(FORTUNE Magazine) – There's no such thing as a bad pizza. Nevertheless, only a few restaurants have reached the pinnacle of piemaking. The pizzerias below are all exemplary, and their products range widely, from the thick, doughy Midwestern pies that ooze mozzarella to the cracker-thin crusts of the East Coast.

--Ronald B. Lieber Food Decor Service Cost BOSTON Figs 24 16 18 $20 Multiple locations

CHICAGO Bacino's 19 13 15 $14 Multiple locations

DETROIT Pizza Papalis Taverna 24 18 19 $13 553 Monroe Street 313-961-8020

NEW YORK CITY Lombardi's 24 11 16 $17 32 Spring Street 212-941-7994

PHILADELPHIA Tacconelli's 26 8 13 $12 2604 East Somerset 215-425-4983

WASHINGTON, D.C. Pizzeria Paradiso 25 17 18 $18 2029 P Street, N.W. 202-223-1245

0-9 poor to fair 10-19 good to very good 20-25 very good to excellent 26-30 extraordinary to perfection

Cost reflects the estimated price of a dinner with one drink and tip.

ZAGAT SURVEY