R.I. featured on list of 101 best pizzas in the U.S.

CASERTA PIZZERIA made the list of The Daily Meal's 101 best pizzas in America, coming in 69th. Its pepperoni pizza was singled out by the website. / COURTESY THE DAILY MEAL/YELP
CASERTA PIZZERIA made the list of The Daily Meal's 101 best pizzas in America, coming in 69th. Its pepperoni pizza was singled out by the website. / COURTESY THE DAILY MEAL/YELP

PROVIDENCE – Three Rhode Island eateries are featured on The Daily Meal’s list of the 101 best pizzas in America: Al Forno, Caserta Pizzeria and Providence Coal Fired Pizza.
Al Forno, on South Main Street in Providence, is No. 31 on the list for its margherita pizza, moving up one spot from last year. The website said the restaurant “offers quintessential Italian dining for those who can’t afford the flight.” It also noted that the passing of Al Forno co-owner George Germon last year, calling him one of the “pizza greats.”
Caserta, on Spruce Street, was noted for its Sicilian-style pepperoni pizza. It was No. 69 on the list.
“This salt-of-the-earth pizza joint has been all white-tile floor and pan-cooked pies since 1953. Caserta’s is thick but fluffy and not shy when it comes to cheese and sauce,” The Daily Meal wrote.
At No. 90 was Providence Coal Fired Pizza on Westminster Street – the restaurant also has a second location in North Kingstown. Its “Rocket” pizza – a margherita pizza with tomato, mozzarella and fresh basil topped with arugula and pecorino – was singled out by the website. It fell from No. 47 last year.
Di Fara in Brooklyn, N.Y., bumped Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana in New Haven, Conn., out of the top spot for the first time in the four years the website has done the ranking.
Di Fara was recognized for its “classic round pie. Frank Pepe fell to third place for its white clam pizza. Second place went to John’s of Bleecker Street in New York City for “The Boom Pie,” featuring oven-roasted tomato, garlic and basil.
The Daily Meal’s “in-house pizza experts” visited 800 restaurants around the country in search of the perfect pie. They also called on food writers and restaurant critics for their opinions. A total of 55 food experts weighed in this year.
It said a good pizza has the following qualities: “nuanced sauce, neither too sweet nor salty (assuming that it has sauce); good-quality, well-distributed cheese (assuming that it has cheese); good-quality and sensibly combined toppings; a flavorful, savory crust; and perhaps most important, other than the overall quality of the ingredients, a judicious, well-balanced, and pleasing ratio of sauce, cheese, toppings and crust that maintains a structural integrity no matter the style.”
Massachusetts has four restaurants on the list, while Connecticut has nine.

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