They like it deep in Chicago, and New Yorkers swear they do it best. What about Tacomans? We do it gourmet, dahling! Thin-crusted and loaded with toppings, upscale pizza is thriving â€" low-fat diets be damned. Posh pizzerias have captured the genre, replacing fraternity crowds with fashionable foodies. Take-out chow no longer, a perfect pie is now the ultimate eat-out experience.

One of my new old favorites is the Upper Crust Pizza & Eatery next to Magoo’s on North 21st Street.  Nevin and Lori McSpadden recently purchased the spot that serves gourmet pizza, calzones, sandwiches and salads in a tiny, rich environment.

Three pizza sizes, four hand-tossed crust flavors and three sauce choices support a variety of topping options, including wild mushroom medley, roasted walnut, eggplant, goat cheese, chicken breast, chorizo sausage, and many others.

Upper Crust also serves four specialty pizza options that arrive as works of art.  The Chia Pizza â€" tomatoes, cheese and salad tossed with vinaigrette ⎯ resembles, well, a salad.  The Checkerboard marinara and pesto sauce pizza mocks a game board, with roasted red bell pepper stripes marking up the board with circular goat cheese slices topped with a single Kalamata olive as the playing pieces.

The tasty sandwiches â€" not a PB&J or bologna in site â€" arrive between fresh baked rustic bread, which I found too hard. â€" Jake de Paul

[Upper Crust Pizza & Eatery, 2714 N. 21st St., Tacoma, 253.752.0900]