The top 10 new pizza in Toronto

It was a good year for pizza in Toronto as local pizzerias embraced a world of styles. Freshly introduced to Toronto's pizza landscape are regional American specialties, Italian street food, and even build-your-own pies.

Here are my picks for the top new places to eat pizza in Toronto.

Descendant
Detroit-style deep dish pizza was an instant hit in Leslieville when it launched this past summer. The lineup of square shaped pies includes options like the sausage and pepper pizza ($16-$28) featuring a smoked cheese blend, nduja, an assortment of sweet and hot peppers, and house-made Tobasco ranch sauce.

One Pizza
Each and every oblong pie on the menu at this King East pizzeria is priced at $12.86. Customize with a choice of over three dozen toppings, or select from the range of signature pies including the Date Night, which is built over BBQ sauce with shredded cheese, dates, fennel sausage, caramelized onions and parmesan.

Pizzeria Libretto King West
Wood-fired Neapolitan pies from the popular pizza purveyor are now available on King West. The new eatery follows the same recipe for success as its predecessors on Ossington, University and The Danforth, offering flash-fired thin crusted pies topped with seasonal ingredients.

Maker Pizza
Tucked away on a residential street in Chinatown, this newly opened walk-in and delivery joint is dishing out pizza designed by Matty Matheson (Parts & Labour). Highlights on the menu include the Napoli Dynamite ($15-$28) loaded with Italian sausage, green olives, roasted jalapenos, red peppers, basil and a trifecta of cheeses including fior di latte, parm and mozzarella.

A3 Napoli
Also from the folks behind Libretto, this Southern Italian inspired friggitoria slings street foods including deep fried pies. Order a pizza fritta stuffed with whipped ricotta, provola, and ciccoli as a battilocchio ($8), or Montanara ($13), a puffy pillow of cheese and sauce stuffed dough.

Blaze
The chain of pizzerias endorsed by LeBron James opened its first Toronto location at Yonge and Dundas this fall. The quick service concept operates a lot like Chipotle where customers can customize any pie for $10.45 as they slide down a well stocked assembly line of toppings.

Za Pizzeria
Pizzas cooked in a novel gas-grill-meets-wood-smoker oven are the specialty at this pizza parlour in The Annex. Order by the slice or in whole pies from a menu listing classic and signature pies like the Oh Canada ($4.25/slice, $14/whole) dressed with maple syrup, mozzarella, bacon and crushed potato chips.

Apiecalypse Now!
Vegan pies are the specialty at this Christie Pits pizza joint and snack shop. Order by the slice or whole pies in quirky pre-designed styles like the The White Walker ($15/$23), slathered with creamy garlic sauce and topped with spiced faux chicken, baby arugula, vegan mozzarella and jack cheeses.

Pizza Thick
Regina-style deep dish pizza featuring a dense biscuit-like crust, thick, defined layers of toppings and a final blistering cheese coating is the specialty at this pizza joint in Leslieville. Order a whole pie, or just a slice from options like the double pepperoni and mushroom.

Mattachioni
The Italian bodega on Dupont serves up a roster of salads, panini and pizze. Try the Carlo & Giulia pie ($17) -- it's a white pizza topped with fresh mozzarella, taleggio, olives, hot cacciatore salami and basil.

Top photo of Pizzeria Libretto by Jesse Milns.

by Liora Ipsum via blogTO