Best...Pizza...Ever

The Boston area has become an embarrassment of riches when it comes to first-rate pizzerias. Cambridge has the crunchiest thin crust neopolitan known to man at di Mio, and the innovative, brashly flavorful grilled pizzas of Cambridge 1. The Back Bay features the clever arrangements of recent British import Croma (try the tandoori chicken pizza!), while the North End boasts unbeatable straight-up cheese pizza at the original Pizzeria Regina's.

So PICCO, Rick Katz's newest South End venture, has some stiff competition. But with a combination of fresh, top quality toppings and perfectly baked, flaky, crispy, puffy, chewy crust, there's no question PICCO has vaulted to the top of my favorites list. The two pizzas I've tried, and recommend:

• The Alsatian, with sharp Gruyere for cheese, sour cream for sauce, and bacon on top. Creamy, smoky and much more delicate in flavor than it sounds.
• The spinach and goat cheese, with a bare minimum of spinach leaves, and much more sauteed onions and garlic. Oh, and the sweetest cherry tomatoes you'll find in the middle of December.

And that doesn't even cover the desserts: PICCO, after all, is an acronym of 'Pizza and Ice Cream Company'. On our last visit, our pizza order was delayed due to a kitchen mixup, and as an apology my girlfriend and I were offered free dessert. I should mention that Rick Katz was formerly the pastry chef at Legal Sea Foods, which explains not only the almost pastry-like pizza crust, but also these heavenly soufflé chocolate cakes. At $6 each, with homemade ice cream on the side, they were superior to those you'd spend almost twice as much for at Finale a few blocks away.

PICCO really does have the best pizza I've ever tasted.