Beer sales in U.S. restaurants rose by 9 percent last year.
According to American Heritage, the number of American pizza parlors grew from 500 in 1934 to 20,000 in 1956.
Last month’s International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas concluded with a $20,000 giveaway to one lucky attendee.
/// Places That Rock // Green Zone Pizza / Mia’s Pizza / Buck & Johnny’s Pizzeria
Green Zone Pizza
17008 Kercheval Street
Grosse Pointe, Michigan
(313) 332-0559
www.greenzonepizza.com
Green Zone’s carbon footprint is treading lightly. Its eco-friendly location features walls made of sustainable bamboo, LED lights and a counter made from recycled bottles. It even has a hybrid delivery car. The company has applied for LEED certification (and, if granted, it will be the first LEED-certified pizzeria in Michigan). The menu itself is teeming with environmentally friendly components. Most ingredients are local; meats are all natural with no steroids; and produce is pesticide free. Signature pizzas include the Michigan Cherry BBQ Chicken with free-range chicken, cherry bbq, red onions and mozzarella ($18 for a large) and the Michigan Shrimp Pizza with Michigan farm raised roasted shrimp, cilantro pesto, roasted peppers, spinach and mozzarella ($19 for a large).
Mia’s Pizza
4926 Cordell Avenue
Bethesda, Maryland
(301) 718-6427
www.miaspizzasbethesda.com
Mia’s owner, Melissa Ballinger, has earned acclaim as a top-notch chef in the Washington, D.C. metro area. With 19 small-plate options, Mia’s offers a twist to traditional appetizers with dishes like deviled eggs (which have made a noteworthy resurgence in recent years) and cauliflower fritti for $5 each. Nightly specials that promote entrée dishes highlight the menu including a “Meat Free Monday” feature. Mia’s wood-fired pizzas range from a littleneck with clams in the shell, garlic, capers, spicy sprinkles and Parmesan at $14 to the alsace with pancetta, caramelized onions, gruyere, parmesan and thyme at $13. Beside the usual, Mia’s kid’s menu also features a unique item: a fruit plate at $4.
Buck & Johnny’s Pizzeria
100 Berard Street
Breaux Bridge, Louisiana 70517
(337) 442-6630
www.buckandjohnnyspizzeria.com
Buck & Johnny’s sits in a small town just outside of Lafayette, Louisiana, which has put itself on the map as a culinary capital in the South. Opened in 2010, the pizzeria brings that same flare to an old building that formerly housed an auto dealership and garage. In keeping with that ambiance, oil can light fixtures and tin signs accentuate the dining room. Second story balcony seating overlooks the entire restaurant. It offers an eclectic menu with pies sliced into squares. Buck & Johnny’s has garnered kudos for putting gator on its menu. The Bayou Blast includes red sauce, cheddar, alligator sausage, taco, shrimp, crawfish, jalapenos and onions at $22.50 for a 14-inch. Another Louisiana specialty pizza is the Muffuletta with garlic herb oil, provolone, mortadella, salami, capricola, marinated olives and sesame seed at $22.50 for a 14-inch.
