Solstice Wood Fire Pizza - Cafe & Bar

"Italian technique and Columbia River Gorge flavor meet at this pizza spot down by the water. Local ingredients and seasonal availability are the bedrock for the inventive house pies, which feature toppings like cremini mushrooms and Siragusa pear over goat cheese or mozzarella. Just as much attention and care are given to the base of the pizza as well: The homemade dough is fermented for 72 hours before being baked in a wood-fire oven imported from Italy. If the wait at the riverfront dining room is too long, walk over to the nearby food truck to grab a slice or a whole pie to eat by the river." - Zoe Baillargeon, Molly Allen

"Just steps from the Columbia River, Solstice Hood River is almost always abuzz. Locals and tourists flock to this Waterfront Park restaurant for wood-fired pizzas topped with Oregon and Washington produce, like the Country Girl, which pairs Gorge-grown cherries with cheese, herbs, and chorizo made right in the Solstice kitchen. During the summer, when Solstice is at its busiest, the company somehow triples-down, both opening a kiosk out back for takeout orders and firing up its pizza truck to serve extra pies to hungry crowds. The fried Brussels sprouts, coated in a bacon dressing, are a crispy, salty, and sweet complement to any pie." - Melissa Haskin, Molly Allen