Looking for the best pizza in Des Moines? Start on the east side.

I’m not writing this to create controversy between us strong and proud and deeply rooted east-siders against the rest of Des Moines. It’s no secret which side of town I identify with, but in the interest of fairness, that bias (for now) is out the window.

With sound mind and even better taste buds, there’s no question where the city’s best family-owned Italian food, and especially pizza, can be found.

Once again, pat yourselves on the back, my fellow east-siders. We rock again. While other parts of the city have their glitzy name brands, we’ve got some of the best family-owned one-offs in the county, if not the state. Between the east and south sides, we’re Des Moines’ Italian food/pizza mecca.

And to that I say ...

Mm-mm-mm good!

Now that we’re back to whatever normalcy this writing business allows (after covering the NCAA Tournament and spring football and the NFL Draft), it’s back to the roots, and to wherever my hunger takes me.

Chuck's Restaurant in Highland Park. Scornovacca’s Ristorante, not far on SE 14th from where the city's best pizza, onion rings, garlic bread and Italian salad were cooked up (that’d be long-closed LaPizza House), and I’m just getting cranked up.

Baratta’s, that lovely restaurant on the south side (give yourself extra time to find it, because South Union Street isn’t the easiest to locate), has very good pizza. And while still on this heritage-rich side of town, so does Bordenaro’s Pizza and Pasta (Bordy’s to the regulars), and Paesanos Pizzeria, just a few steps from Lincoln High School.

I haven’t tried the pizza in Des Moines’ East Village. Yet. Recommendations gladly accepted.

Did I mention Truman’s KC Pizza Tavern, which is within walking distance of Principal Park? How about Sonny’s Pizza Bistro near Saylorville? That’s a gem of a place that might not be on everyone’s radar, but it’s certainly among my go-to spots.

Let’s not neglect our friends at Tumea and Sons (you can play Bocce Ball there, too) and the Latin King. They don’t have pizza, but if they’re not the best two Italian restaurants in Polk County, please enlighten me. And by the way, you can play Bocce at Scorno’s, too.

We east-siders are used to this kind of debate. We prefer our summertime ice cream from the Dairy Zone, across the street from the Anderson Erickson Dairy cows, and Granny’s Sweet Freeze (just Granny’s for us locals), which serves a mean chocolate malt.

Appropriately, that’s right down the Hubbell hill from my part of town’s best pizza. That, of course, would be Hilltop Restaurant, about a 3-iron from Bright Grandview Golf Course. I grew up in that neighborhood. I was at the restaurant just recently, sitting at the bar, chatting with owner Dave Enos — and watching second- and third-generation Hilltop loyalists nearly pack the place on a midweek night.

Bottom line: There’s no such thing as a bad pizza, it’s just that some are better than others — especially the pies from family-owned ovens on my side of town.

Randy Peterson, a sports columnist covering Iowa State University, is a Des Moines native and staunch east sider, except when he's kicking back in Okoboji. An East High School and Drake University graduate, he's been writing for the Des Moines Register since December 1972. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, 515-284-8132, and on Twitter at @RandyPete.

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This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines' best pizza can be found on the east side