DINING

National Pizza Day: 19 local pies to celebrate with in the Panama City area

Jan Waddy
The News Herald

PANAMA CITY — National Pizza Day, is Tuesday, but pizza is an American favorite any day of the week, no matter how you slice it. This round-up, in alphabetical order, features 19 local spots (not franchises) for top pizza picks with savory suggestions.

1. BELLA ROMA TUSCAN GRILL, 11535 Hutchison Blvd., Panama City Beach; 850-249-1340: The Monte Bianco starts with a crispy caputo-flour dough, followed by panna cream, ricotta, prosciutto, mushroom, sliced Roma tomatoes and 100% whole milk mozzarella, topped with fresh shaved Parmesan and arugula. It's filled with texture and flavor, but won't leave you filling stuffed.

More:Guglielmo’s Bella Roma brings Northern Italy to Panama City Beach

Bricks and Barley is a local favorite in Panama City Beach.

2. BRICKS AND BARLEY PIZZA, 8721 Thomas Drive Suite A, Panama City Beach; 850-775-1677: Paul “Buster” Busuttil of Busters Beer & Bait and his wife, Claudia, reopened this hot spot on Thomas Drive after the Bay Point location was destroyed in October 2018 during Hurricane Michael. It serves the same award-winning large 16-inch pizzas and pizza by the slice.

Buster's Brick House is serving up the same recipes popular at Bricks and Barley. Both Panama City Beach locations are owned by Paul "Buster" Busuttil.

3. BUSTER'S BRICK HOUSE, 5908 Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach; 850-234-9250: Located next to Buster's Beer & Bait, owner Paul "Buster" Busuttil opened his second pizza restaurant along Buster's Boardwalk. The grand opening was Super Bowl weekend. Get the same recipes for the popular pizza that's served at Bricks & Barley, plus get your photo taken in front of the "pizza angel wings" while you're there. 

More:Tackle Super Bowl Sunday in Panama City Beach with watch parties, giveaways

Enzo's Pizza and Grill, 1322 Beck Ave., in St. Andrews is offering curbside pick-up and delivery options.

4. ENZO’S PIZZA & GRILL, 1322 Beck Ave., St. Andrews; 850-215-4562: Go for the Chicago style Double-Decker (two Chicago-style thin crust pizzas stacked together). Enzo’s also offers the single thin crust or deep dish, which takes longer to cook. Enzo’s opened in 2010 and the pizza has earned the restaurant a top spot in area readers’ choice contests.

More:Enzo’s Pizza reopens in St. Andrews

40th Street Pizza serves up specialty pizzas at its Panama City location in the Home Depot plaza.

5. 40TH STREET PIZZA, 401 E. 23rd St., Suite I, Panama City; 850-215-4413: After Hurricane Michael, the restaurant was relocated from Mexico Beach to the Home Depot plaza in Panama City, where the House Specialty Pizza (pepperoni, ham, bacon, mushrooms, onions) has been a big seller. 

More:40th Street Pizza reopens in Panama City

Follow Ferrucci Ristorante on Facebook to be sure you don't miss wood-fired pizza nights.

6. FERRUCCI RISTORANTE, 301 Harrison Ave., Panama City; 850-913-9131: Follow "Ferrucci Ristorante" on Facebook so you don't miss pizza night, featuring Chef Michael Ferrucci's wood-fired pizzas in the cozy downtown spot. (Chef Michael Ferrucci also teaches cooking classes, with his next class scheduled for Feb. 20 at Somethin's Cookin' in Panama City.)

7. MARCUS’ GULF PIZZA, 7010 Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach; 850-234-5000: Marcus Haines carries on a beach tradition that started in 1983 with thin crispy crust pizzas baked on seasoned stones in a rotating oven. The Super Deluxe is topped with mozzarella, Italian sausage, pepperoni, smoked ham, ground beef, green pepper, onion, mushrooms, and black olives (jalapeño and anchovy optional).

8. NEW YORK’S FAMOUS PIZZA & PASTA, 1000 E. 23rd St., Panama City; 850-215-5639: Order a large whole pie for monstrous New-York style slices. Pick it up with one hand and fold it over like a New Yorker or tackle the medium to thin soft crust pizza with a fork and knife. N.Y.’s Special features Boar’s Head pepperoni, hand-sliced sausage, hand-mixed ground beef, bacon, black olives, chunks of green bell peppers, mushrooms and thinly hand-sliced onions.

9. NICK’S SLICE OF BROOKLYN PIZZERIA & BAR, 13528 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach; 850-708-3177: Nick’s Slice of Brooklyn was voted No. 1 Best of Bay for pizza in 2017. Brooklyn native and owner Nick DeFilippis, whose parents hailed from Italy, makes the dough daily. The Margherita features fresh mozzarella — snappy goodness — handmade by Nick the same way he learned as a kid, sauce with San Marzano tomatoes, fresh sliced Romas, extra virgin olive oil, Pecorino Romano cheese and oregano on a thin crispy crust.

More:Nick’s Slice of Brooklyn delivers

10. PANAMA PIZZERIA, 3123 Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach; 850-775-4060: Darla Sapone and Jason GaNung opened the East End location in July 2017 . Pick up, get it delivered or dine in on everything from a hot slice of New York-style pepperoni pizza, or the extra thick Sicilian. The Sicilian requires more rise time, so when that one sells out, it’s gone for the day.

More:Make it Special: Panama Pizzeria adds spice to East End

Pana Roma serves New York style pizza.

11. PANA ROMA, 840 W. 23rd St., Panama City; 850-769-9466: Fresh homemade pizza dough is made the night before for New-York style pizzas ranging from Meat Stuffed to Meatlovers with pepperoni, sausage, meatballs, ham and bacon. Pizzas are then baked in a Roto-Flex pizza oven with a rotating pizza stone.

More:Family carries on tradition at Pana Roma Pizza & Pasta

12. PAPARAZZI GOURMET DELI, 2810 Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach; 850- 588-8244: The 14-inch stone-baked, thin-crust pizzas build on four generations of recipes passed down from the Trubia, Belicose and Certo families. Sauces include pesto, pink or traditional. The Grand Lagoon Pizza is a nod to the restaurant's location with fresh shrimp, clams, basil, garlic, olive oil, and mozzarella cheese. There's even a Campfire "dessert pie" with melted Nutella and toasted marshmallow.

Patches' Pub & Grill serves pizza, just another award-winning food from Chef Craig Miller.

13. PATCHES PUB AND GRILL, 4723 Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach; 850-233-8879: Chef Craig Miller's award-winning food includes his made-to-order, thin-crust pizza with housemade sauce and specially blended cheese. Specialty pies include Hawaiian, Cheeseburger, BBQ Pulled Pork, Taco, Mighty Meaty, Veggie Lovers, and Supreme.

More:Patches Pub & Grill gears up for 9th annual Chili Cook-off in Panama City Beach

Pizza Amore's 16-inch New York Style Pizza is topped with Grande Mozzarella, hand-sliced beef pepperoni, sausage and ground beef, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, black olives and garlic and oil.

14. PIZZA AMORE, 1405 W. 15th St. #E, Panama City; 850-640-3730: A slice of the large 16-inch Supreme pizza topped with fresh tomato sauce and loaded with Grande Mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, black olives, garlic and oil on a foldable springy, slightly crispy crust always delivers on flavor. It's also filling, but leftovers are just as delicious.

More:Pizza Amore: Love at first bite

Pepperoni pizza is available for take-out from Pizzeria Napoli in Parker.

15. PIZZERIA NAPOLI, 6144 E. U.S. 98, Parker; 850-522-8900: Pizzeria Napoli owners Julie and Alla Ahmed, opened their restaurant in Parker in April 2019 after their Springfield location was destroyed during Hurricane Michael. The same tried-and-true menu features made-from-scratch pizza dough and sauce. Meat toppings include pepperoni (pork or beef), ham, sausage, ground beef, anchovy, meatballs, steak and chicken.

More:Pizzeria Napoli back in business

16. RED’S PIZZA, 1305 E. Fifth St., Panama City; 850-252-6112: Sharon Davis, whose Panama City roots run deep, is still in the kitchen at her family-operated restaurant across from Watson Bayou that opened in July 2017. The dough is made fresh daily and cooked on a stone. From the Meat Head (pepperoni, sausage,beef, bacon) to the Greek Goddess (extra virgin olive oil, spinach, ricotta, oregano, roasted garlic, roasted red peppers, red onion, artichoke hearts and kalamata olives) or Cove Crown (Alfredo, chicken, spinach and garlic), you can't go wrong.

More:On a roll: Red’s Pizza pulls family together

The children's own handmade pizzas are ready to enjoy during a cooking class at Somethin's Cookin' in Panama City.

17. SOMETHIN’S COOKIN’, 93 E. 11th St., Panama City; 850-769-8979: The Mediterranean (just one of four on the menu) is a mix of high-quality cheese (Gruyere, Buffalo mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano), artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, roasted red peppers and a little sweetness from shallot confit. The soft dough crust is the same easy made-from-scratch recipe the youngest customers make and eat in the kids cooking class taught by owner Hannelore Holland, but the bistro's pizza offerings elevate the savory pie to gourmet.

18. ST. ANDREWS SLICE HOUSE, 1127½ Beck Ave., St. Andrews; 850-541-9126: With 61 pizzas, from Truffle Shuffle (oil and garlic, fresh mozzarella, white button mushrooms, portabellas, rosemary and truffle oil drizzle) to Boom Shakalaka with a Boom Boom drizzle, there really is something for everyone. If you get overwhelmed, just create your own pizza or have fun saying the names while asking for recommendations.

More:Slice House spices up St. Andrews

19. TRIGO SAN FRANCISCO STYLE DELI, 119 Harrison Ave., Panama City; 850-481-0132: Fresh from the oven, sourdough pizza can be topped with a traditional red tomato sauce or pesto, plus toppings, or go for a Specialty Pizza, from BBQ Chicken to Meat Lovers. Follow Facebook.com/trigodeli to make sure you don't miss pizza on Fridays.