Pizza Nea, Minneapolis

Inside exposed-brick walls covered with paintings from local artists, chefs at Pizza Nea craft their own artworks by piling toppings on Neapolitan-style pies. The salsicce gets crowned with san marzano tomatoes, roasted red pepper, and spicy italian sausage, and eggs are cracked over the white con uovo. Made with local ingredients when possible, the pies are baked in a wood-fired stone oven whose flames cast an orange glow, much like bonfire of Dear Santa letters the post office burns after Christmas. Diners recline indoors in bright red chairs, or venture to the outdoor patio to clink glasses of wine or pints filled with a selection of 12 domestic, craft, and imported beers.