For the love of pizza, people will go great distances. So when Citizen Pie opened last November in the Collinwood neighborhood, locals — and even visitors from across the U.S. — headed to the spot for its wood-fired pies. While it’s tough choosing from the 16 creative options, each one comes with a stellar sourdough base. The dough is a simple mix of water, flour and salt, but it is transformed into a golden and chewy pizza crust after only a few minutes in the oven. We can’t wait to sink our teeth into the Pesto ($13) with mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and oil-cured olives or the Spanish ($15) with mozzarella, manchego cheese, chorizo, romesco, roasted peppers and oil-cured olives. But any newbie should start off with the Collinwood Supreme ($14). Crumbled chunks of sweet but mildly spicy sausage, thick strips of beautifully marbled, soft and peppery salami and slivers of hot green chilies cooked so quickly they still have their crunch are balanced by a thin layer of tomato sauce, generous hunks of melted mozzarella, olives and red onions slightly softened from the oven. Whether you’re ready to drive 10 minutes or walk 500 miles to Citizen Pie, it’s worth the trek. 15710 Waterloo Road, Cleveland, 216-417-2742, citizenpie.com
