3228 N. Davidson St.

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The only thing I like better than good food is good food at a good value. I lucked out and found both on my visit to Revolution Pizza & Ale House.

A caramelized onion and pulled pork pizza, vegetable frittes appetizer, tall glass of ale and pistachio gelato combined for a memorable meal. And best yet – it only cost $28.90 after tax and tip.

On North Davidson Street in the NoDa area of Charlotte, Revolution Pizza is housed in the old Mellow Mushroom building. The dining room is divided into four distinct areas – the bar, the patio, a side room and the back room – each with its own vibe. On our visit, my husband and I were led to a table in the back room. Once seated, we found something that ran a close second to love – a nightly special.

The special was timely because before we went inside Revolution Pizza, we sat in the car for five or so minutes trying to figure out how not to bust our $25 dinner-for-two budget. Pizzas come in small ($7), medium ($12) and large ($16). Toppings come a la carte and range from 50 cents to $3.

Our plan: Order a small pulled pork and caramelized onion pie, the cheese and vegetable frittes appetizer and an ale. That would have cost $21.25 before tax and tip and we weren't even sure if we'd have enough food. But, it turns out we went on a Tuesday, which is when they offer a $20 date night special. It features one appetizer or two small salads, a two-topping medium pizza and a small gelato, the Italian version of ice cream.

With the cheese and vegetable frittes, seasonal veggies (sweet potato, onion, squash and zucchini) and wedges of mozzarella and provolone cheese were dipped into a slightly bitter ale batter. A yogurt and spicy pomodoro tomato sauce came on the side for dipping. I enjoyed the five or six frittes we got, but had they not been part of the special, the $9 cost seemed pricey.

The pulled pork and caramelized onion pizza was worth the cost. We got the red version: tomato sauce and mozzarella.(White pies boast olive oil, garlic and Parmigiano Reggiano.)

The pulled pork released a bit of oil that mingled marvelously with the cheese. Just as the pizza was on the verge of being too savory, honey-brown strands of onion contributed a lovely sweetness. The crust was thin and cracker crunchy.

Revolution Pizza offers 40 plus ales on draft and 60 different flavors by the bottle. We opted for a crisp Brooklyn Summer Ale.

Six to 12 gelato flavors are offered. We chose creamy pistachio spiked with bits of nuts.