This Easy-To-Spot Green Flag Shows You're In A Great Pizza Place

There's an easy-going magic to a good pizzeria. The environs are inviting, the vibe casual, and diners feel happy eating slices of pie. With their predominant focus on only one type of dish, pizzerias have to really get it right. This makes selecting one to eat at potentially nerve-racking.

To help you navigate your ideal pizza evening, Chowhound has exclusive advice from Nicole Bean. Alongside her family, she owns and operates two locations of Pizaro's Pizza Napoletana in Houston, Texas. The restaurant impressively serves New York-style, Neapolitan, and Michigan's unique Detroit-style all at once, making her quite the expert. According to Bean, "Many things can make a pizza place 'great,'" which means selecting a specific characteristic is difficult. But if there's a general single green flag, then it's the attention to detail. Bean prompts us to consider "what kind of care went into your pizza," starting from how the pie is assembled to the quality of the service. Such an aura of professionalism signifies you're in a great pizzeria.

It can be tempting to hit up the sleek and trendy pizza shop in town, and perhaps it's good. But really, what makes a good pizza dining experience isn't the aesthetic, it's the minute sensations of the experience. Nicole Bean urges you to examine the details, such as whether you find toppings evenly distributed and that the "ratio of cheese to crust to sauce is perfectly balanced so that you can taste each flavor individually yet together." Of course, the flavors are paramount and should be complex yet, as Bean notes, "meld together seamlessly."

Such qualities aren't necessarily in the pizza's appearance, but rather its creation through a consistent process. The appeal even extends to the best fast-food pizza – every time you go, the experience delivers. Restaurants that take such pride typically run an excellent front of house, bartending program, and other facets of their operation, too. It's the summation of elements that can't be translated through a picture or online review. Opposed to the glaring pizza shop red flags, such nuances should seamlessly add up until you can sense it's a high-quality shop.