Primitive flatbreads enriched with toppings may date back to ancient times, but 18th-century Naples is the birthplace of pizza as we know it. The city's signature dish is a point of local pride, and the characteristics of a proper pizza — an elastic dough made from wheat flour, water, salt and yeast; baking in a wood-burning oven at around 900 degrees F; a round, raised-rimmed final product with a garnished center — are all prerequisites. There are even organizations like the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN) that have successfully lobbied the European Union for an official definition of pizza Napoletana, while also certifying pizzerias worldwide that adhere to their standards. But not all pizzerias that embrace the spirit of Neapolitan pizza making are VPN-approved, and there are plenty of pizzerias in the U.S. and elsewhere, certified and otherwise, that make pizzas Naples would be proud of. Here are seven top stateside spots to get your fix.

Naples native Rosario Procino playfully refers to his ristorante-pizzeria near Union Square as "New York's Neapolitan Embassy." It's no wonder Italy's prime minister, Matteo Renzi, has been known to order takeout when he's in town. Procino opened Ribalta with fellow Neapolitan Pasquale Cozzolino in 2013. In addition to pizza made from naturally leavened dough, they offer small plates, pastas and salads inspired by the city of their birth. The VPN-certified pizzeria serves classics like margherita and marinara, while The Ribalta, a white pizza topped with mozzarella, sausage and broccoli rabe, is straight out of Naples, where such toppings abound. Even The Americana, a margherita topped with hot dogs and french fries, is commonplace in Naples these days, in spite of the name. In addition to round, personal pizzas, Ribalta also serves "pizza in pala," an extra-large pizza for two, a decided departure from the strict pizza Napoletana dogma. A second Ribalta location opened in Atlanta in 2014.

Born in the back of a neighborhood grocery store in 1988, Pizzeria Bianco has grown from a humble venture into a global point of reference for quality pizza making. Helmed by James Beard Award winner Chris Bianco, Pizzeria Bianco now has three locations — two in Phoenix and one in Tucson — each equally dedicated to celebrating natural flavors and delivering farm-fresh ingredients to the table. Neapolitan classics margherita and marinara are joined by original creations like The Rosa (red onion, Parmigiano Reggiano, rosemary, and local pistachios) and The Wise Guy (wood-roasted onion, house-smoked mozzarella and fennel sausage).

After a five-year run in New York's East Village, Una Pizza Napoletana transferred to San Francisco in 2010. Pizzaiolo Anthony Mangieri, a hardcore pizza purist, serves just five pizzas made from naturally fermented dough most days that he's open, which is only Wednesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. until the dough runs out. On Saturdays he adds a sixth to the rotation: the Apollonia, topped with fresh eggs, buffalo mozzarella, salami, Parmigiano Reggiano, extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, fresh garlic, sea salt and black pepper. It's by far his richest pie, and the only one featuring meat. The other pizzas are simple permutations of tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, herbs and sea salt, with or without cheese. The wine list is similarly spartan and highlights the smoky, mineral whites of Naples and its volcanic environs.