It's a class in itself.
While you won't earn an "A" in studying pizza, you probably will gain a few extra pounds.
Shane Flandress, a University of Arizona sophomore, considers himself well-versed in the pizza field.
"Pizza's the go-to food," said the 22-year-old business major. "It's an excuse for anything. You need to study? Get a pizza. Want to celebrate something? Get a pizza. Are you bored or hungry? Get a pizza."
Nearly 40,000 students are expected to return to the UA next week and thousands more will come to campus to attend football games, concerts and other events.
To help you through the mozzarella morass, here's our guide to 15 pizza places within walking distance.
We skipped major chains that deliver to the university area, including Domino's Pizza, Papa John's, Pizza Hut and Blackjack Pizza.
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We begin with Caliente's five faves:
FROG AND FIRKIN
Even in the unbelievable heat of summer, you'll find patrons outside, sitting near the misters, cutting into thick slices of pizza and taking long draws from their pints of Stella Artois and Guinness.
Sip on a Bruised Pear (pear cider Topped With Guinness) while choosing among several specialty pizzas. We like the Ferret Firkin ($4.75), a deep-dish slice with red sauce, extra mozzarella, mushrooms, tomatoes and garlic.
Live music takes place Thursday through Sunday evenings, and a fun singalong with Scott Peterson is 8-11 p.m. Wednesdays.
No Anchovies, another fantastic pizza place with a great patio, is right next door.
• 874 E. University Blvd.
• 623-7507,
• Hours: 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Sundays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Fridays-Saturdays.
• Delivery/charge: Yes. $3 charge beyond the university perimeter - Grant Road, Broadway, Campbell Avenue and Euclid Avenue.
• Crust: Thick.
• Owners: Garrett and Jody Raetzman.
• Year opened: 1994. The Raetzmans took over in 2001.
• Can I buy a slice? Yes, it's $4.75 for any specialty slice; $2.50 for a cheese slice.
• Alcohol for sale: Full bar.
GRIMALDI'S PIZZERIA
Yes, it's not a one-of-a-kind restaurant, with 19 Grimaldi's in the nation, but they're all owned by one family.
We absolutely love the personable servers and the variety of pizzas and calzones. And we love the 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday lunch special, which includes a drink, a Caesar or garden salad and your choice of a pizza or calzone - all for $8.49.
Situated in an airy space with three TVs and a small bar, it attracts an eclectic mix of people ranging from students to the white-collar crowd.
The Ciolli family has gone to great lengths to deliver the taste of their native New York to the Southwest.
In 2005, when Joey Ciolli was about to open his first Grimaldi's in Old Town Scottsdale, he knew something wasn't quite right with the dough.
He figured out it was the way the yeast reacted with the minerals in Arizona water. Now all Grimaldi's restaurants use a filtration system to duplicate the Brooklyn water, which comes from the Adirondacks and contains fewer minerals.
And the mozzarella is shipped in from New Jersey from free-range dairy cows.
• 446 N. Campbell Ave.
• 882-6100
• Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily.
• Delivery? No.
• Crust: Thin.
• Owner: Joey Ciolli, who owns a total of 16 Grimaldi's in Arizona, Texas, Florida and Nevada. The original in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Queens, N.Y., is still owned by Ciolli's father, Frank. Brother Russell owns the Garden City location in Long Island, N.Y.
• Opened: 2007.
• Can I buy a slice? No.
• Alcohol for sale: Full bar.
1702 PIZZA AND BEER
There's no better place to enjoy a ginormous slice of pizza (each is about 12 inches long and has a 12-inch-wide crust) and more than 100 beers - 54 on tap and more than 50 by the bottle.
Eric Lepie and Austin Santos own 1702. Santos recently applied for a brewing license to make beer there.
Lepie first owned Eric's Ice Cream in the same space starting in 1977.
In the '60s and '70s, the building housed Park Music Shop, and Lepie said that rock stars such as Mick Jagger used to play in the basement.
"There are rumors out there, but we don't have any pictures to confirm it," said Santos, 25, adding that he had heard that Bob Dylan had a guitar made at the shop.
Lepie still dabbles in ice cream and sometimes concocts a "secret" flavor, maybe coconut pistachio chip, beer ice cream, or oatmeal and prunes.
1702 holds beer events about once a month. The next one will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 9 when Grand Teton Brewing Co. from Jackson Hole, Wyo., pours its six beers at a 15 percent discount. There will be giveaways of T-shirts, hats and glassware.
• 1702 E. Speedway.
• 325-1702
• Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays.
• Delivery? No.
• Crust: Thin.
• Owner: Austin Santos and Eric Lepie.
• Year opened: 2007.
• Can I buy a slice? Yes, for $4.95; 75 cents per topping.
• Alcohol for sale: Beer and wine; 52 taps and about 50 bottles of beer and 14 wines. .
ZACHARY'S PIZZA
Wildcats have been devouring Chicago-style deep-dish pizza at Zachary's for more than 20 years, making it the granddaddy of UA pizza joints. Back then, this casual eatery was on the other side of the street and called Noodles & Crust.
The noodles are long gone, but the crust - a hearty, chewy, flavorful beauty - remains the same. The name changed after the owner's business partner died. When David Ellis took over, he named the place after his son, who was then about 10 years old, said Jessica Ellis, the owner's daughter.
Jessica Ellis, a 20-year-old accounting major and a manager at the restaurant, says Zachary lives in Illinois and that her dad is still very much hands on. And a stickler for only the freshest, best ingredients.
"He still makes all the dressing, all the sauces," she says.
1028 E. Sixth St.
623-6323
• Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; noon-9 p.m. Sundays.
• Delivery? No.
• Crust: Deep dish.
• Owner: David Ellis.
• Year opened: 1988.
• Can I buy a slice? Yes, $2.79 for cheese.
• Alcohol for sale: Beer (21 on tap!) and wine. Daily and weekly specials.
BROOKLYN PIZZA COMPANY
This is the place to stumble to after a long night on Fourth Avenue: The eatery serves up slices from its stone-decked ovens until 2:30 a.m. on weekends.
An eclectic mix of customers rub elbows in a crowded arrangement of tables and chairs. Local art hangs on the walls and rotates every month. College students can order an extra-large cheese pizza for $8.88 ($13.88 normally).
You wouldn't think that this is a "green" restaurant, with 40 percent running on solar power, but it is. And the Smart Car out front makes deliveries, as do four bicyclists.
Owner Tony Vaccaro, who also owns Sky Bar next door, hopes to make his restaurant run 100 percent on solar power by the end of the year.
Brooklyn's also makes its own Italian ice and gelato, with eight flavors always available.
534 N. Fourth Ave.
622-6868
• Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; noon-10 p.m. Sundays. Until 2:30 a.m. Fridays-Saturdays.
• Delivery? Yes. Minimum orders apply depending on the area of town. Deliveries can include beer and wine.
• Crust: Sicilian and thin.
• Owner: Tony Vaccaro.
• Year opened: 1996.
• Can I buy a slice? Yes, for $2.08, plus 60 cents per topping.
• Alcohol for sale: 17 beers, wine. Full bar at Sky Bar next door.
OTHER PLACES NEAR CAMPUS TO GET YOUR PIZZA FIX:
Caruso's Restaurant
434 N. Fourth Ave. 624-5765
• Hours: 11:30 a.m.- 10 p.m. Sundays, Tuesdays-Thursdays; 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
• Delivery? No.
• Crust: Thin.
• Owner: Salvatore Zagona.
• Year opened: 1938.
• Can I buy a slice? No.
• Alcohol for sale: Beer and wine.
• Vibe: Kitschy Italian restaurant with a lot of history and great outdoor seating.
Gentle Ben's Brewing Co.
865 E. University Blvd.
624-4177
• Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays; 11 a.m.-midnight Tuesdays; 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays; noon-10 p.m. Sundays.
• Delivery? No.
• Crust: Thick and thin.
• Owner: Dennis Arnold.
• Year opened: 1971.
• Can I buy a slice? Yes, at lunchtime, for $5.95 for cheese and soup or salad.
• Alcohol for sale: Full bar.
• Vibe: Cool rooftop seating with a DJ Thursdays-Saturdays and Gentle Ben's nine beers on tap.
Magpies Gourmet Pizza
605 N. Fourth Ave.
628-1661
• Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays-Wednesdays; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays.
• Delivery/charge: Yes. $1.99.
• Crust: Thick and thin.
• Owner: Ricky Acedo.
• Year opened: 1989. There are now three other locations - 7315 N. Oracle Road, 105 S. Houghton Road and 4654 E. Speedway.
• Can I buy a slice? Yes, for $3.99.
• Alcohol for sale: Beer, with a focus on regional offerings, and wine.
• Vibe: A good hangout spot with two televisions and a large patio with umbrellas.
Maynards Market and Kitchen
400 N. Toole Ave.
545-0577
• Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays.
• Delivery? No.
• Crust: Thin.
• Owners: Richard and Shana Oseran.
• Year opened: 2008.
• Can I buy a slice? No.
• Alcohol for sale: Full bar.
• Vibe: Funky, trendy restaurant that focuses on local ingredients and offers many other menu options.
No Anchovies
870 E. University Blvd.
623-3333
• Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. (or later) daily.
• Delivery? No.
• Crust: Thin.
• Owner: Nelson Seamens.
• Year opened: 1997.
• Can I buy a slice? Yes, for $2.50.
• Alcohol for sale: Full bar.
• Vibe: The inside has a bar and small dining area with TVs, and the location offers the best people watching outside.
Pizza Plus 1
914 E. Speedway
867-6880.
• Hours: Starting Monday, hours will be 10 a.m.-3:30 a.m. Mondays-Saturdays and noon-8 p.m. Sundays.
• Delivery? Yes. A $2.50 charge applies for orders under $20.
• Crust: Thin, thick and gluten-free.
• Owner: John Grother.
• Year opened: March 19, 2010.
• Can I buy a slice? Yes, for $1.
• Alcohol for sale: Not yet. Grother has applied for a beer and wine license.
• Vibe: A good place to dine if you need a relatively quiet place to work or study with Wi-Fi or a quick all-you-can-eat meal.
Discount cards include buy 10 buffets, get one free. Join the club and get discount cards to pass out. Every time your friend comes in with one of your cards, you get 10 percent off, etc.
Three pizzas - meat, veggie, combo - are always on the buffet, which costs $6.99 .
Rocco's Little Chicago
2707 E. Broadway.
321-1860.
• Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays.
• Delivery? Yes, until 3 p.m. on weekdays. It's $1 delivery charge with a minimum $8 order.
• Crust: Thin and stuffed.
• Owner: Rocco DiGrazia.
• Year opened: 1998.
• Can I buy a slice? Yes, until 4 p.m., for $3.99, Includes up to two toppings.
• Alcohol for sale: Beer and wine.
• Vibe: Friendly waitstaff cruises the narrow row of booths and tables inside and patio tables outside, inhabited by students and business types alike. The masses outside on Wednesdays mean its wing night. They're worth the wait. Or order as an appetizer on a less-packed night.
Rosati's on Sixth
1838 E. Sixth St.
622-2200.
• Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays.
• Delivery? No.
• Crust: Thick and thin.
• Owner: Scott Cummings.
• Year opened: 2006.
• Can I buy a slice? No.
• Alcohol for sale: Full bar.
• Vibe: A relatively quiet place with a bar, two televisions and eight beers on tap.
Time Market
444 E. University Blvd.
622-0761
• Hours: 7 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.
• Delivery? Yes. $7 minimum.
• Crust: Thin.
• Owner: Peter Wilke.
• Year opened: 1930.
• Can I buy a slice? Yes, for $2.29.
• Alcohol for sale: Beer and wine, available for delivery.
• Vibe: Relaxed, old-school neighborhood market with free Wi-Fi and wood-fired pizzas. Time Market uses apple and pecan wood in its ovens.
Wilko
943 E. University Blvd.
792-6684
• Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays.
• Delivery? No.
• Crust: Thin.
• Owner: Peter Wilke.
• Year opened: 2010.
• Can I buy a slice? No.
• Alcohol for sale: Beer and wine.
• Vibe: Comfortable jumble of wood tables, lots of windows. A market to the side offers sundries for sale, and a cappuccino machine creates fancy coffee drinks.
