, and what's likely the best pizza in town. Chewy, simple crust that held the weight of pesto, feta, spinach, bell peppers, green olives, red onion, and balsamic. Surprisingly well-balanced.

The Mississippi Delta's Leña Pizza + Bagels is a pizza oasis. Chef Marisol Doyle, raised in México, studied in Italy and opened shop in Cleveland, MS a town of 10,000 people. It's become one of the best restaurants in the region and a destination for global pizza tourists. Made for a delightful day.

Hog & Hominy in Memphis recently was awarded the city's first Michelin Bib Gourmand. Bubbly Neapolitan crust by the book, and the star is the blend of ingredients: I got one with semi-soft Danish blue cheese, bits of Brussels sprouts and pears, and a delicate drizzle of hot honey for a nice punch.

Sho Pizza Bar in Nashville: a Neapolitan derivative with an airy hard-edge and soft bottom from a 3-day ferment dough. Mine had garlic cream sauce, buffalo mozzarella, asiago, olive oil, and lemon zested atop after it's done in the oven. Great balance and depth in few ingredients, with a zip.

A Dopo in Knoxville, Tennessee: great take on Neapolitan style with a crispy sourdough crust. I got the "Pizzicletta" with aged proscuttio, topped with a small ball of arugula, and the entire thing covered in olive oil and lemon. Zesty, sour, and I got my greens today.

An excellent floofy orange who insisted on pats in Brightwood Park, D.C.

D.C.'s Slice & Pie opened their second location in Union Market late last year, taking over the space used by Parachute Pizza. Two more locations are in the works: near the White House and off of Georgia Ave near Takoma and Shepherd Park. They might be successful in spots where choices are limited.

I would say Coon Rapids is to Minneapolis-St. Paul as Hyattsville and College Park (combined) are to D.C.

Supported a small neighborhood pizzeria for National Pizza Day: La Villa Pizzeria on 14th St NW in D.C.

Straightforward, basic, and better than the chains.

Andy's Pizza has generally done well scaling their higher-tier New York-style slices across the D.C. region. I stopped in their newish location in Gaithersburg, Maryland twice today: firm, crispy slices with a thick, chewy end.

Excellent cat walk today around Petworth.

Neighborhood cats seem to be quite curious about me today.

FIRE SNAKE