Asian Post Media: 8 Charlotte breweries for pizza lovers

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Pepperoni pizza from Izzy's at Triple C Brewing. Photo: Courtesy Triple C.

The pizza-and-beer combo experienced a renaissance of sorts during the pandemic with more breweries opening with or adding on pizza ovens.

Why it matters: Easy takeout food with traditionally higher profit margins like pizza and fried chicken soared in popularity during the pandemic.

The pandemic highlighted a need for food, Triple C Brewing owner Chris Harker tells me. Harker opened an on-site “pizza trailer” at the brewery in December as a form of a safety net in case businesses had to shutdown again due to COVID-19.

Plus, “pizza and beer pair very well together,” he adds. Personally, a crowler of beer and a pizza has become my pandemic comfort meal of choice lately.

Here’s 8 must-try brewery pizza in the Charlotte area, in no particular order.

About: Newest to the pizza brewery scene, Izzy’s operates outside of a trailer on Triple C’s property. Most notably, the chef Austin Crum joined the team via Pure Pizza, a standout among Charlotte’s pizza joints.

Cost: 10-inch pizzas start at $8.50 and are cooked in just two minutes at 700 degrees.

Photos courtesy Triple C owner Chris Harker.

Details: Home to what is probably my favorite pie in Charlotte — the “Liberation” potato pizza — Salud is a bit tucked away in downtown NoDa atop its bottle shop. Because of the pandemic, I haven’t gotten the chance to dine in in a while, but the atmosphere is very cool and versatile, good for getting some work done or going on a casual date.

Cost: Liberation, which comes with thin slices of potato on top, is $13. Other pies range from $11-$15 with $5 local delivery available.

The “Liberation” potato pizza.

Details: All of Protagonist’s pizzas are named after famous protagonists like the Bob Marley (made with a hot sauce base) and the Liz Gilbert (a classic Italian pie straight from part one of Eat, Pray, Love). There’s also a calzone called the Ben Wyatt, of course.

Cost: Slices are huge, like Benny’s big. They cost about $5-$8. Whole pies are $14-$38.

Location: Pizza is only at Protagonist’s new location at 227 Southside Dr. near OMB and Sugar Creek.

Pizza deal: Get this giant slice (two toppings of your choice), a house salad and a soda for $11 every Monday-Thursday for lunch.

Livy’s at Heist Brewery and Barrel Arts

About: Another new addition in the last year, Livy’s serves Neapolitan-style pizza inside Heist’s location in Druid Hills near Camp North End.

Background: Owner Kurt Hogan always intended to pair his beer with pizza, but Heist’s first location in NoDa has a more complex food menu. “Now we’re taking it back to that simple concept,” he says.

Pizza: Chef Caleb Dickerson’s pizza list rotates with at least one weekly special, plus classics like margherita and a meat-lovers.

Location: 1030 Woodward Avenue near Camp North End and Double Oaks Pool.

In the top left is Heist’s “carnivoro,” a.k.a. meat-lovers, pizza.

Details: Unknown has craft beer, cocktails, house-made (amazing) ginger ale and also pizza. Its on-site pizza trailer called Passport Dough adds new items all the time, all inspired by different parts of the world. Right now there’s an Italian pizza, West Coast pizza and a Wisconsin pizza.

Cost: $13 for a traditional flatbread pizza and $14 for cauliflower crust.

Availability: Pizza is available Wednesday through Sunday.

About: Located next to Seaboard Brewing in downtown Matthews is an old telephone hut now home to the Exchange. Go with their popular Jordan’s Jamboree pizza — a classic pepperoni and sausage with red sauce and bacio mozzarella.

Cost: $13.50 for all 12-inch Neapolitan-style pies.

Details: The Mooresville brewery and pizzeria serves New York-style pizza. Order online for pickup and then do a socially distant waterfront picnic at Jetton Park on your way back to Charlotte.

Cost: From $9 for an original cheese 9-inch pie to $15 for an 18-inch pie. Signature pizzas are usually $10-$11.

About: The massive brewery has about 120 taps with 40 different offerings, including popular Victory and Southern Tier beers. It also has a number of outdoor seating options — both heated and not.

Pizza: All the pizzas at this lower South End brewery are made with Victory lager beer dough.

Cost: 12-inch pies cost $12-$13 and 16-inch pies are $16-$17. The food menu also includes bar snacks like wings, fries, and a pretzel — plus entrees like a cheesesteak and chicken pot pie.