Sometimes you just need to find the best pizza you can, and the only way to do that is to go to as many as you can. I have found two similar that I loved. They were in very different cities but I liked them for the same reasons.

First up is 3 Joe’s Pizzaria and Trattoria in Piqua, Ohio. The Williamson Family has been serving their take on Italian for over 50 years. They serve sandwiches, pasta and pizza. The inside decor had the rustic style one would hope for an Italian place. From the portraits on the wall to the wood based decorations the vibe really set the mood. We ordered the bread sticks as a favorite of my dining partner. They were perfectly crisp and slathered in a butter garlic.

The pizza we chose this visit was the Pizza Spinaci. As described by them: ‘A rustic Neapolitan style crust, hand formed and brushed with garlic infused olive oil, topped with fresh spinach, roasted garlic, Provolone & Fontina cheese .’

We visited just after lunch and were able to get in and get our food relatively quickly. The pizza was baked perfectly using their stone hearth. The bottom of the pizza was crispy and the perfect amount of crunch. I prefer flat pizza over the deep dish style and this one was a great example of that. The warm, gooey top went perfectly with that crisp crust. The flavor was on point.

The second place we visited was the Wheat Penny. This was one we had been wanting to try for a while but never made it to. Located on a street just off the Oregon District in Dayton and unless you knew it was there, you’d likely not go near the building location. The place is decorated with many modern artifacts but keeps a more rustic design. There’s an outside patio that was covered and a great place to sit during the warmer summer days. I took great joy in the art which was quilts made to look like paintings. This place was bustling and when we received our food it was obvious why.

The pizza is baked magnificently with the same deliciously, crisp crust that had the right amount of singe to it. The toppings gave it enough of a soaking to make it a bit messy, but in a great gooey, tv, pizza way. The pizza was bursting with flavor, even with such simple ingredients. We have multiple other ones we want to try. This place also serves many other dishes, but they seem inconsequential to the glory that was their pizza.