While pizza has become something of a fast food staple, true pizza lovers know that the best pizzas are found in real restaurants, where these dishes are prepared with fresh ingredients, always made to order, and are cooked with the best seasoning. Having a fresh-cooked pizza prepared by real chefs in a restaurant where you can sit and enjoy this dish will make it all the more enjoyable and memorable. When you are ready for a good pizza with friends, note what to look for in a good pizza restaurant. This will ensure you get a quality pizza that goes beyond the everyday frozen varieties you buy at the store, and the bland, fast food options that are often very disappointing to the taste buds.

Homemade sauce

A good pizza restaurant should use homemade sauce, and not sauce from a jar or can. Not only will this mean better seasoning for the sauce, but it will also mean fresh sauce that enhances the flavour and even the aroma of the pizza. Note if there is any indication on the restaurant's menu or website that they use homemade sauce, or at least fresh sauce, as this is a sign of a very good pizza recipe!

Wine and beer selection

A high-quality pizza is enhanced with a fine wine or craft beer; a good wine can bring out the flavours of the tomato sauce and the taste of the pizza crust, as well as the meats used on the pizza. While you might have your favourite beer or wine you enjoy regularly, note if the pizza restaurant has a selection of drinks you might sample or that they might recommend, and which can actually make the pizza taste better overall. At the very least, try the house wine with the pizza, or a specialty beer they recommend, for a full flavour experience.

Salads and desserts

As much as you might love the taste of pizza, any dinner is enhanced when you can enjoy a nice salad or other side dish along with it, and especially when you can top off that meal with a light and fresh dessert! Check out the entire menu of a pizza restaurant; if they offer a selection of salads and desserts, not only will this enhance your meals, but it might also signal that they have real chefs who are working to create an enjoyable dining experience, rather than just putting together a basic menu with little regard to the flavour of the meal.

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