Frank Pepe's, Fairfield and New Haven, CT: I've eaten at both locations and the original New Haven location is a bit better than the Fairfield one. Both locations have that crisp, chewy, almost nutty crust that I love. The margherita with fresh tomato or with San Marzano sauce and fresh mozzarella make me drool just thinking about it. Sally's in New Haven is also on my pizza bucket list.
The Frank Pepe's at Mohegan Sun left a terrible taste in my mouth. Service was atrocious--they sent out the wrong pie twice--but good Lord is it a delicious pie. Bad service is probably my biggest pet peeve, but Frank Pepe's is DEFINITELY worth it
New York Style: Can't beat the local places around me. Not going to rattle them off here as it would directly give away where I'm located, but I'll throw a couple out there:
I'm going to say I can beat the local New York Style pizza places around you in *checks notes* New Jersey. Granted, you seem to be North Jersey, but let's slow down with "can't beat" it's not New Jersey Style pizza lol
In Manhattan, no particular order:
Patsy's (the one in Harlem), John's of Bleecker, DeNino's, Prince St. Pizza, and my favorite local slice, a place called Gotham Pizza. They have shops around the city.
In Brooklyn, in a very particular order:
L&B Spumoni Gardens, Di Fara Pizza, Geno's Restaurant in Bay Ridge, and Grimaldi's. Grimaldi's took a hit the last few years quality-wise but the childhood memories keep it firmly on the list.
You will never have a bad experience at L&B.
Houdini Pizza Lab, Fanwood, NJ: No frills brick oven place that uses homemade fresh mozzarella and fresh tomato sauce. My go to when I'm in the area.
Judging by the social media pages, this is the same owner as my favorite pizza place I've ever been to, which unfortunately closed over the summer due to COVID. It was called Houdini Kitchen Laboratory and it was in Ridgewood, Queens--owned and operated by paisans fresh off the boat, it was far and away my favorite pie ever. Might have to go out to Jersey for the sister location
EDIT: left off the last few words lol