Pieology puts a Southwest twist on fast-casual pizza for summer

Part of the appeal of fast-casual pizzeria Pieology is that you can select your own unlimited toppings for a set price. However, through July, the eatery has a couple of recommended house pies for patrons to try: Chicken Chili Verde and Spicy Southwestern.

Pieology has two locations in the Las Vegas Valley, near the Strip at 365 Hughes Center Drive, and at Downtown Summerlin at 10965 Lavender Hills Drive. The concept is pretty simple: Step up to the counter, select your choice of crust (gluten-free is an option), sauce (three-cheese Alfredo, house red, pesto, herb butter, olive oil, Fiery Buffalo or BBQ), cheeses and unlimited toppings, then pay and wait while your pie is baked in less than three minutes inside a stone oven.

The select-your-own toppings run the gamut from plenty of veggies (including artichoke, spinach, corn, green and red peppers, and red onions) to a variety of meats (including pepperoni, ham, sausage, meatball, bacon and chicken). You can also select an “after-bake” sauce to be drizzled across your cooked pie.

The seasonal summer pizzas blend the flavors of Mexican cuisine with traditional pizza: Chicken Chile Verde features olive oil, green enchilada sauce, mozzarella, roasted red peppers, diced mild green chiles, fresh cilantro, red onion and all-natural chicken, all baked on a white thin crust and topped with a green sour cream after bake. The Spicy Southwestern selection has olive oil, red enchilada sauce, mozzarella, cheddar cheese, roasted red peppers, jalapenos, cilantro and all-natural chicken. Patrons are welcome to also put their own touch on the gourmet selections, adding more of or taking away whatever toppings they want from the house recipe.

Along with the special Southwest offerings, a dessert pizza, Chocolate Chip Churro, is available through July 31. It features house-made pizza dough, topped with cinnamon and sweet cream sauce and dotted with Ghirardelli barista chocolate chips. The result is oozy, chocolately and enough dessert to feed at least four people (depending on your sweet tooth).

The Downtown Summerlin location is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, while the Hughes Center Drive location is open from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and Sunday and stays open until midnight Thursday through Saturday.

For the Downtown Summerlin location, call 702-331-4454. For the Hughes Center Drive location, call 702-888-1295. Visit pieology.com.