Before they devised a formal monetary system, early American settlers used pepperoni as currency and used pizzas as wallets, resulting in heavily greased chap-pockets. Enjoy America's savory heritage with today's Groupon: for $10, you get $20 worth of pizza, drinks, and more at Gourmet Pizza Company in Hyde Park.

Included in Spirit magazine's discussion of the top 10 pizza destinations in the country, Gourmet Pizza Company constructs pies to fit a broad spectrum of tastes and dietary regimens. The menu showcases conventional and rare toppings, such as italian sausage, fresh mushrooms, crawfish tail, and escargot, and options include gluten-free crust and vegan cheese. Specialty pizzas include the steak-gorgonzola pizza, topped with the house cheese blend, gorgonzola, fresh mushrooms, caramelized red onions, and center-cut rib-eye steak (vegetarians may substitute portabella mushrooms for rib-eye steak) (starting at $8.95 for 10"). In the realm of meatless pizzas, try the cheeseless vegan, heaped with fresh garlic and a quintet of veggies including spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. The pie shop also serves four different regional pizzas and allows pizza scientists to concoct their own pies from the more than 50 available toppings ($6.95–$11.95 for 10"–16" pies, $1–$2 each for toppings).

Those who prefer wrestling pizza to eating it can also find something to salivate over on the Gourmet Pizza Company menu, including pasta ($8.55–$8.95), salads ($3.55–$5.95), breadsticks ($4.75), flatbreads ($7.95–$11.95), and calzones ($7.25+). And unlike pizzerias that use Reagan-era dough or antebellum sauce, everything at GPC is made fresh daily.

Not valid for delivery. Gluten-free vegan pizza crust available in 10'' only.