Attempting to find the best pizza in the country is one of those projects that captivate food lovers everywhere, despite the utter impossibility of the task. Endless numbers of articles, books and Web posts have been devoted to the subject, and definitive claims tend to create explosive reactions from those who disagree.

Ed Levine's 2005 book, "A Slice of Heaven," a compilation of his own and others' writing about pizza, left some readers absolutely livid, because the author dismissed Chicago-style "deep dish" pizza as more of a casserole than a pizza. An April 21 article in the Financial Times about the best pizza in Rome, "A Crust Above the Rest," bafflingly appeared without a byline, leaving some readers wondering whether the author feared expressing a preference would make returning to Rome a dangerous venture.

Despite all of these obstacles, certain pizzerias tend to attract national attention. For years Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix has been a top contender for the title of best pizza in the United States. Then, early in 2007, there was tremendous buzz around a new pizzeria in Los Angeles. Though I was dismissive at first (it is Los Angeles, after all, where buzz and substance do not go hand in hand), the more I heard about Pizzeria Mozza, the more I knew I had to go there.

Pizzeria Mozza, and its fancier sister next door, Osteria Mozza, are the joint production of a seriously impressive trifecta: Nancy Silverton, creator of LaBrea Bakery; Mario Batali, an incredibly accomplished chef, restaurateur and food television star; and Joseph Bastianich, a less well-known but equally accomplished restaurateur who has been a partner in Batali's other New York restaurants. Mr. Bastianich, the son of Lidia Bastianich, also is a co-owner of Lidia's Pittsburgh in the Strip District and Lidia's Kansas City.

Pizzeria Mozza's existence is at least partially due to chance. When they found a space for Osteria Mozza, an adjoining nook already had a pizza oven. Though the Osteria's opening was delayed, Pizzeria Mozza opened as planned in November 2006 and immediately became one of the hottest reservations in town.

On a visit to the restaurant in March, I was as shocked as anyone to discover that it actually lives up to the hype. The menu offers a super-abundant variety of bruschette, insalate and antipasti, which are so captivating merely on paper that it was difficult to keep from simply asking for one of everything, from the brussels sprouts with prosciutto breadcrumbs to the Mussels al forno with salsa Calabrian to the salt cod bruschette.

Despite the profusion of delicious dishes for beginning the meal and rounding it out, the focus of this restaurant is on pizza.

And what pizza it is. The most important component of this pizza is absolutely the crust. Primarily, but not entirely, Neapolitan in origin,

the pizzas are about 12 inches in diameter, and the crust is thin but not too thin. It is chewy and dense, robust enough to stand up to complex yet balanced arrays of toppings such as house-made fennel sausage, panna (cream), red onion and scallions. These pizzas have structural integrity. There's no need to fold the pieces to eat them, yet the crust is still somewhat delicate. The menu has several types of pizzas, starting with Margherita pizza with mozzaretta and basil for $13, to a high of $18 for a Bianca with fontina, mozzarella, sottocenere and sage.

Bubbled and just slightly cracked in places, these pizzas seemed to come from the wood-burning oven still bursting with the activity of yeast, the interplay of fire with a few basic ingredients magically transformed. The power of a wood-burning oven is not just in its obvious effects -- quick cooking and incredible flavor. When cooking pizza in a wood-burning oven, a pizzaiolo (pizza maker) is attempting to control the uncontrollable. Each pizza is different, many are masterpieces, but some will always be better than others. It is impossible to create the perfect pizza every time, so eating at a place like Mozza isn't necessarily about experiencing perfection, it's more about the process of seeking it.

About 18 months after it has opened, Pizzeria Mozza is as popular as ever, every seat taken, even early on a Sunday evening. Pleasantly, many tables were occupied by families with children, an indispensable component of any pizzeria. Though it cannot entirely escape the Los Angeles curse of casual pretension, the place mats covered in fun facts about pizza, and breadsticks and cutlery wrapped in paper envelopes, manage to be charming rather than contrived.

I flew out of Los Angeles the next morning already dreaming of a return visit, but also plotting a new quest. The taste of that pizza was inspiring, and reminded me of an important fact. For such a simple food, pizza has an incredibly wide range of quality. Yet most people would admit that even bad pizza just isn't that bad. It's difficult to really dislike cheese and tomato sauce on bread. But good pizza? Really good pizza is basically life-changing.

There is a lot of pizza in and around Pittsburgh. In the past year alone at least 34 new pizzerias and restaurants serving pizza have opened in Allegheny County. I may not find a pizzeria to rival Pizzeria Bianco (where I've never been) or Pizzeria Mozza, but really, who cares? With all that pizza out there, some if it is sure to be fantastic.

I have no desire to make a pitch for Pittsburgh's best pizza. After all, to start that fight, I'd first have to justify choosing a specific kind of pizza: Roman Pizza? Neapolitan Pizza? New York or Chicago style? They can all be fantastic.

Instead, I'm looking for reader suggestions on great pizza, as much of it at as many restaurants as I can find.

So if you have a favorite pizzeria that I shouldn't miss, send me an e-mail or pick up your phone. I'll share my findings in the dining column by the end of the summer, as well as readers' opinions about their favorite pizza in Pittsburgh.