Iowa, Minnesota Restaurants Among Best Pizza Places in America

It's pretty safe to say that our part of the world is routinely ignored by the folks at the New York Times, but not apparently when it comes to pizza.

This week, The Times published its list of the 22 of the Best Pizza Places in the United States and the Tri-State Area got a double-dose of love.

In Iowa, they went off the beaten path a bit with the inclusion of Lincoln Wine Bar in the town of Mt. Vernon (population 4,500), east of Cedar Rapids.

The menu is filled with wood fired classics like Margherita, Mushroom, Veggie, Sausage, and Pepperoni, as well as specialties like Brie & Gorgonzola, Smoked salmon, and Beet with Pistachio Pesto.

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Minnesota's nod on the elite list goes to Ann Kim's Young Joni on 13th Ave NE in Uptown Minneapolis.

Here you'll find traditional favorites like the My Sha-Roni (with pepperoni and sausage) as well as Margherita, but they've also got unique offerings like La Parisienne (prosciutto di parma, gruyère, ricotta, brown butter, caramelized onion, arugula, and pickled mustard seed), Korean BBQ, Tavern Pie (mozzarella, pepperoni, and jalapeño, honey), Umami Mama (crimini, shiitake and portobello mushrooms, taleggio, fontina, parmigiano-reggiano, soy, and sesame), and Perfect Pickle Pie (sour pickles, mozzarella, fontina, smoked onions, chili, ranch dressing, potato chips, and dill).