WE DiG: PIZZA

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Take another little pizza my heart now baby.

I admit, I frequently volunteer to make a pizza run. Not because I’m magnanimous, or to escape the family chaos for a moment (that’s a side perk), but because one of the greatest unsung happinesses of life is having a warm pizza box on your lap. (But drive carefully, or you’ll have actual pizza on your feet. True story.) Pizza is truly the universal food – beloved by old and young, male and female, human and Ninja Turtle, it’s 100 percent adaptable to every individual preference and need (even with gluten-free dough). What kind of person doesn’t love pizza? A weirdough! (I’m here all night folks, tip your waitress.)

Grandma Pie
O4W Pizza | 3117 Main Street, Duluth

Named for its original home in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood in Atlanta, O4W serves up the best in Jersey-style pizza, including its most famous pizza — the crispy, square-crusted, margherita-style Grandma Pie. Created with house-made mozzarella, light marinara made from California tomatoes, Pecorino-Romano, olive oil, fresh oregano and topped with fresh basil, this homestyle delight tastes like a traditional Italian grandmother spent all day on it. Renowned food-guide Zagat even named O4W one of its “15 Must-Try Pizza Joints Across the U.S.,” and The Daily Meal included the restaurant in its “101 Best Pizzas in America,” both citing Grandma Pie as the reason for the ranking.

Holy Shiitake
Mellow Mushroom | 320 Town Center Avenue, Suwanee

One word: black truffle oil. We suspect it’s actually made by fairies or elves via unicorn magic, but one thing is for certain: it supernaturally improves everything, including Mellow Mushroom’s Holy Shiitake specialty pizza. The mushroom pizza that even mushroom haters love features three kinds of mushrooms (the namesake shiitake, button and portobello) on an olive oil and garlic base with caramelized onions, and mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. As if that wasn’t enough, this gorgeous pie is finished off with a garlic aioli swirl, a spritz of magical black truffle oil and garnished with fresh chives and shaved parmesan. MM says that “Mellow is a state of mind,” but particularly after you finish off one of these.

New York Thin Slice & Sicilian Thick Slice
Fini’s Pizzeria | 1032 Old Peachtree Road, Lawrenceville

Look, when the owner of a pizzeria is named Massimo Fini and he was born and raised in Italy, you’ve got to take his pizza skills seriously. He even perfected said skills in his father’s New York pizzeria after immigrating to the U.S. Honoring his dual heritages, Fini’s offers both New York-style thin crust and Sicilian thick crust by-the-slice all day, every day, with your choice of toppings or as supremo, veggie or molto meat specialty pies. You need to visit this family-owned business that’s been awarded “Best in Gwinnett” nine different times, capisce?

Craft Series Pizzas
Your Pie | 3370 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road, Suwanee

This down-the-line brick oven pizza franchise has a variety of great pizzas on their menu, and of course, the option to create your own. But if you’ve been skipping the Your Pie Craft Series, it’s time to rethink your pizza consumption. The rotating Craft Series menu has been a brand staple since 2008, unveiling five innovative pizzas annually. The Craft Series has introduced unique culinary combinations like the award-winning Peach Prosciutto Pie (fresh peaches, prosciutto and a honey balsamic glaze), Voodoo Pie (Cajun-inspired flavors and Zapp’s Voodoo Chips), BBQ Mac n’ Cheese (a delicious tailgate-inspired combo), Loaded Baked Potato (a spin on a traditional fall comfort food) Chicken and Waffle (exactly what it sounds like), and most recently, Double Bacon BLT.

Colosseum Meat Lovers
Luigi’s Slice of Italy | 3260 Buford Drive, Buford

As the name might suggest, this is the gladiator of carnivore pizzas: Luigi’s special sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, Italian sausage, ham, bacon and meatballs. Truly, the Eighth New Wonder of the World. A slice of Italy in the heart of Buford, all of Luigi’s pizzas are hand-crafted and made using the freshest ingredients, highest quality meats and cheeses, and have a selection of gluten-free options. Luigi’s greatest asset may well be the staff, who are considered familiglia: not all born Italian, but brought together by a passion for great Italian food. Benvenuti!

Honorable Mention
A close-by and favorite to the DiG design studio that keeps us fueled is Cosmos in Lawrenceville!