Bean doesn't care that daylight saving time is over.

Teglia Pizza in Glasgow: great Roman-style pizza al taglio. Nabbed two slices: potato with oregano, rosemary, and salt; and one with leeks, atop of mozzarella, scamorza, and Taleggio. Crust is almost like a thin focaccia, the ingredients are fresh and hearty, edging close to overabundance. Love it.

I was almost alone at The Boathouse in Edinburgh, looking out at Portobello Beach on this cold, rainy, late October day, thinking how much busier this place must be in the summer. And I had this pizza.

Pala in Leith Edinburgh, opened months ago, serves authentic Roman-style slices. On my visit, it seemed to be a magnet for people speaking Italian. I nabbed a slice with potato, garlic, and Taleggio; and one with prosciutto, ricotta, and cherry tomato. Crispy crust, top notch ingredients. Stellar.

Wonderful pizza at Matto in Meadowbank, Edinburgh. This one had a white base, with mozzarella, goat, Gorgonzola, Taleggio, Parmesan, black pepper, and basil. Salty, and surprisingly light crust. Excellent lunch.

Bean is ready to sleep!

Leith Edinburgh's Razzo Pizza Napoletana: higher-tier Neapolitan style, with crust that seemed perfectly to spec. Chewy with a crisp edge, and light. This pie, with smoked provola and black pepper, was like a margherita but with a sharper and earthier profile. Delicious.

Civerinos's Portobello location is great, with seating on the seaside. Sadly, the nice finishing cheese couldn't cover up the fact these slices had most of their flavour taken out by being reheated too long. Even the edges were charred, and not in the good way. Might opt for a fresh pie next time.

Piotsa in Stirling, Scotland opened in May, and is already having a great start. Petra 3 flour; 48+ hour ferment. I dug the "Margherita+", taking the classic plus cherry tomatoes, basil oil, and sea salt. The prosciutto, rocket, and Parmigiano Reggiano was well-proportioned. Really great pizzas.

Thomas J. Clapperton, a Scottish sculptor, is more known for his prominent statues and monuments around Scotland. There is also "Black Cat", a life-sized depiction, on display at the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow. artuk.org/discover/art...

Glasgow's Dough Man's Land is a vintage horsebox with a wood-burning dome oven stuffed in. Dough with '00' flour with a long ferment (they said it's ~48 hours in two stages, although my dough was from six days ago (?!)). Excellent texture w/ salty and sour edges. Beautiful leopard print. Delightful.

Sear's Pizza in Edinburgh has the trappings of a New York style shop, with slices fairly representative of what you'd find at a $1 slice shop in Manhattan at an off hour. But for £3 (~$4). I'll probably return to see what their namesake slice is like (vodka sauce, mozz, pesto swirl) when it's fresh.

San Ciro's in Leith Edinburgh is a tribute to Naples pizza and football. Menu reads like a team roster. I got the mozzarella, pecorino, taleggio, burrata, black pepper, and olive oil, which was surprisingly well-balanced. Solid Neapolitan crust with a thick chew and light crisp. Solid.

Dough, in Edinburgh's New Town, served friends and I some heavy pies. The "fresh beetroot bites" that looked like blue crisps was a new one for me. The four-cheese pizza was a recipe for lethargy. Maybe planning on half of a pizza next time is a better idea here.

Civerinos has six locations across Edinburgh and Glasgow, serving up "New York style" pizzas since 2014. What I got felt right between Neapolitan and New York style. Served with a pizza cutter, or you can use a knife and fork. I chose the former, and the slices held. Straightforward crust.

Bean is my new friend in Edinburgh. Fluffier and softer than she may appear, and a very high pitched mew. My cohabitant until 01 Dec.

Pronto in Portobello, a suburb of Edinburgh: high quality Neapolitan takeaway, with slices that you can hold with one hand.

I'll be in Scotland for the next month and a half. Took a brief walk around Edinburgh today and popped into Slab Shop, which first opened this summer. I have about ten more pizzas on my to-do list, and was happy to get this one out of the way.

Square in Newcastle makes excellent Detroit style. They use a mozzarella-leaning cheese blend instead of Wisconsin brick cheese. This one also had Pecorino Romano, ricotta, pepperoni, chilli flakes, hot honey, and bits of basil, topped with their slow-cooked red sauce. 48-hour dough, great edges.

This cat probably knows more about the happenings out here than its humans do.

The "Brooklyn Bee" at Scream for Pizza in Newcastle. A nod to the birthplace of hot honey pizzas, with tomato, fior di latte, Grana Padano, pepperoni, spianata, olive oil, basil, and a drizzle of their house-made chilli honey. A tad greasy and oily, but in those gluttonously satisfying ways.

Outstanding pizza at Flint in Newcastle upon Tyne. A harder and crunchier crust that leaned delightfully salty. A high-end Margherita with a nice sour finishing cheese. One of the best pizzas I've had in the UK.

Proove Pizza, delivered in a pinch to my hotel room in Sheffield, without cutlery (despite me ticking the box for it on Deliveroo). Two ways to tackle this situation: fold in half twice, or just tear into large slices. I did the latter but in hindsight should have done the former. Worked either way.

Otto and Weasel have been such lovely goofballs. It's bittersweet that I need to move on to the next city and the next cat! Heading north from here. The last shot is when Weasel really seemed to know I was leaving. 😿

You could see Banksy's "Well Hung Lover" on Park near Frogmore Street in Bristol. Or you could go around the corner to see this lovely cat on Unity Street!

Bertha's Pizza in Bristol. Straightforward long-ferment sourdough pizzas in Wapping Wharf. Cute space.

Otto soaking in the morning sun.

Caturday vibes.

Every now and then, I like to remind myself what the big chain pizzas are like. This first time exploring Papa Johns in the UK (Cheltenham). The texture of a pizza, but oddly devoid of much taste. Like white bread, bland cheese, and mild pepperoni. Results in a feeling of being full, yet empty.

Gigi's Pizza in Bristol. Excellent take on New York style with a very pronounced sourdough crust.

Phoebe, aka Weasel, is auditioning to be the perfect cat. 🍞

Whittle Taps is a Cheltenham pub, part of the 150 Social Pub & Kitchen locations across the country. Surprised to see “Detroit” style on the menu, and indeed it is, in shape and size. But this uncut and underdone block of empty calories topped with sweet and spicy jam is everything but Detroit.

Royal Shakespeare Company’s Measure for Measure had unexpected thrills: a floor breaking and part of a set almost fell on someone. As the performances were powerful and vibrant, it far overcame those errors. It felt as if this 1604 play was written for 2025. www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/s...

Corte Campana in Stratford-upon-Avon: Neapolitan, but large pies with slices you can fold. Salty and sweet mix of cheeses with fior di latte, smoked Provola, gorgonzola D.O.P, and grated Parmesan.

Weasel and Otto. 💓💓

L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele is a historic mecca in gritty Naples. They're a true standard of Neapolitan style dating back to 1870. More recently, they've expanded globally, including on Baker Street in London. The oversized and thin pies felt authentic to the original, but jarringly out of context.

I'll always pet the cat. (Cheltenham, England)

I love a good church conversion. St. James' Church in Cheltenham was built in the 1820s, and by the mid-2000s it was sold to Zizzi, a pizzeria chain which now has 142 locations across the UK and Ireland. The pizza isn't enough for me to return, but it is a beautiful space.

I'm back with Otto and Weasel after some days off, and they were very pleased to soak up the morning sun.

For years, Ann Kim was making some of the best pizzas in Minnesota. She studied hard, did the work, and carved her own path. On the way, she said and did stuff I disagreed with, but she's been treated disproportionally horribly compared to her counterparts. www.startribune.com/yuen-young-j...

I'll always pet the cat. (Tewkesbury, England)

The Stump, a country pub in Cirencester in the Cotswolds, was a coaching inn during the 17th century. Today, the rustic interiors are paired with pizzas by Baz & Fred, which runs the pizza operations in a few upmarket pubs. 72-hour dough and top notch ingredients make this very premium pub fare.

Straightforward but high-tier Neapolitan pies at Fuego in Worcester. I was the only patron there; it should be busier.

Bristol's Pizzarova: a rich sourdough crust with a pronounced sour twang and a bit of sweetness. The "Margherita Deluxe" has tomato, basil, and mozzarella, with juicy sun-blushed tomatoes, very thick Parmesan shavings, and chilli flakes for heat. Flavorfully strong, but well-rounded pie. Fantastic.

"Polydactyl ‘ships’ Cat" by Stewy. Next to the Coronation Road Co-op in Southville, Bristol.

Bristol's Bag of Nails is one of the best pubs with cats I've ever been in.

Otto is chill.

The Bottle of Sauce, a Dodo Pub Company pub in Cheltenham, with dim lighting and 48-hour ferment pizza dough. While the interior of the pub is different, the pizza crust is indistinguishable from its sister pub, The Airs & Graces. Got the Bee Sting (tomato, mozzarella, pepperoni, hot honey, basil).

Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's 35006 Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co., a Southern Railway rebuilt Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2 steam locomotive. Built in 1941. 🚂

Weasel and Otto are excellent goofballs.