Smoque, Hot Doug’s kick off Piece pizza collaborations to lend animal shelter a helping paw

Piece Brewery and Pizzeria has partnered with PAWS Chicago for a new campaign, Slice to Meet You, with limited-edition collaboration pizzas by notable local chefs including Rick Bayless.

Doug Sohn of Hot Doug’s and Barry Sorkin of Smoque BBQ kicked off the winter series with their Hot Smoquein’ pizza released this month. They topped Piece’s classic white pie with Hot Doug’s brand jalapeno jack brat sausage and Sorkin’s smoked portobellos, finished with fistfuls of fresh basil. Do note that smoked mushrooms are not on the menu at Smoque BBQ, so they may be a taste of the upcoming Smoque Steak restaurant.

The Hot Smoquein’ will only be available until Feb. 9, National Pizza Day.

It’s a day so important on the pizza calendar that chef Matthias Merges takes over the pizza ovens next on the same day. The restaurateur (Billy Sunday, Mordecai, Old Irving Brewing Co.) has named his pizza after his dog. Jupiter’s Pride is a pie with Yukon Gold potatos, roasted garlic, pecorino cheese and rosemary. It will be on the menu for another momentous day: Puppy Bowl XIX on Feb. 12.

Rick Bayless wraps up the series with big signature flavors. The chef is best known for his critically acclaimed Mexican restaurants Frontera Grill and Topolobampo. He’s created a salsa verde pizza with goat cheese, bacon and queso añejo, an aged Mexican cheese rolled in paprika that’s similar to Parmesan and Romano. The Bayless pizza will be available in March.

Piece will donate $5 from every limited-edition chef collaboration pizza in the campaign to PAWS.

Plus, the pizzeria will feature the face of an adoptable dog on thousands of pizza boxes. A flyer with a QR code links to their bio on the shelter’s website.

The Slice to Meet You campaign highlights dogs who have been looking for homes the longest.

You might meet Rocco, a big 4-year-old boy, who’s been searching for his forever family for a year, according to a release.

“He can be a couch potato, or he can be your fetching buddy at any moment,” says his foster parent on a profile that shows off toffee-colored floppy ears.

Or you might meet Natasha, a small-yet-spunky 5-year-old pup. According to her profile, which shows off cream-colored upright ears, she “can be a little introverted when first meeting people. Luckily, there is little that this girl won’t do for treats so food will be your best tool for befriending her!”

“Most of our pets find homes easily, but there are always a few that need just the right person or household,” said PAWS Chicago CEO Susanna Wickham.

PAWS, the city’s largest no-kill humane organization, celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2022.

Piece Brewery & Pizzeria, home to thin crust, Neapolitan-inspired New Haven-style pizza, opened in Wicker Park in 2001.

“Animals make our lives better; I will never live without one,” said Piece owner Bill Jacobs. “My hope is that this will be a matchmaking tool that introduces unique pets to their perfect someone.”

Full disclosure: I volunteered at PAWS before working at the Tribune, driving the shelter van filled with carriers of cats and dogs from the medical center in Little Village to the adoption center in Lincoln Park. I also adopted my dog, Kōl Chu, from PAWS.

You can order the limited-edition chef collaboration pizzas for dine in, takeout or delivery.

Piece Brewery and Pizzeria, 1927 W. North Ave., 773-772-4422, piecechicago.com

PAWS Chicago, 1997 N. Clybourn Ave., 773-935-7297, pawschicago.org

lchu@chicagotribune.com

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