If you were to poll a group of children and adults and ask what food item (not dessert) they love more than any other, my guess is that the majority answer would be a resounding P-I-Z-Z-A.  In our house, it’s definitely the answer.  After all, what better to serve for a Friday night family dinner, when having multiple kids over for dinner, on nights when you don’t have time to cook or, for that matter, on any given night of the week?  Because it is such a popular, tasty food, I have done some research on the topic…. More specifically, I have compiled my own experiences and interviewed my friends, and here’s what I have on this delicious subject and where to go for it:

Framingham

• North End Treats, 661 Cochituate Road, (508) 620-6836 – my friend, Linda, says the pizza and the desserts here are delicious.  And it’s conveniently located right by the Natick Mall.
  

Natick

• Natalie’s Italian Kitchen, 319 N. Main Street, (508) 653-8603 – Landis says her daughter loves the fresh bacon on their pizzas, and they definitely deliver even to those of us in Weston, which is always a plus.  Check out the coupons online too.

Needham

• Stonehearth Pizza Co., 975 Great Plain Avenue, (781) 433-0600 – Laura loves this pizza place because of its gluten-free choices.  Its flagship location is in Belmont, and there are restaurants in Allston and Cambridge as well.

Waltham

• Anna’s Pizza House, 873 Main Street, (781) 899-7810 – Madelaine tried Anna’s because she is partial to the name and has been “hooked” ever since.
• Bertucci’s Italian Restaurant, 475 Winter Street, (781) 684-0650 – my favorite pizza is on the Bertucci’s menu – the Sofia, which has a unique topping combination of roasted artichoke spread, sausage and fresh thyme….  And to me, the Bertucci’s pizzas are overall the best in this area.   We tend to do take out from the Wellesley location (see below) more than from the Waltham location just because it’s closer to where we live.  And Bertucci’s has also added a delivery service option.  Audrey and Madelaine also tell me that Bertucci’s is a favorite of theirs as well.
• Uno Chicago Grill, 155 Bear Hill Road, (781) 487-7177 – when I was in my 20′s, the deep-dish Uno pizzas were my favorite.  Of course, you can get thin-crust pizzas and so much more  too.  And Laura likes Uno’s because its menu also includes gluten-free options.
• The Upper Crust Pizzeria, 435 Moody Street, (781) 736-0044 – this has great, thin-crust pizza, which only one of my children likes so we don’t end up ordering from here frequently.  If you are planning to use take-out, call well in advance of when you want the pizza because delivery usually takes quite a while – at least that has been my experience.

Wellesley

• Bertucci’s Italian Restaurant, 380 Washington Street, (781) 239-0990 – as mentioned above, I tend to frequent this location rather than the Waltham location just because it’s closer to where I live.
• California Pizza Kitchen (a.k.a. CPK), 183 Linden Street, (781) 416-3690 – this is a great place to take the kids for dinner.  They love the pizza, and the adults can eat a variety of other tasty dishes.  My favorite is the BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad.  With a menu that tailors to both kids and parents, CPK offers a fun, yummy destination and evening for the whole family.
• Domino’s Pizza, 868 Worcester Street, (781) 235-6800 – no matter what, the kids always love Domino’s.  I have never met a child who said “no” when Domino’s take-out was mentioned.  The pizza tastes dough-y to me (which I like), and it’s always reliable.
• Old School Italian Pizzeria, 552 Washington Street, (781) 235-8300 – my friend, Rob, who grew up in Wellesley, knows the owners from his youth, and he raves about this pizza.  He says it’s the best “by a long shot – hands down.”  My office is located across the street from Old School so we tend to order this tasty pizza when we have fun lunches in…..
• Papa Gino’s Pizzeria, 254 Washington Street, (339) 686-2526 – Audrey says she was “thrilled” when Papa Gino’s opened recently in Wellesley.  She loves something in the spices they use.
• Peter’s Pizza, 57 Washington Street, (781) 489-3205/(781) 235-5011 – also located close to chez moi, we will sometimes get takeout from Peter’s mostly on Sundays when Wellesley North End Pizza (see below) is closed.
• The Upper Crust Pizzeria, 99 Central Street, (781) 235-5011 – in addition to the Waltham location mentioned above, there is also one in Wellesley center.
• Wellesley House of Pizza, 19 Washington Street, (781) 237-1331 – my Mom especially likes the veggies they use here, and it’s also located quite close to me (and close to Peter’s Pizza and Wellesley North End Pizza too.  In fact, I’m almost thinking this section of Washington Street should be called, “Wellesley’s Pizza Alley.”
• Wellesley North End Pizza, 7 Washington Street, (781) 237-3388 – this is my kids’ all-time favorite.  They LOVE Wellesley North End Pizza…so much so that when I call to order, they greet me by my first name.  And despite being in Wellesley, they deliver to Weston (at least parts if not all of Weston).

Weston

• Theo’s Pizzeria and Grill, 456 Boston Post Road, (781) 893-1377 – my friend, Kate, loves to frequent this yummy pizza place, which is conveniently located right in Weston Center.

These are some of our thoughts (and thanks to my fabulous friends for their input) on awesome pizza eats in the burbs.  What do you think?  Are your favorites included above?  If not, please share your ideas of great pizza places, and as soon you do, I will update the list with your suggestions and ideas.  I can’t wait to hear….