"After a quarter-life crisis, self-proclaimed carb lover Alex Plattner left a job in education and traveled across Minneapolis working in pizzerias, learning the secrets of dough. He returned to his native Cincinnati in 2020 to open St. Francis Apizza, where the dough is made by hand daily and gets a long fermentation, which creates a light, airy crust that’s caramelized and delicately charred. The shop’s pizza is inspired by pies from New York; New Haven, Connecticut; and Portland, Oregon. The Erie Ave, for instance, comes with mozzarella, pecorino Romano, grana padano, Ezzo pepperoni, pickled jalapenos, hot honey, and fresh basil. St. Francis Apizza has plentiful vegan options and offers tavern-style pizza with ultra-thin crust on Mondays and Tuesdays." - Andy Brownfield