One of the suggestions I often get for the Pizza Scene is to score pizza places using stars, pizza slices, sausage wads or pepperonis. I've avoided doing this because it's not easy coming up with the right number of pepperonis to tell the whole story. As I've often found, a place might have one incredible pizza and others that are second-rate. How many pepperonis do you give for that?

But I understand - people need to know who's got the best pie in town. As consolation for the lack of ratings, I'd like to reveal my Top Pizza Picks of Broad Ripple.

Unlike some questionable reader surveys you've probably seen elsewhere, pure subjectivism was used to produce these results, so you know there's a level playing field. No stuffing of the ballot box by friends and relatives of the pizzeria owners was involved here.

You may be wondering, what does it take to make an exceptional pie in my book? It's mainly the crust and the sausage. The hardest part is the crust - prefab crusts don't stand a chance in my top picks. Why is good sausage so hard to come by? It's a mystery to me. It would seem all you have to do is find the right supplier and you're done, but few have mastered it. Of course, some people may actually prefer crumbled-pork-topping.

On to the top picks: First place is a tie between Union Jack Pub (924 Broad Ripple Ave) for their Chicago-style pizzas, and Bazbeaux (811 E. Westfield Blvd) for their California-style gourmet pies. Both are awesome, and both are in the heart of Broad Ripple, but the similarity ends there. Union Jack provides British pub atmosphere, a broad menu of pub-fare and over seventy beers to choose from. Bazbeaux has exotic gourmet pizzas, unique ambience and abundant outdoor dining.

Next in line are Some Guys (6235 Allisonville Road) and WB Pizza (6165 Allisonville Road). These are on the outskirts of Broad Ripple, less than a block apart. Both offer exceptional crusts, excellent sausage, a wide range of gourmet toppings and somewhat quirky atmospheres. Some Guys is more upscale, WB more casual, but choosing between these two is a tough call - I recommend trying both.

Honorable mention goes to Keystone Sports Review (5602 N. Keystone) and Binkley's Kitchen & Bar (5902 N. College Ave). KSR has a well-worn character, but the food quality, prices and service are hard to beat. Binkley's provides a classy environment and artistically crafted pizzas - their Mexican Chicken pizza is superb.

With over thirty nearby pizza places to choose from, Broad Ripple can add one more notch to its belt - its diverse pizza scene.