New Day Bakery

On a rainy day, what's better than a gourmet pizza? I've been wanting to try New Day for quite some time. I hear their scones and breads are fantastic. But I was after their pizzas, which they only make after 4 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday

Located right on the other side of the bridge on Kingwood Street, this bakery is in a beautiful purple and orange house. We parked in a spot and walked inside. To my surprise, it's quite small. When you walk in the door, there's a small counter to the right and some shelves that house bread. And toward the back is the large oven where they do all the baking. There's no dining-in area, and one bench for those who are waiting.

We grabbed some yellow menus and perused our options. We asked the man at the counter which is ordered most often, but he simply said they're all good. That didn't narrow down my options much. I had such a hard time deciding which of their specialty pizzas to order, but I finally decided on the "eggplant taverna," which was a white sauce, with roasted eggplant, roasted red pepper, feta, basil and mozzarella. You can choose between white crust or WV wheat crust in a small or large. I got white and a small for $15.

You also have the option of making your own pizza, with three sauces to choose from: red, white and green. And you can choose your toppings:

Basic Toppings:  $1.40/$1.75 Black Olives Green Olives Green Peppers Spinach Onions Spicy Italian Sausage Pineapple Pepperoni Fresh Mushrooms Chopped Bacon Fresh Garlic Extra Cheese Jalapeno Peppers Ham Banana Peppers Cheddar Cheese

Deluxe Toppings:  $1.80/$2.15 Artichoke Hearts Fresh Tomatoes Sun Dried Tomatoes Fresh  Mozzarella Roasted Red Peppers Kalamata Olives Feta Cheese Bleu Cheese Chipotle Peppers Fresh Goat Cheese Fresh Basil Grilled Chicken Caramelized Onions Roasted Eggplant Ricotta Smoked Gouda

We sat on the small bench for a few minutes, watching the cooks in the room across from us prepare the pizzas and feed them to the large brick oven. Ben had ordered the Diabolo: red sauce with spicy Italian sausage, jalapenos, chipotles and mozzarella. Finally, the boxes were propped up on the ledge containing our pies, and we were on our way.

Eggplant Tavera

My pizza was tasty - I loved the melted ricotta and sweet eggplant. I do wish the eggplant was larger slices so I could get more of a bite with them. It was definitely on the saltier side, so those eggplant chunks added some sweetness. But the crust was perfect, and the toppings were fresh. Add a cold, sweet pop on the side, and it's a great pie.

Diabolo

The Diabolo was actually also very tasty. It was quite spicy, but it was a delicious, savory spicy. I love the love that's put into these pizzas. You can tell some thought went into them. I can't wait to try another; they all look fabulous.

Grade: A