Hawthorne's New York Pizza & Bar, Huntersville

At the heart of Hawthorne's New York Pizza & Bar is a ball of dough. Over the past 10 years at seven locations, chefs use this dough to craft a seemingly infinite number of unique pies, including a special white pizza topped with ricotta cream sauce and mozzarella. But they also use it to create another kind of treat: garlic knots. These oven-baked bites are glazed with a seasoned garlic sauce, and since they're an appetizer, guests can start meals by munching on them instead of gnawing idly on the table. In addition to its main menu, Hawthorne's also boasts a lengthy gluten-free selection, which features many of the same entrees as well as a couple gluten-free beers.