Gwinnett Daily Post

Dooley's Southern Stone Pizza Kitchen in Winder serves its Dooley's specialty pizza (every meat and veggie), clockwise from right, Italian nachos (wonton chips, alfredo sauce, Italian sausage, banana peppers, olives, tomato and asiago cheese), Harper's hoagie (turkey, cheddar, bacon, ranch and avocado), the veggie delight pizza, Greek salad and a cheese calzone (center).

Dooley's Southern Stone Pizza Kitchen

137 E. May St. Winder

678-963-5157

• Open since: May 2011

• Location: Dooley's is located on East May Street just past downtown Winder going toward Athens. A Dacula location on Ga. Highway 124 and Auburn Road is in the works.

• Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

• Owners: Keith Appling and Mark Deschaine

• Atmosphere: Dooley's features dark wood decor and earth tones accented by a 1970s theme. The wall over the open kitchen is painted to look like your most comfortable pair of jeans. Other walls feature murals of '70s film and music stars, framed concert posters, album covers and the occasional flatscreen TV. To the left of the kitchen is a full bar. The restaurant has ample table and booth space plus outdoor seating. Ceiling fans and A/C keep customers cool.

• Menu: Customers can start out with an appetizer of Dooley's Nachos ($8), which are made from baked won ton chips and covered with alfredo sauce, asiago cheese, Italian sausage, banana peppers, tomatoes and kalamata olives. Other appetizers include hummus with pita chips ($5), capri (sliced mozzarella with basil, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, $6) and an assortment of salads ($4 for small, $8 for large).

For an entree, Dooley's puts the focus on pizza. You can create your own by choosing from an assortment of six bases like red sauce, pesto, oil and garlic or barbecue, and then top with any of more than 30 different toppings. The standards like pepperoni and mozzarella are there, but you can also pick from a list that includes broccoli, fresh basil, avocado, steak or tofu.

Dooley's also features more than a dozen specialty pizzas, mostly the product of kitchen experimentation by owner Keith Appling's sons Chad and Cody. When a new concoction is approved, it's passed on to the customers.

"We're all like, 'Wow, that's really good, let's put it on the menu,'" said co-owner Deschaine.

Wing lovers can try the Buffalo Chicken pizza that features ranch or blue cheese mixed with a hot sauce base, chicken, cheddar, bacon and onions. For jerk chicken fans there's the Jamaican Me Crazy. Can't decide between a hot dog and pizza? Try Deschaine's favorite, the Tailgater, with chili, hot dogs, cheese, onions and mustard.

Customers can also have the ingredients in a calzone or try a sub sandwich. The Harper's Hoagie, featuring turkey, bacon, cheddar, avocado and ranch dressing is particularly tasty.

The truly adventurous can try the Kitchen Sink Calzone, a large pizza dough stuffed with your choice of 10 ingredients ($25). Finish it in an hour by yourself and it's free, plus you get your picture on their Facebook page and a T-shirt.

• Things you might not know: One mural is a tribute to the original Dooley's, a pizza place opened by Appling's father in Sugar Hill in 1969 (it's now closed.) The painting features a variety of odes to the year, including the moon landing, the New York Mets' World Series win and the creation of Big Bird.