The next tasting was at Mediterraneo on upper Main Street. Even after two slices of pizza and the appetizers and drinks at Caragiulo’s, we still had plenty of spring in our step as we bounded out of the limo and into the bar, where we watched Bruno Argiolas, a third-generation pizza chef from Sardinia, Italy, create our next meal. The wood-burning oven bathed the bar in a warm glow as Mediterraneo’s general manger, Ernesto De Oliveira, listed the toppings: red tomato sauce; mozzarella cheese; bresaola, an air-dried Italian beef similar to filet mignon; and arugula. Just before the pizza was pulled from the oven, Bruno asked the judges whether they preferred a crispy or regular crust. “How about one of each?” Jennie asked, and Bruno obliged with a big smile.

“This is real Italian flour that has been treated respectfully by real Italians,” Mark declared after just one bite. Colette loved the air-dried beef, adding that the understated sauce let the other ingredients shine; and Judi agreed with her assessment of the sauce. She also appreciated that her slice folded nicely. “I love pizza out of a wood-burning oven,” she said. “Cornmeal doesn’t need to be used to dust the dough, so the pizza’s integrity is maintained.”

Next it was off to Zoria, where we sank into red leather couches in the lobby. While glasses of red wine were poured, we engaged in idle pizza talk. As Mark described the merits of the ubiquitous dish, he became almost euphoric. “I would name my children after pizza!” he exclaimed. Jennie looked a little alarmed, but the other judges laughed, suggesting names like “Arugula” or “Mozzarella” for his twin girls. “The carbs are getting to you!” Judi teased.

Zoria’s approach to pizza is to bake toppings on a flatbread crust rather than the traditional yeasty dough. We tasted a “classico” topped with tomato, basil and mozzarella. Colette applauded the creamy, pure flavor of the cheese. “This [pizza] is not a new idea, but it’s beautifully executed,” she said. John echoed those sentiments, calling the dough “thin, crisp and flavorful. You can’t go wrong with this minimalist approach.” Judi noted that the cheeses had “great balance”—none of them overpowered the others—but, unlike John, she didn’t like the chewy dough. And Jennie loved the overall taste and texture and the “wonderful sweetness” of the mozzarella cheese.

It was hard to peel ourselves off those comfortable couches, but we still had still one stop left: Cosimo’s Brick Oven in the Westfield Southgate mall. Owners John and Susie Ganley seated us around a long table and regaled us with facts about the number of pizzas Cosimo’s sold last year: “Fifteen thousand margheritas, 3,500 quattro formaggis and 4,500 spinach and bacon pizzas,” John boasted. We tasted the quattro formaggi—a white pizza with mozzarella, fontina, Parmigiano and gorgonzola cheeses topped with diced tomato—and the rich, salty flavor evoked moans of delight almost immediately. “The flavors of all four cheeses are distinct, but they blend together beautifully,” Jennie said. “The ingredients are fresh and flavorful.”

Colette noted that the pizza was rich but not overdone. “Sumptuous. Rich. Wonderful,” were the only words her happy husband could manage; and Mark declared the crust “perfect,” the cheese “just right,” and the pizza as a whole “charismatic and loyal to its roots.” After finishing our slices, we lingered around the table for a few minutes before heading back to the waiting limo—but not before Mark and Jennie bought everyone ice cream from Big Olaf Creamery, conveniently located directly across from Cosimo’s. “You have to end the evening with something sweet!” Jennie said.

And the winner of our pizza competition? After three hours, five restaurants, five superb slices, two glasses of wine, a limoncello and a big scoop of ice cream, the judges’ decision was made: Cosimo’s quattro formaggi is the king of Sarasota pizza, followed closely by Mediterraneo and Zoria. However, everyone agreed that each pizza was delicious, that the ultimate decision was tough, and that Sarasota pizza lovers are the real winners because of all the fantastic options we have. Bravo!

Do you have a favorite Sarasota gourmet pizza that was not included in our judging? Please go to this story at sarasotamagazine.com and post your nominations for the People’s Choice gourmet pizza.

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Bits and Pizzas
All about the pie.

--The food commonly known as pizza was born in Naples, Italy, after poor Neapolitan citizens began adding tomatoes to their yeast-based flatbread. By the mid-18th century, however, the snack had gained popularity and was sold in open-air stands by street vendors.