Santora’s Pizzeria

Expansion hasn’t been kind to Santora’s rep, but its 1927 founding actually makes it Buffalo’s oldest pizzeria (and arguably, America’s sixth oldest). And founder Fioravanti Santora’s legacy can be enjoyed in Depew (Santora’s oldest spot, it opened in 1970) where owner Larry Santora says they go their own way. The white-pockmarked undercarriage is poofier than most Buffalo-style pizzas but well-browned, its crust lined with a blackened edge where the cheese turns crusty. The sauce is sweet, the pepperoni is charred, there’s a crispy-crackly bite, and a hot melted cheese string stretches cartoon-like as you bite. While it looks less like the thin round pies of yesteryear found in old photos on Santora’s website, and more like the Bocce Club Pizza style that has become so popular around town, one thing’s clear: this is a great Buffalo pizza.