Pizza Fat Olives, Flagstaff Goob’s Pizza, Springerville
pies with hand-pulled mozzarella and high-quality toppings perched on a soft, luscious crust that retains a crunch. They also offer dessert pizzas, like the scrumptious Black and Blue, blackberries and blueberries on a creamy honey base, topped with mint and powdered sugar.
Details: 418 E. Beale St. 928-753-3626, www.floydandcompany.com.
Pizzeria Bocce, Cottonwood
Chef Michelle Jurisin traveled to Italy to become certified by Verace Pizza Napoletana, a Naples-based organization that promotes the tradition of Neapolitan pizza. Pizzas are made the traditional way, using imported Caputo flour to form crusts that are hand-stretched. They’re topped with fresh ingredients and cooked in a wood-burning oven. The most popular is the Cire’s with housemade Italian sausage, pepperoni, ricotta, mushrooms, basil and fresh mozzarella. A beautiful stone patio with benches and comfy couches surrounds a fire pit and bocce ball court.
Details: 1060 N. Main St. 928-2023597, www.boccecottonwood.com.
Velvet Elvis, Patagonia
This is the kind of eatery you hope to discover on every road trip — a middleof-nowhere gem with an artistic vision and passion for healthy and delicious food. Designer pizzas are built using a savory whole-wheat crust as a platform, sturdy but light and perfectly charred, with an eclectic blend of toppings. The Southwest Diva is packed edge to edge with cilantro pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, peperoncini, green olives, feta and mozzarella. Slices are also available.
Details: 292 Naugle Ave. 520-3942102, www.velvetelvispizza.com.
Vero Amore, Tucson
This was the first pizzeria in Arizona to receive certification from Verace Pizza Napoletana. The high heat of the oven blisters the crust so it emerges with a tender crispness. Sauce lightly coats the pie yet is rich and vibrant. The Lussuria is topped with garlic, crushed red peppers and Genoa salami, giving each bite a smoky, slightly spicy finish.
Details: 12130 N. Dove Mountain Blvd., 520-579-2292. 2920 Swan Road, 520-325-4122. www.veroamorepizza.com
Pisa Lisa, Sedona
This restaurant offers delicious wood-fired pizzas and gourmet salads in a stylish setting in west Sedona. The sauces and dressings were created at chef Lisa Dahl’s fine-dining restaurants in town and add a decadent touch to this casual eatery. The pizza crust is thin but firm and beautifully charred. The Au Sauvage is topped with Calabrese sausage, San Daniele prosciutto, picante peppers, spicy coppa and soppressata salami.
Details: 2245 W. State Route 89A. 928282-5472, www.pisalisa.com.
Screaming Banshee Pizza, Bisbee
Located in a repurposed old gas station, Screaming Banshee turns out woodfired pies with an exotic array of toppings. Build your own or try one of the specialties. The namesake Screaming Banshee comes with house-made fennel sausage, roasted onions and mushrooms. Throw on some meatballs if you’re feeling feisty. They also know their way around pastas, calzones, salads and more.
Details: 200 Tombstone Canyon Road. 520-432-1300, www.screaming bansheepizza.net.
Old County Inn, Pine
Open less than a year, Old County Inn has garnered a loyal following with artisan, wood-fired pizzas. Virtually everything, from the sausage to the crunchy pickles, is made in house. Try the Meat Pie topped with sausage, bacon and small pepperoni crisped at the edges along with sweet mozzarella and grana padano. Sit inside and watch the food being made in the open kitchen, or out on the spacious patio.
Details: 3502 N. State Route 87. 928476-6560, www.oldcountyinn.com.
Brooklyn Pizza Co., Tucson
Anchoring the eclectic shopping and dining corridor of Fourth Avenue, this solar-powered pizza joint dishes up the hand-tossed pies reminiscent of its namesake neighborhood. Owner and former New Yorker Tony Vaccaro set out to build the type of place he remembered, then wanted to make it better. Thus the solar panels that result in a massive savings of water and energy. This is no-frills delicious pizza, mostly served by the slice, although whole pies are available.
Details: 534 N. Fourth Ave. 520-6226868, www.brooklynpizzacompany.com.
The Anvil Pizzeria, Cottonwood
This little eatery is easy to miss because it sits away from the main drag. Here diners will find three different pizza styles under one roof. Neapolitan, New York and thin-crust Chicago pies are available. Each crust is made with flour specific to that region. There’s limited seating inside but the spacious patio is a welcoming spot.
Details: 3900 Western Drive. 928-6340324, www.anvilpizza.com.
Bill’s Pizza, Prescott
Owner Bill Tracy is a student of pizza, traveling to Italy as well as crossing the United States to study different techniques. He applies what he learned with a wide-ranging menu that features nearly two dozen specialty pizzas built on sourdough crust. The Elton John features roasted garlic-infused olive oil, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, cooked spinach, red onions, four cheeses plus feta. A variety of sauces and plenty of fresh toppings are available for build-your-own combos.
Details: 107 S. Cortez St. 928-443-0800, www.billspizzaprescott.com.
Grab a seat at the bar in this bustling joint if you want to watch the thin-crust Neapolitan-style pies sliding in and out of the wood-fired oven. The crust strikes a good balance between crisp and chewy. Zesty sauce and creamy mozzarella create an excellent canvas for the gourmet toppings that include soppressata, ovenroasted mushrooms and smoked salmon. Wine on tap is a nice bonus.
Details: 2308 E. Route 66. 928-8530056, www.fatolivesflagstaff.com.
Pizzeria Mimosa, Hereford
This big airy place with contemporary décor sits at the foot of the Huachuca Mountains, south of Sierra Vista. Pizzeria Mimosa creates artisanal Neapolitan pizzas in an oven imported from Italy. They focus on quality ingredients and locally sourced products. The Dominico is piled high with crushed tomatoes, prosciutto, artichoke hearts, roasted mushrooms, olives, mozzarella and basil.
Details: 4755 Neapolitan Way. 520378-0022, www.pizzeriamimosa.com. There’s a nice retro vibe to this momand-pop eatery tucked away in a strip mall. This is the kind of neighborhood pizzeria you remember visiting after school to play video games and grab a slice. They make their dough fresh daily and splash on a generous portion of homemade sauce. Choose between two types of thin crust or traditional handtossed, then slather it with fresh toppings.
Details: 211 S. Mountain Ave. 928-3331502, www.goobspizzas.com.
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