At one time you might have been able to narrow down the pizzerias and determined the best but I suspect it will get harder over time.
First, wood-fired brick ovens are proliferating all over the country and there is no better way to bake a pizza (or bread) than in a wood-fired brick oven. Just in the tiny town of Grand Marais, MN they are being installed in several restaurants because of the influence of the North House Folk School oven-crafting and bread baking courses there.
Secondly, bakers are more savvy about yeast starters, slow fermentation and better doughs. It is knowledge that is spreading and quality will separate the field. But you may find quality dough in the most unlikely places.
Thirdly, ingredients are the key to a great pizza and more and more communities are gravitating to locally harvested, produced, grown and raised. The quality transcends the manufactured and mass distributed products so many pizzerias depend on.
Fourthly, given the above, it is not rocket science or concealed knowledge in creating a great pizza. It is the care and time to do so. I think you will find it similar to the craft and micro beer movement that sprung up in the past 20 years.
Those above factors came together for me this week. The dough and ingredients were provided and I had a brick oven at my disposal. I simply put together the combination of ingredients I wanted and came out with a superb pizza that I can't recall an equal that I had had in any pizzeria and I think I know my pizzas. The real key was the unknown fresh sausage made that very day in a sausage making class. Whatever it was, it was great. For all I know it could have been elk or venison given the location. I take no credit for it.
Pizza is not the strict domain of the Italians anymore. The knowledge is out and more and more people will take advantage of that. Maybe an Italian name helps and saying "pizzeria" instead of "pizza" will help in the mystification.
