It hasn't been such a good week for New York City pizza makers named De Marco. First came the shooting rampage that started at De Marco's Pizzeria and left four dead. I've enjoyed a slice and the occasional bowl of linguine puttanesca at this West Village spot, which is owned by Dominick Demarco Jr., the son of the pizzaiolo behind Brooklyn's legendary Di Fara Pizza. I wish De Marco's all the luck in the world, but the idea of eating there anytime soon creeps me out.

Thankfully, the second mishap to befall the De Marco family this week is not nearly as grave. Di Fara Pizza has been swept up in all the commotion caused by rats in my fair city's eateries. It seems that as of yesterday afternoon Midwood's temple of pizza artistry had been temporarily closed by the Health Department. As a fan of this spot I'm not surprised that it's been shuttered, though I am glad that it wasn't for anything nearly as serious as vermin. It's long been a dirty little secret that Di Fara's is a tad unkempt, but only because they're so insanely busy. I gave them a ring this morning and the maestro himself answered. He told me that they're closed for a few days for "little things." I felt a sense of relief wash over me as I pondered eating several perfect slices there in the very near future. [via Slice]

In Details magazine, Ed Levine recently laid out a list of the best pizza places in the country at the moment. The criteria for the best pie changes from person to person and city to city, but Ed's criteria - crisp but tender crusts, fresh mozzarella, high-quality tomatoes, and a touch of salt - are standards that every pizza lover can agree on and should expect from their pies. Ed's list includes: PIZZERIA BIANCO, Phoenix, NY

• DI FARA, Brooklyn, NY
• TOTONNO'S, Brooklyn, NY
• UNA PIZZA NAPOLETANA, New York, NY
• FRANK PEPE PIZZERIA NAPOLETANA, New Haven, CT
• SALLY'S APIZZA, New Haven, CT
• AL FORNO, Providence, RI
• PICCO, Boston, MA
• 2 AMYS, Washington, D.C.
• PUNCH NEAPOLITAN PIZZA, St. Paul, MN
• NOSTRANA, Portland, OR
• SERIOUS PIE, Seattle, WA
• MOZZA BAR, Los Angeles, CA
• PIZZERIA PICCO, Larkspur, CA
• PIZZAIOLO, Oakland, CA

There are only two small problems with the list, although the lack of inclusion of The Cheese Board is just my own bias and perhaps should not be counted. The real problem is that , aside from the St Paul pizzeria, the only restaurants listed are on either cost. Now, the South isn't necessarily known for their piazza, but there are plenty of Chicagoans who are willing to, loudly, defend their city's top pizzerias. It could be that the best pizzas are only found towards the country's coasts, or perhaps there just haven't been any volunteers willing to take Ed around to the best that the midwest has to offer to see if it holds up to his standards.

[via the food section]

In Naples, the annual Pizzafest was just concluded and the title of the world's best pizzaiolo (pizza-maker) was bestowed upon Makoto Onishi, a veritable pizza prodigy from Japan who bested 24 other pizza-makers, many of whom are Naples natives. This is the second time he has won the title; the first was back in 2003. The judges declared that his pie was the "perfect incarnation of 'real Neapolitan pizza.'"

Onishi came to Naples from Japan in 2002, looking for a job in a pizza restaurant and claimed his first title after only a year working in the Ischia pizzeria. After the victory, he was hired by a popular Tokyo pizzeria and enjoyed some media attention from his surprising win.

The secret of the perfect Neapolitan pizza, according to the judges of the Naples Pizzafest, is using traditional, local ingredients. Onishi adds that a "chef must be free of stress" to produce the perfect pizza.

If you ask me, creating giant foods just once to get in the record books is getting a little old. However, a pizzeria in Pennsylvania is hoping to set a record by making their giant, 150-slice, 3' by 4.5', $99 pizzas for anybody that wants one. Known as The Big One, this gigantic pizza from Mama Lena's Pizza House in the Pittsburgh suburb of McKees Rocks uses 20 pounds of dough, 15 pounds of cheese and a gallon of sauce, according to a recent AP article. The current record holder, a pizzeria in Iowa, has a pizza with specs about half that size. Mama Lena's has sold about 10 Big Ones in the last year.

[Photo: Gene J. Puskar - AP]