Best Pizza '98

Best Pizza

Magpies Gourmet Pizza
Four Locations

READERS' PICK: It's the year 2150, and Magpies has been named Tucson's Best Pizza for the 162nd consecutive time. This amazing streak continues with no signs of ending. (There have only been two interruptions in the streak, once when the U.S. economy crashed after they took Seinfeld reruns off the air, and the other when those madcap Magpies employees tried to stuff the ballot box with the name of a fictitious pizza place "just for fun.") Otherwise, it's business as usual. Oh yeah, Magpies announced they've opened a teleport take-out station to serve the colonists on Rigel-3, their restaurant on Ganymede had a banner year, and they're still open on Fourth Avenue.

READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: Picurro Pizzeria, 2921 E. Ft. Lowell Road; 3011 E. Speedway Blvd.; 1521 N. Wilmot Road

CLUE IN: Within the last couple of years, Tucson saw a notable addition to its already numerous pizza offerings. The fact that Brooklyn Pizza Co., 534 N. Fourth Ave., is not only still standing but has substantially expanded its menu attests to the quality of its main attraction: straightforward, New York-style pizza. Located conveniently in the hub of Fourth Avenue, it offers chewy-crusted single slices or whole pies with a myriad of tempting toppings, ranging from daring eggplant to conservative pepperoni (though basic cheese is still a favorite). Choices extend beyond the fundamentals, however, to cheese-stuffed calzones and hot, succulent sandwiches. Save room for an after-dinner gelato or ice-cold Yoo-hoo.

CLUE IN: Look over there! It's a house, it's a pizza parlor, it's...No Anchovies, 870 E. University Blvd.! You want a cheese and pepperoni staple with a light, floury crust? No problem. Or choose from more than a half-dozen specialty pies, splayed before you in mouthwatering anticipation of your command. Ordering by the slice is de rigueur, with prices that'd make the competition blush. The eponymous fish topping aside, this place delivers an array of non-traditional toppings so vast, it'd make even a Southern Californian stagger: artichoke hearts, pesto, white sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, whole spinach and basil leaves, fresh chunks of tomato, shrimp....

1997 Winner: Magpies Gourmet Pizza
1996 Winner: Magpies Gourmet Pizza
1995 Winner: Magpies Gourmet Pizza