First stop: Al-Sa'ah, the famous eatery in the Mansour district, next to the house U.S. forces bombed back in April in the belief that Saddam was hiding there. Happily, the restaurant emerged unscathed. Sa'ah serves pan-style pizzas ($2.50 for a large pie) that have plenty of cheese but seemingly no tomato paste. "This one's too plain," says Sergeant Tolo Gbassage, 23, taking a break from his duties at an American military checkpoint. "They never put enough tomato sauce on these things." But Hamid Abdul Latif, 50, a clerk in the Iraqi Ministry of Justice, appreciates the unadorned flavor. "I like it plain," he says, "but that might be because I have an ulcer."
Next up is Al-Ferdan, whose wood-fire oven sports a copper plate with "In God We Trust" written above it in Arabic. The pizzas ($5, including a Coke) have thin crusts and fresh ingredients. "This is better," says Gbassage, who used to flip pizza dough at a Domino's in Stockton, California. Our Iraqi panel agrees. "The feeling in the mouth is good," says Qassim Wahim, 42, a clerk in the Ministry of Transport.
Finally, there's the Pizzeria Napoli, its walls adorned with pictures of Rome and a certificate of appreciation "for serving the soldiers of the 32nd Military Police Company." The pizza ($5) is simple but delicious. "They actually have excellent cheese in Iraq, and they're using it here," says Specialist Samantha Davila, 21, from San Antonio, Texas. "Great spices," says Wahim. "Your mouth lights up."