With a pizzeria in practically every strip shopping center, we could easily order a pie at a different restaurant each night. But for a slice of perfection, there's no contest. We head to Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza in Fort Lauderdale. And clearly we're not alone.

The small but stylish pizzeria is a rising star. Celebrating its third anniversary in August, Anthony's already has expanded from 50 to 70 seats to accommodate the crowds that gather each weekend for some of the best, if not the best, pizza and chicken wings around. A second site opened in May in Weston. Another is planned for Aventura and more are in the works.

For now, Anthony's is still an original, comfortable enough for families, hip and sophisticated enough for networking or date nights. On weekends, patrons waiting for a table are gathered around the tiny bar, drinking glasses of Californian or Italian wine -- they stock about 15 labels. The room is dimly lit, with high ceilings, decorated with framed celebrity pictures.

The menu is limited, but what they do -- gourmet pizzas, smoky chicken wings, oven-cooked roast beef, family-style salad and toasty focaccia -- they do very well. Or as the slogan here goes: ``Well done.''

That's because pizzas are cooked for three minutes in 800-degree ovens that burn anthracite, which is processed and shipped from northern mines. The anthracite ''burns cleaner than regular coal,'' says Michelangelo Mozzicato, co-owner with his wife Debra and partner Anthony Bruno (who owns Anthony's Runway 84 in Fort Lauderdale). It's not the easiest way to cook pizza -- in fact, they have to build their restaurants around the oven -- but taste the result: a thin, crisp crust, singed and blackened along the edges; vegetables that stay juicy and crisp; and cheese bubbles toasted a golden brown.

Transplants from New York and New Jersey are likely familiar with the smoky taste of a coal-fired pizza, but when Anthony's opened, it was the only place using coal in Florida, says Sicilian-born Mozzicato.

You can pick a pizza to satisfy every craving, starting at $10.50 for a small (12-inch) to $13.50 for a large (16-inch) regular pie. Toppings (at an extra charge) range from arugula to anchovies, prosciutto to pepperoni, and Anthony's makes a version of the traditional Margherita pie (originally created for an Italian queen) made with tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil -- no sauce. You can also get a white pizza with ricotta, mozzarella and Romano cheeses; plus a calzone.

But what makes this coal-fired pizzeria a real gem are the specialty pies. Our favorite is the Eggplant Marino, named after the Hall of Fame quarterback. The story is that Dan Marino's favorite dish at Anthony's Runway 84 is eggplant rollatini, so the kitchen started calling it Eggplant Marino. The pizzeria adopted the name for its delicious pie made with ultra-thin slices of eggplant, dusted with Parmesan.

Other specialty pies that are also can't-miss hits: meatball and ricotta, broccoli rabe and sausage, Philly cheese-steak.

The coal-fired oven also turns out Anthony's sensational chicken wings. There's no grease or heavy breading, but the meat is juicy and flavorful, the skin crisp. The wings are paired with grilled onions and slices of toasty focaccia sprinkled with rosemary, and served in cast-iron pans. They come in orders of 10 ($7.95) and 20 pieces ($12.95) -- and they're easily devoured in a New York minute.

Anthony's also offers two toasted sandwiches -- a delicious top-round roast beef and Italian tuna salad dressed with lemon and olive oil.

Another must here is the family-style Italian salad, a fresh mix of romaine hearts, garbanzo beans, onions, celery, kalamata olives, boiled eggs and tomatoes tossed with Italian dressing (add Gorgonzola for $2). Listed for two, it easily feeds four if you're ordering other items.

Finish up with -- what else? -- New York-style cheesecake for a true Anthony's experience.