The Best in DFW

Brix Pizza and Wine Bar

Daniele Puleo, who owns Daniele Osteria in Oak Lawn, opened this Fort Worth restaurant serving New York-style pizza earlier this year. A Sicilian native, Mr. Puleo wisely imported Charlie Cangelosi, a Brooklyn pizzaiolo, to man the wood-fired oven. The result is satisfying, unpretentious pies encircled by puffed, medium-thick rims that stay crisp. Try the Brooklyn (with meat-balls) or the sausage.

2747 S. Hulen St., Fort Worth. 817-924-2749. www.brixpizzeria.com. $-$$. Wine and beer.

Campania Pizza and More

Campania's first location, in Dallas' West Village, could be credited with setting off the local Neapolitan-style pizza trend when it opened in 2005. The new, second location (in Southlake Town Square) is a far larger, three-floored compound with gorgeous tiling. You can't go wrong with either: The menu is bigger and the Italian ovens are said to burn hotter at the Southlake location, but the West Village locals love that the original remains BYOB.

3800 McKinney Ave. 214-780-0605. Also at 291 Grand Ave., Southlake. 817-310-3116. www.campaniapizza.com. $-$$. BYOB at McKinney Avenue location, full bar in Southlake.

Cavalli Pizza

Owners Paul and Clara Cavalli hold some unique creds among pizza bakers in our area: They earned certification from the California division of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, an organization dedicated to training cooks in the exacting methods of Neapolitan pizza. This is soulful pizza, supported by a complexly flavored crust. Go for the deceptively simple margherita extra to savor their dedication to quality ingredients.

3601 Regent Blvd., Irving. 972-915-0001. www.cavallipizza.com. $-$$. BYOB.

Coal Vines

Coal Vines fashions proud American pies with pouting lips of dough and a floppy middle meant to be picked up and folded in half. One notable here is the Bolognese, whose flash of nutmeg in the meaty sauce ramps up the sophistication quotient. In our research, the original on Cedar Springs Road turned out a more finely executed product than did the newer Southlake location, but both are worthy of your pizza-allotted calories.

2404 Cedar Springs Road. 214-855-4999. Also at 1251 E. Southlake Blvd., Southlake. 817-310-0850. www.coalvines.com. $-$$. Wine and beer.

Eno's Pizza Tavern

As noted in a recent review, crackery is an adjective critics like to bandy about in describing crust, but Eno's takes the word literally: It is saltine-level thin and attractively charred around the slender edges. Among the thoughtfully composed options, the Northside (which includes salami and green olives as toppings) reigns as favorite. Wash it down with an artisan draft beer at this community- minded Oak Cliff tavern.

407 N. Bishop Ave. 214-943-9200. www.enospizza.com. $$. Full bar.

Fireside Pies

Fireside is all about the feel-good pizza – three-dimensional heavyweights built from plush dough, fire-roasted tomato sauce, a four-cheese blend and loads of toppings whose flavors fuse deeply in the wood-burning ovens. The one crowned with Jimmy's spicy sauce, scamorza and roasted red onions rocks. Some of us prefer the Plano location above Fireside's other spots, but all the restaurants generally crank out standup creations.

2820 N. Henderson Ave. 214-370-3916. See Web site for other locations. www.firesidepies.com. $$-$$$. Full bar.

Grimaldi's

The West Village location of this chain, based on the original Brooklyn legend of the same name, has inspired some animated debate among local pizza lovers, but we feel this is a very good example of the Naples-via-New York school of pizza making. Smokiness imparted from the coal-burning oven defines the Grimaldi's pie. White pizzas, with lacy mozzarella and thin crust that flatter each other, come out particularly nicely here.

3636 McKinney Ave. 214-559-4611. Also at 836 Market St, Allen. 214-383-9703. www.grimaldispizza.com. $-$$. Full bar.

Louie's

Louie's would probably be an adored institution even if it didn't make surprisingly good pizza, which it does. The thin-crust pies are dissected into palm-size rectangles, a quirky shape that seems to be preferred by some of Dallas' old-school pizza joints. This is the kind of place and, particularly when crowned with a kitchen sinkful of toppings, the kind of pizza that shows how vital this dish has become to American culture.

1839 N. Henderson Ave. 214-826-0505. $-$$. Full bar.

Olivella's

This tiny restaurant across from Southern Methodist University is an homage to the Manhattan pizza holes-in- the-wall beloved by owner Charlie Green. The excellent pies here very much evoke the Neapolitan style, with the odd-shaped, gently crisp crust melding with homemade mozzarella and a not-too-sweet, not-overly-herbed sauce. Look for a much larger pizza restaurant from Mr. Green opening in Victory Park in the coming months.

3406 McFarlin Blvd., University Park. 214-528-7070. www.olivellas.com. $$. Wine and beer.

Rocco's Wood Fired Pizza

Rocco's owner Barclay Ryall Jr. looked all the way to Australia to find the 7,000-pound oven that suited his specifications. He puts it to laudable use: His midweight pies with lasting crunch and a generous quilt of cheese make for lush, rewarding mouthfuls. Drawing on the restaurant's California-style ingredients, we created our own pie: a blend of pesto and tomato sauces with goat cheese, caramelized onions and smoked shrimp. Takeout and delivery only.

5716 Locke Ave., Fort Worth. 817-731-4466. www.roccosfortworth.com. $-$$. No alcohol.

How we choose

Selections are based on recent reviews and dining experiences by Dallas Morning News restaurant critic Bill Addison and other regular reviewers, including Kim Harwell, Michael Hiller, Kim Pierce and Lawson Taitte.

When you see this symbol in on GuideLive.com, you'll know that location is a critics' pick. Critics' picks are presented alphabetically, without ranking. For more details on our price key and star ratings, check GuideLive.com's Restaurant Frequently Asked Questions. To join in and view other dining features, check the Restaurants page at GuideLive.com.