Vero Pizzeria celebrating 10 years with the Paul Milliken Pie

BROOKHAVEN, Ga. - There’s a new item on the menu at Brookhaven’s popular Vero Pizzeria … and its name might sound a little familiar.

The Neapolitan-style pizzeria just marked its 10th anniversary and, as part of the celebration, invited a certain handsome feature reporter to design his own pie.

Vero Pizzeria is the creation of acclaimed restaurateur and Word of Mouth Restaurants founder Michael Arnette, who says he was inspired to open the restaurant after visiting the famed Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba in Naples.

"This was about 11 years ago. I traveled extensively throughout Italy and spent time in Naples," he says. "And at that time, my family went to the oldest and most famous pizzeria in Naples."

Not only did Arnette bring back inspiration from Italy — he also brought back an entire pizza oven. Arnette says the wood-fired oven used at Vero (which means "true" in Italian) is produced in Naples and features an interior dome made from the clay of Mount Vesuvius.

"Not only does that minerality impart flavor into the pizza, but the fact that we hold it around 800, 850, 900 degrees, it’ll cook a pizza in 90 seconds," he says.

And that includes the new Paul Milliken pizza, which will be featured on the menu through the end of March. So … what’s on it? We kept things classic: red sauce, pepperoni, olives and mozzarella. Oh, and there’s a nice little kick thanks to Calabrian chilies and roasted garlic. Chef Matt Swickerath and Mr. Arnette seemed pleased with the results — and we hope plenty of diners are, too.

Vero Pizzeria is located at 1441 Dresden Drive, Suite 120, in Brookhaven and opens for dinner at 5 p.m. daily. For more information on the restaurant, click here — and click the video player in this article to check out the making of the "Paul Milliken."