Detroit-style pizza is carving out its place on the national pizza scene. Leading the charge on that forefront in the Dallas area is Lewisville's Motor City Pizza. Owner Greg Tierney, who hails from the Motor City, started with a pop-up to test the waters. The venture was a success. In late 2021, he debuted the brick-and-mortar version of Motor City Pizza. Detroit-style pizza is a rectangular deep dish with a lighter and airier dough than Chicago-style. And the cheese must be Wisconsin brick cheese spread all the way to the edges, where it melts down the sides of the pan, caramelizing and crisping the crust. Yes, it's as game-changing as it sounds.

Dallas is a pizza haven with diverse styles: Neapolitan, Neo Neapolitan, Detroit, Deep Dish, St. Louis-style and New York-style. Choosing the "best pizza" is challenging, akin to picking between a Porsche and a Ferrari. For us, Zoli's NY Pizza reigns supreme. It captures the essence of traditional New York-style pizza, with a masterpiece crust that stays firm despite hefty toppings while the edges remain light and airy. For added pizzazz, they offer the option of sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning on the crust. In addition to the dozen or so pizzas on the regular menu, Zoli's offers a creative new pizza each month that allows you to embark on a culinary journey and discover new flavor combinations.

For most Chicagoans, the real go-to Chicago-style pizza is not that thick overly sauced 5-pound slab of overpriced dough called "deep dish" but rather the thin, crispy perfectly topped tavern-style pizza so prevalent in local corner bars. Thankfully, the Dallas area has a few spots serving pizza in this manner, and Louie's is perhaps the oldest and most beloved of the bunch, and understandably so. The pizza bears a rich and complex sauce that you know has been simmering slowly for hours on the back stove. It sits atop a crust that is thin but not overly cooked, with plump, fresh toppings.

It's been a good year for Italian food in Dallas. A number of big-name places have opened, but at the end of the day, you can't go wrong with this cozy and charming corner spot downtown with Neapolitan pizzas from the owner-chef who is a Naples native. Also, don't miss the from-scratch pastas, including the lasagna Napoletana. It's made with smoked mozzarella, meatballs and ricotta and is available only on Friday and Saturday. Or go for the ziti alla Genovese, a quintessential Neapolitan pasta dish. Try to snag a seat so that you can watch the massive pizza oven.

We've all been there: Your extended family is in town and you have no idea how to keep them all entertained, let alone how to feed them. Aunt Shirley is on a juice cleanse and Uncle Frank is a carnivore, plus some of your cousins tell you that they're fully gluten-free. Don't stress: Take your folks to Dallas Farmers Market. This sprawling bazaar is fun to browse and includes a vast array of cuisines. There's the always-excellent Mexican joint Taqueria La Ventana, featuring tasty handmade tacos. Pizza lovers can indulge in an authentic Neapolitan pie fresh from BellaTrino's famed wood-burning oven. And JuiceBabe's delish smoothies are perfect for sipping as you stop by some of the market's specialty shops. No matter where you eat, you can't go wrong with Dallas Farmers Market.

Jimmy's, of course, is more than a sandwich shop. It's a small grocery store that sells Italian wines, cheeses, snacks and olive oils that's also a full deli selling house-made sausages, sauces, pizzas, lasagnas and meatballs. There is even a wine-tasting room in the back. The freshly prepared sandwiches, such as the Italian sub, muffuletta, Calabrese and Italian beef, are unmatched in Dallas. Seating is limited, lines can be long, and parking is always a challenge, but nothing this good is easy.

We invented this category a few years ago when our restaurant critic had his birthday on a Monday — the day of the week on which most of Dallas' best restaurants take a break. But some are still serving food on Monday nights, including Partenope, downtown's terrific Neapolitan pizza and pasta spot. Chef-owner Dino Santonicola grew up making and eating pizzas in Naples, worked at Dallas chain Il Cane Rosso and now has his own place to show off his skills. You can have a fancy night out with fine wines and pastas, or you can grab a pizza to go. In the early summer, Partenope served a Neapolitan traditional delicacy called the "Pizza Americana," topped with hot dogs and french fries.

The Exchange Hall at the AT&T Discovery District in downtown Dallas takes the cake when it comes to shaking off the workday blues. A collection of some of the city's best offerings all within one space includes Revolver Tacos, Monkey King Noodle Company, La Duni and Zalat Pizza plus some new spots like Bobbers and Whips and The Dock. Add in the full bar, TVs and a spacious plaza with art, a large lawn and a babbling water feature, and it's a lunch slam dunk. Bonus: complimentary parking is available at 1212 Jackson St.; get your ticket validated at any host stand.

Reliable pizza dough, bountiful salads and craving-fulfilling pastas are just what we needed downtown. "When I cook something for you, I want to remind you of your childhood. If you've been somewhere and you had a dish, I want this dish to take you back there," owner Dino Santonicola says. "I've got people who drive here from Frisco because they've been to Naples, and they had a dish there and say, 'This is exactly what it tasted like in Naples.' That's the best compliment."