La Leggenda Pizzeria, O'Munaciello, and Miami Slice have been included in the annual list of 50 Top Pizza Restaurants in the U.S. by 50 Top Pizza, an Italian online guide focusing on the best Italian pizzerias in the world. The organization, founded in 2017 by a team of Italian food and beverage journalists, annually curates the list of the best pizzerias in Italy, Europe, Asia, and the United States.
La Leggenda Pizzeria (No. 9 in the U.S.)
Located along Española Way in Miami Beach, La Leggenda Pizzeria has made the publication's list of top ten pizza restaurants in America, coming in ninth. Napoli-born and raised chef and owner Giovanni Gagliardi, dubbed La Leggenda (the Legend) by friends in Italy for his pizzaiolo skills, is making some of the best Neapolitan-style pies in South Florida. Gagliardi performs his magic in a small space tucked away near the eastern terminus of Española Way, where his domed, wood-fueled oven turns out from-scratch pizzas with crusts that are invariably soft, airy, and perfectly blistered. Don't miss the margherita STG, made with real-deal mozzarella di bufala campana and fragrant fresh basil.
The charcoal-infused dough is a specialty of O'Munaciello in Miami's MiMo District.
Photo by Nicole Danna
'O Munaciello (No. 11 in the U.S.)
Coming in just behind La Leggenda at number 11 is 'O Munaciello in the MiMo District, with a second location along Coral Way. Voted New Times' Best Upper Eastside Restaurant in 2018, O'Munaciello isn't your regular pizza shop. The Neapolitan-style restaurant on Miami's Upper Eastside makes a slate of unique pies. Some are infused with activated charcoal, creating a black-hued dough. Most are topped with traditional fixings such as mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. The eatery offers other fare from Italy's Campania region, but the star of this Biscayne Boulevard spot is the pizza made by chef Carmine Candito, who grew up working at his family's pizzeria in Naples, Italy.
Miami Slice (No. 5 Best Pizza Slice in the U.S.
New Times' very own Best Pizza of 2024, Miami Slice isn't just getting well-deserved recognition by New Times, it's also getting recognition worldwide. Miami Slice, which serves up artisan, New York-style pizzas with a viral following, has just been named the fifth-best pizza slice in the U.S.The pizza slices here truly are out-of-this-world good — very thin crusts with just the right amount of crisp, bubbling cheese and decadent drizzles. The lines extend far past the entrance well before the restaurant even opens, and if you arrive early, you'll be rewarded with the option to dine in or take out. The staff shuffles massive slices in and out of ovens before plating them on wooden boards, where they receive a final dusting of fresh-grated cheese, sauce, or add-on toppings. The menu offers five slices that can be gussied up with a choice of four "extras," including hot honey, a red sauce, three-cheese dip, or a few dollops of creamy stracciatella.
