Best pizza

After 80 years in business, the place itself constitutes a slice of history. Pizzeria Regina is an old-fashioned joint, ever boisterous and slightly messy, with an ancient oven (catch a glimpse past the bar) that has turned out thousands of pies -- pies celebrated by generations of Bostonians. Not for the faint of heart -- or any other body part, for that matter -- Regina's pizza is thick-crusted, piled high, and doused with its signature garlicky olive oil. The St. Anthony's, for one, dares to combine two kinds of sausage with mounds of cheese, onions, peppers, and mushrooms; the Giambotta weighs in at three pounds ... well, you get the picture. Now go get a pie -- and a taste of history in the bargain.

Regina's polar opposite, the streamlined Harvard Square pizzeria known simply as Cambridge, 1, is a model of pomo detachment. But for all its understated cool, we find ourselves using superlatives (like "best") to refer to it and its charcoal-grilled pies. A lavash-like crust is the basis for 12 elegant and innovative topping combinations, from a daringly simple blend of sorrel, chèvre, and black pepper to a simply daring lobster, corn, and parmesan pizza, drizzled with cilantro oil. Special kudos, however, go to the chicken-sausage pie dotted with the sweetest of tomatoes and creamiest of ricottas -- see, there go those superlatives again.

Pizzeria Regina, 11 1/2 Thatcher Street, Boston, (617) 227-0765. Cambridge, 1, 27 Church Street, Cambridge, (617) 576-1111.