Hops & Pie

3920 Tennyson St.
Denver, Colorado 80212
(303) 477-7000
www.hopsandpie.com

Craft beer and artisan pizza prove to be the perfect pair at this Mile High pizzeria. Even its dough is made with 50/50 beer and water. Hops and Pie smokes and braises its own meats, something that caught the attention of The Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” Host Guy Fieri went wild for its beer-braised brisket pie. The pizzeria menus an Artisan Pie of the Month. Last month’s was topped with Boudin sausage, Havarti cheese, Creole sauce, braised chicken, Cajun rice, sautéed bell peppers, onions and pickled okra ($21 for a 16-inch). It also highlights a weekly artisan sandwich, like the BBQ-glazed meatloaf on a house roll, topped with home fries, applewood smoked bacon and fried onion strings.

Lamp Wood Oven Pizzeria

8900 E. Pinnacle Peak Rd.
Scottsdale, Arizona 85255
(480) 292-8773
www.lamppizza.com

This neighborhood pizzeria is a contemporary spot with contrasting white wall and pops of dark wood and its red wood-burning oven. Lamp features six white pizzas and 13 red pizzas. The red-sauced Kicker ($16) is topped with spicy Calabrian peppers, hot Calabrese salami, fresh mozzarella, Pecorino, basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Zuchinni cakes with basil aioli kick off the starters. To top off a meal, Lamp has a Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake ($6).

Pizzeria Orso

400 S. Maple Ave.
Falls Church, Virginia 22046
(703) 226-3460
www.pizzeriaorso.com

The northern Virginia pizzeria is the creation of Chef Will Artley, who participated in the White House Guest Chef program and is a recipient of numerous area “Best Chef” honors. Pizzeria Orso’s handmade, volcanic brick oven is its showpiece and offers authentic Neapolitan favorites in addition to some creative craft pizzas. The Fun Guy ($15) is topped with wild mushrooms, mozzarella, Fontina and Parmesan. The Orso ($17) features prosciutto, mozzarella, pecorino tuscano, grana, ricotta and garlic. The pizzeria also makes its breads in house and offers a variety of starters, pastas, salads, entrées and desserts.

Oley’s Pizza

10910 US Highway 24 W.
Fort Wayne, Indiana 46814
(260) 432-6996
www.oleys.net

Oley’s is famous for its double crust pizza, a spin on Chicago-style that takes up to 45 minutes to bake. Two thin crusts are stuffed with loads of its custom cheese blend and topped with sauce, toppings and more cheese. While its deluxe is most popular, other combinations include The Californian with a house-made artisan spinach dip, mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, grilled chicken and light feta cheese. Oven-baked subs are also a hit, like the Super Sub with ham, salami, pepperoni, capicola, green peppers, onion, pizza sauce and mozzarella on Italian bread ($6.20 for a whole sub).