Pizza Vinoteca, Arlington

At the heart of Pizza Vinoteca's operation sits a custom-built, 16-burner grill outfitted with a trio of wood chip boxes to enhance smoky flavors. Heating to 900 degrees, this unique contraption whips up pizzas in less than three minutes. The cooking process leaves Pizza Vinoteca's pies with a charred, crispy crust, as well as an oblong shape that makes slices easy to pass around the table or drop into party bags after a birthday celebration.

Even before cooking, the pizzas here stand out. The crust is crafted with bread flour, rye flour, barley malt syrup and red wine, giving the dough a signature color. Atop that savory base, chefs pile on tomato, fontina, mozzarella, and basil to create the classic house pie, or they load it with house-made meatballs and kale pesto to create the more modern nduja meatball. Entrees such as eggplant parmesan and lasagna and Tuscan-style doughnuts called bombolini round out the menu, along with a global list of 36 sommelier-selected wines.