Top 5 Gourmet Pizzas

by Andrew Parks

Even the creamiest feta can't save a Greek salad that's drowning in olive oil and flanked with stale pita. This tasty 16-inch alternative combines meaty sun-dried tomatoes, sliced olives, toasted walnuts, minced garlic and fresh basil with a generous sprinkling of feta, then dresses the whole puppy in crisp salad greens. Opa!

Any deli can fold prosciutto on bread and make it look like a gastronomic masterpiece. But the art of creating gourmet pies lies in the chef's ability to mold simple ingredients into something wholly unexpected. Case in point: Jules' glorious #7 is made with fig jam, gorgonzola and prosciutto. For an extra buck, you can add a sprig of rosemary.

This George guy sure knows pizza. The ace 14-incher in question is made with fresh sage and oregano, parmesan, fat cuts of hearty kielbasa, sweet sauce and the titular scamorze cheese, a firm, nutty variation on traditional mozzarella. Bonus points for offering refuge from the strollerati at California Pizza Kitchen.

Honestly, we could give a damn about the health benefits of this Southern comfort specialty. We're talking pizza here, not breakfast in Paris. It's a good thing, then, that roasted Gulf shrimp, grilled plum tomatoes, roasted red peppers, reduced-fat mozz and Cajun fresco sauce break it down bayou-style. (Read: Incredibly rich, incredibly good.)

This wood-cooked pie is the salty savior of the anchovy's unappetizing reputation. Capers, olives, onions, tomatoes and mozzarella round out the dish, which is only available for dinner. Who said ugly fish can't win beauty pageants?