Top This Pizza Co.

From Linda Zavoral for Mercury News, Sept. 9- ...Scotts Valley entrepreneurs Jerry and Yovette Raymond have introduced Top This Pizza -- and they'll fire up the Italian oven this week in Los Gatos.

Customers can select their dough (herb-infused traditional or whole wheat, both made fresh daily onsite, or a gluten-free), then have it topped mix-and-match style with their choice of five sauces (classic red, zesty red, basil pesto, savory barbecue, creamy garlic alfredo); five base cheeses (shredded, buffalo or vegan mozzarella, three-cheese blend, pepper jack); three cheeses for sprinkling on top (gorgonzola, feta, parmesan); eight meats (all the usuals, plus chorizo and grilled garlic chicken breast); 17 vegetables or herbs (including kalamata olives, banana peppers and arugula); and assorted "drizzles" (such as balsamic vinegar or buffalo wing sauce).

Someone did the math, and the number of different pizzas you could create tops 20,000. If you can't wrap your mind around all those choices, Top This has created nine specialty pizzas (one spicy number is dubbed Alejandra's Hot Mess) for the same price.

For their premier location, the Raymonds selected a spot in the Trader Joe's center on Los Gatos Boulevard that foodies will recall as the former home of Crimson bistro. (It's tucked in near the UPS store.) For a casual meal, you'll enjoy pretty chic surroundings: black granite counters, hammered copper panels and handcrafted butcher block tables.

An expansion is already in the works. Look for the second Top This Pizza to open in early 2014 in San Jose's Oakridge-Blossom Hill area. For the third location, they're scouting the San Jose-Santa Clara border.

Details: Open daily from 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. 15466 Los Gatos Blvd., Los Gatos. http://TopThisPizzaCo.com.