There’s a new contender for best pizza in town, and lucky for me, it’s a stone’s throw away from home.

Slinging the pies ($11) are Sicilian ex-pats Romolo Salvati and Massimo Di Lascio who come to Kensington by way of east-end contender, Queen Margherita Pizza. The crust at Via Mercanti – soft, tender, charred and chewy – is true Neapolitan style and serves as the perfect base for dollops of melted buffalo mozzarella and beautifully flavored San Marzano tomatoes.

The place itself is not much to write home about – but that’s okay, I’ll take mine to-go. —Athena Tsavliris

Pizza Via Mercanti, 188 Augusta Ave., Toronto, 647-343-6647, www.facebook.com/viamercanti

Want to try your hand at a DIY pizza-pie? Cheat a little and buy the dough. Here’s our roundup of the city’s top crusts:

Loblaws
The best crust in town is the Italian Home Bakers brand at Loblaws. The dough is neither too moist nor to dry and can be easily kneaded to your desired thickness.

Highland Farms
This one can be tricky to work and gets a bit sticky but with patience you can create the best pizza this side of Naples.

Sobeys
Not as much “chew” and taste, but the crust bubbles nicely and it’s easy to roll out.

Whole Foods
The in-store pizza is pretty delicious, but unless your oven cranks to over 500 degrees we wouldn’t bother with this one. In our oven it stays a little too moist and never really seems fully cooked.

Metro
This is the in-a-pinch dough. It’s not as good as the rest, but it’ll satisfy your pizza cravings just fine.

—Athena Tsavliris

With lineups stretching out the door, Pizzeria Libretto is one of the hottest plates in town. And we can think of plenty of reasons why:

• Finger-lickingly good deep-fried Buttermilk Calamari a la Romesco ($9).
• Wonderfully doughy Neapolitan pizza with splodges of mozzarella, wafer thin Parma ham, plump cherry tomatoes and fresh basil ($15).
• Charming staff—our waitress Lisa was one of the friendliest people we’ve met in yonks.
• A deliciously light homemade panna cotta with blueberry compote ($7, Lisa’s suggestion—to die for).
• The atmosphere – laidback with a constant stream of bustle.
• The décor—light and airy with hits of lime green walls and eye-catching lighting.
• The crowd—a mix of Ossington hipsters, families and Italiani veri.

Pizzeria Libretto, 221 Ossington Ave., Toronto, 416-532-8000, www.pizzerialibretto.com

If great pizza, an ice cold Moretti and a couple of dollops of homemade gelato are your idea of a perfect meal, head to Lil’Baci in Leslieville.

New to the neighbourhood, this trattoria has piles of charm. Kiddie art hangs on the walls, mismatched chandeliers are suspended from the tin ceiling and shelves are laden with jars of pickled pepperoncini, cauliflower and beans.

Try the house pizza – sausage, panna, red onions, pecorino and fennel pollen on a super fine white crust – delizioso!

The pizzaiolos are perfecting whole wheat and spelt bases. If they’re half as good as the ones we tried, we’ll take all three.

Lil’Baci, 892 Queen St. E., Leslieville, 416-465-4888, www.lilbaci.com