College towns and pizza go hand-in-hand. Ames is no exception. There are more than a dozen pizza parlors with enough styles and specials to satisfy any pizza lover’s craving. From traditional Ames staples to national chains and new originals, Ames has a pizza to meet the needs of a late night craving or date night tradition.

Two recent developments in the Ames pizza world include Vesuvius Wood-Fired Pizza, S. Kellogg Avenue, and Jeff’s Pizza Shop on the corner of Lincoln Way and Stanton Avenue.

Vesuvius Wood-Fired Pizza, open in Ames since January 2010, serves traditional Neapolitan style pizzas with local ingredients and original creations. Owners Scott and Deb Coldiron maintain their passion for traditional craftsmanship and sustainability with wood-fired ovens and fresh ingredients.

“We revolve around the idea that prepared to order, good tasting pizza with high quality ingredients can also be served very quickly at a reasonable cost,” Scott said.

Ten signature pizzas, all complete with the tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella of traditional Neapolitan style, are cooked in a wood-fired oven at approximately 800 degrees in a speedy 90 seconds.

“The wood-fired oven gives pizzas a particular texture with a characteristically light crispiness on the outside, while still maintaining a tender crust on the inside,” Scott said.

Local ingredients at Vesuvius include Italian sausage made exclusively for them and provided by the Wheatsfield Cooperative on Northwestern Ave. The #2 pepperoni and Italian sausage pizza is one of the most popular choices that uses the original ingredient.

“We try to source as many of our ingredients within a 20-mile radius. Our herbs, tomatoes, greens and cream are just some of the ingredients we get from Iowan producers,” he said.

Scott describes Vesuvius as a “quick, casual concept”, with a majority of dine-in customers. The menu includes 10 signature pizzas, the most popular of which are the classic Margherita; the pepperoni and Italian sausage; and the vegetarian with artichoke hearts, roasted mushrooms and oven-dried tomatoes. Customers also have the opportunity to build their own 10-inch pizza pie from their list of ingredients or to select a salad with in-house dressing.

Jeff and Chris Uetz own Jeff’s Pizza Shop, located in the heart of Campustown. Jeff’s Pizza Shop is open until at least 1 a.m. every night. On weekends, it stretches its hours to 3:30 a.m. Their convenient location and long hours provide an option for pizza lovers with late-night cravings.

One of the reasons Jeff enjoys the pizza business is the excitement generated by customers.

“For me there is no better feeling in the world than seeing a satisfied smile on someone’s face,” he said.

Ames was selected as a new location for Jeff’s Pizza Shop, with the original housed in Menomonie, Wisc. Jeff’s Pizza Shop is motivated by its customers and is driven by their preferences for ingredients, prices and specials. The Buffalo Dan, Chicken Chaser, Gyro Guy and Farmer Frank specialty pizzas are a few on the long list of creative combinations on the shop’s menu.

Jeff’s Pizza Shop also offers a Jeff’s Pizza Rewards sign-up, an online ordering system and a price special for different sized pizzas every day of the week.