My first visit to Stonedeck Pizza Pub on Elm Street was more of a happy accident than a planned excursion. Thwarted by circumstances beyond our control, my food bastard and I spent our 7th anniversary dinner there. But what a happy accident it was, because as it turned out, Stonedeck was exactly what our laid-back celebration needed.

First, let’s talk about pizza. Like most cities, Dallas has a lot of ’em. There are good, bad and ugly pizzas. The last category I reserve for shit like Papa Johns and Pizza Inn. Most chains, really. But the first two categories are hotly contested here, and everywhere. My two cents are these: pizza is made up of things that are good. Bread, cheese, tomato sauce. It’s hard to screw up. So to me, while I can definitely choose some favorites in town (Zoli’s, Cane Rosso, Olivella’s), this is officially a to-each-his-own category of food. You like a crispy, crunchy cracker-thin crust? It’s not my favorite but you go on with your bad self. Deep dish has your heart? I’ll dig in every once-in-a-while, but it’s still all about the New York pies for me. My point is, it’s okay to branch out of your pizza comfort zone and try something new every once in a while.

Except for the aforementioned chains though. They suck universally. Sorry.

Back to Stonedeck. They call theirs “American Style,” meaning: not too thin, not too saggy, not too crisp, with the perfect amount of chew. The pies are shaped like rectangles with rounded edges, perfect for sharing. Which works out well for you, because you will want to order the flight of pizza. This holy-shit-why-hasn’t-anyone-else-thought-of-this option means you get to choose any four pizzas (from their suggested combos, the unique specials board options or a design-your-own situation) and they come out to you like a patchwork pizza quilt of delicious.

But pizza isn’t all they specialize in at Stonedeck. Boasting a whopping 11 house-infused moonshine blends on tap, it’s like a candy store for folks who like funky liquor. And they offer flights of moonshine. That’s right.

Having filled our bellies with the likes of a BBQ chicken pizza, two different types of margherita styles and one decked out (pun intended) with caramelized onions and mushrooms, we clinked our chocolate-peanut butter moonshine shots (WHAT?) together and realized we were just as happy as ever.

And if happily ever after includes serendipitous pizza nights like this, we’re gonna be just fine.

Stonedeck Pizza Pub  |  facebook.com/stonedeckpizza (website coming soon)  |  2613 Elm