I pick my South Bay pizza by the mood, not the place

Tony's Slice House makes a pesto pizza with burrata on it and hot, spicy honey drizzled over the top. So yummy. But that's a certain taste. You've got to be in the mood for it pretty strongly. They know how to do it well.

When I talk about the best pizza in the South Bay, I take the venue out of it. Let's just assume people are ordering their pizza out. What's left are the few restaurants around here that seem to have some of the highest-quality pizza, and the question of which one to call. There isn't one go-to. It depends on the level of exoticness I want in my pizza.

There are tiers. Tony's Slice House and State of Mind Pizza are in the top tier. They're in a class of their own: high-quality ingredients and different styles, including grandma pies and thin-crust pizzas. But what puts them there is the high-quality, more exotic mixes and combinations. A true party in your mouth.

Then there's Pizza My Heart, which is the quick and dirty choice. I still think it's good for a lower-budget, lower-quality pie, but still really good.

Amici's is also on the list, though probably not as good as even Pizza My Heart. It's kind of around that category, a little bit. It's a little cookie-cutter and basic, to be honest. It just depends, probably.

So the choice isn't really just pizza. When I'm in the mood for something a little more adventurous, basically, it's Tony's, and the pesto with burrata and spicy honey.