10 pies worth every mile

If you think Bostonians are the only people loyal to their beloved pizzerias, you’ve got to do some border-crossing. Start with New Haven, where residents vehemently defend their favorite locale, often generation after generation. Then move on to the other states, where pizza wars can be more contentious than finding the best lobster roll. We offer these 10 picks simply as a starting point.

FRANK PEPE Pizzeria Napoletana New Haven

The thin, slightly charred crust on Frank Pepe’s pizzas is so incredibly tasty that my children, Regina Pizzeria regulars, plead with me to get off the highway every time we pass New Haven. It was Pepe who started the “apizza’’ craze here when his Neapolitan dialect couldn’t get around the word “pizza.’’ In 1925, he installed his first coal-powered oven and the rest, as they say, is magic. If you think Lawrence “Chubby’’ Woodman transformed the clam-eating industry by dropping a clam into a frying vat, try one bite of Pepe’s white clam pizza. The tender morsels are dripping with clam juice, with the perfect mix of salty sea, grated Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and oregano. Or choose my kids’ favorite, the original tomato pie topped with mozzarella, garlic, and basil. That’s apizza! 157 Wooster St., www.pepespizzeria.com