3 OTP pizzerias you need to try

The pesto pizza is one of many menu options at Woodstock's Fire Stone Wood Fired Pizza & Grill. Photo by CatMax Photography.

Sometimes, you have to give in to your cravings for a nice, hot slice of pizza straight out of the (wood-fired) oven . Soft, pillowy dough with a touch of crispiness and ooey-gooey melted cheese — what’s not to like? If pizza is calling your name, consider checking out these three pizzerias serving up pies worthy of a drive outside the Perimeter.

Fire Stone Wood Fired Pizza & Grill

Situated in downtown Woodstock, Fire Stone is a cozy restaurant with an inviting patio that often features live music on weekends. While you wait for a table on busy nights, take advantage of their beverage offerings, which include a great selection of local and craft brews, wines (many of which are half-priced on Wednesdays) and cocktails like the Low Country Mule, made with ginger-infused bourbon, ginger beer and lime.

Kick off your meal with one of the small plates, such as the spinach and artichoke bake or an order of fresh burrata cheese served with grilled ciabatta.

Fire Stone’s menu features hearty entrees, soups, salads and sides, but the real star is the pizza cooked in an imported Mugnaini wood-fired oven.

The pies run the gamut of flavors. If you’re in search of a vegetarian pizza, consider their simple four-cheese variety, packed with extra cheesiness thanks to some tangy feta, or the Greek pizza, which serves up bites of Mediterranean zest with toppings like balsamic roasted artichoke, bell pepper and pepperoncini.

If you prefer a little protein on your pie, check out more complex flavor combos, like the spicy smoked chicken bacon ranch, which packs a spicy punch from jalapeno-Sriracha ranch sauce. The fig pizza made with red wine figs, blue cheese, prosciutto and shallot marmalade is an earthy blend of salty and sweet that is particularly tasty against the peppery arugula that tops it.

And, if you feel like ditching the red sauce, the crispy shrimp pizza boasts an olive oil base that lets the seafood flavor shine, accompanied by spiced cherry peppers and a citrus aioli for extra zing.

Fire Stone Wood Fired Pizza & Grill, 120 Chambers St., Woodstock. 770-926-6778, firestonerestaurants.com.

850℉ Barpizza 

850℉ Barpizza offers an urban chic ambiance in the heart of suburbia. A long bar makes waiting for a table on busy nights tolerable, and patio seating is great for dining al fresco.

But this place is all about the art of making great pizza — and its menu and website proudly state it: “Respect the craft.” To that effect, the pizzeria specializes in serving 11-inch traditional Neapolitan-style pizzas. Flash-baked for about 90 seconds in an 800- to 1,000-degree oven, these pizzas reflect the Old World method, with a puffy, charred crust.

The menu offers starters like truffle Parmesan fries and angry mussels — “angry” as in a hit of serrano chile heat — plus salads, pasta dishes and calzones, in addition to a lineup of pizzas divvied up into “reds” and “whites.”

Try the hearty Amore (meat lovers) pizza, topped with pepperoni, fennel sausage, meatballs and pancetta; or opt for a pesto pizza, loaded with bold flavor from sweet sun-dried tomatoes, chicken, savory mushrooms and buttery fontina cheese.

Wash your meal down with red or white wine. The selection spans California, Spain, Italy, France, Argentina and New Zealand. In addition, most are available by the glass, affordably priced between $7 and $11.

850℉ Barpizza, 12635 Crabapple Road, Milton. 678-585-4628, 850fbarpizza.com.

Antico 

Longtime Atlanta favorite Antico Pizza Napoletana opened its Alpharetta outpost at Avalon last year, and the casual, airy eatery has been packed ever since.

This pizzeria offers a menu of traditional Neapolitan classics (like the Margherita D.O.P.) as well as a few originals. Among the latter, try the San Gennaro, which gets its bold flavor from the fiery sweetness of red peppers and cipolini onions, plus fragrant Italian fennel sausage and melty mozzarella for a hearty dose of chewy satisfaction. Another crowd pleaser is the lasagna pizza, which offers a rich blend of creamy ricotta and meatballs in every gooey bite.

These pricey pies (starting at $19) come in one size, and don’t allow for half-toppings or substitutions — no messing with the chef’s creations here. Add your personal touch by hitting up the self-serve condiment station to garnish your pizza with a few additions, like minced garlic and Calabrian chiles, in addition to the expected red pepper flakes and grated Parmesan.

You can grab your grub for takeout, but we suggest enjoying these pies right out of the oven before they get soggy — so dine in and sit at one of the homey communal tables with a view into the kitchen and its massive wood-burning Italian oven.

Antico, 2200 Avalon Blvd., Alpharetta. 770-674-8811, experienceavalon.com/restaurants/antico-pizza.