Humble Pie
$1 Beers and Thin-Crust Pizza

We thought we'd never say this, but steakhouse fatigue has set in.

After a season of limitless grilled meats, bar burgers and New York imports, it's time for something a bit lighter, crispier and...gooier.

Which is why we're counting the days until Pizza Volante opens this Wednesday, promising Roman-style thin-crust pies and a recession-friendly booze selection.

Local celeb chef Jonathan Eismann is in charge of the pies here, manning the gleaming pizza oven and shuttling around the corner to his Design District outpost of Pacific Time. The chef's gone supercasual with this outfit: polished concrete floors, marble tables and orange Kartell chairs are just nice enough for a casual date, while the retro bar stools at the window work for quick postgallery slices.

You'll want to order one of the specialty pies (Bianca, Margherita and the namesake pizza topped with locally grown vegetables), all glistened with organic mozzarella from as far as Italy's Campagna region and as close as Boca. It's also in the calzone, or you can drop it into your mouth straight up, washed down with a sub-$20 bottle of vino or organic beers like Monk in the Trunk and dollar-cans of Bud.

You might want to bring singles.