Steve's Pizza

With so many New Yorkers migrating to Miami, you'd think we'd have the staples of that city mastered. Although we have plenty of options when it comes to a towering pastrami sandwich or a perfect lox-and-cream-cheese bagel, we're still lacking in the all-important pizza-by-the-slice department. That is, unless you live near North Miami, where Steve's Pizza has been a neighborhood institution since 1974. The little joint has nailed the look and feel of a local hangout: It's always crowded, especially Sundays; the dingy walls are covered in graffiti; and the slouching, tattooed cashiers take your order with the proper air of indifference. The brick-oven, no-frills pizza would survive in Brooklyn, and that's saying something. Steve's has mastered an irresistible sweet tomato sauce and an artfully simple crust that's crisp on the outside and comfortably doughy inside. And the pastas are excellent as well. Try the spaghetti and meatballs and the baked ziti. But the real deal is pizza by the slice done right — a rare delicacy in the tropics.