Strangelunch Slicin’ it at City, O’ City

People don’t like a lot of variation when it comes to their pizza. Ham and pineapple or (gag) barbecued chicken are about as far as most will stray from the usual sauce-mozzarella-meat combo. Even slight changes can be disturbing: Domino’s has been touting a new recipe since December, though the chain is still hedging its bets with the option to get a pie made the shitty, old-fashioned way.

At City, O’ City (206 E. 13th Ave., 303-831-6443), however, pizza is a food to be played with and poked at, an excuse to experiment. Its signature pies tweak familiar formulas, and a few just ignore the rules altogether—a recent special used butternut squash purée as the sauce. The hip coffeehouse/bar/pizza parlor has a short list of specialty pies, and two stand out: La Chagall and The Urban Cowgirl.

The Chagall smothers City O’s organic crust with apricot sauce, then sprinkles olives, roasted garlic, tarragon, and brie on top. It sounds daunting, if not disgusting, but it also inspires the spirit of adventure. Nutty, fragrant garlic is spectacular with the apricot sauce, and the green olives are equally complementary; the briny flavor mixes with the sauce for that lovely salty-sweet sensation.

The Urban Cowgirl is another bold entry that has a chipotle marinara topped with pineapple, green pepper, cilantro, and mozzarella. Oh, and onion rings. Crispy, golden-fried onion rings, sitting like tiny tires on each slice. It sounds less odd than the Chagall, but is just as kooky at first taste. There’s a decent zing of heat from the chipotle sauce, balanced by the milky richness of mozzarella. The other toppings make each bite a little different: sweet from the pineapple, crunchy from green pepper, and freakin’ great from the cilantro. (Why isn’t cilantro a standard topping option? It should be.) The onion rings are, of course, magical—there needs to be more fried shit on pizzas.

There are less creative options on the pizza menu, including a standard margherita pie and build-your-own choices. And since City, O’ City is owned by the fine folks who run vegetarian haven WaterCourse Foods (837 E. 17th Ave., 303-832-7313), the restaurant is meat-free, and any item can be made vegan—there are even two choices of vegan “cheese.” Perhaps City O’s veggie ethic is exactly what makes it interesting. Freed from the burdens of pepperoni and sausage, you’re free to do anything.