A welcoming face in a Victorian doorway.  A smacking whiff of basil and garlic.  A quick peek to the left for a view of a charming, intimate space.  Some laughter.  Some silence with eating.  A salad looking like it's still alive swoops on by.  Two pizzas, one with fresh greens atop (arugula?), settle on down to a four-top.  On in, to the right on the wall, a blackboard full of hand-writing with today's specials and wine choices.  A couple leaning in toward one another over a pair of beers.  A family, giddy and exhausted from a Garden of the Gods hike, lingers over the last bite of the antipasti, each leaving the one piece of proscuitto for the other. 

That's the first view of still-young  Pizzeria Rustica, an old-style trattoria located over on the west side of Colorado Avenue in Old Colorado City, and first choice in the list of favorite pizza for Colorado Springs Cheap Eats.    A come-on-in place right on the main drag, this restaurant packs 'em in for hand-made, small (feeds two with a salad), artisan pizza that has garnered acclaim nationally from the likes of The Wall Street Journal and  Artisan bread guru Peter Reinhart, author of Artisan Breads Everyday. (If you want to make your own pizza, try Peter Reinhart's dough recipe at home.)  Local awards. Oh yes.  Check out the website in the "for more info," but think "Best New Restaurant of 2009" from the Gazette.

What makes the pizza so gottahavit?  First:  ingredients, ingredients, ingredients.  Fresh dough (made on the premises), crispy, flat-bread Neapolitan-style pies baked in 700 degree F ovens,  house-made mozzerella, fresh herbs and greens, top-quality San Marzano tomatoes, Gran Padano parmesan,  and local ingredients are the start of what makes them so smilin' good.  A recipe the owner traveled all over Italy to find is, perhaps second.  A love of feeding people:  a priceless third.  A dedication to slow food and sustainable ingredients contributes to putting this joint at the top and keeping it there -- number four.  Lauded for their very green practices, Pizzeria Rustica works hard to make the very best of everything that comes into the building.

Pizza choices start with basic, but not so basic, Margherita--just tomatoes, roasted garlic, fresh basil and cheese-- (which is also available without cheese) and move on through salumi, quattro formaggio (4 cheese),  wood-roasted vegetarian, and a daily house special.  Also on the menu are a couple of pies that feature Italian proscuitto or capicola ham for meat-lovers.  Prices on pies average about $12. 

In addition to the I'll-be-back-soon-for-more pizza, a diverse selection of antipasti and dessert fill out the menu.  Antipasti choices include plates of marinated vegetables, artisan-cured meats and cheese( $7, small and $11, large), as well as a selection of  made this minute salads that come in two sizes, one for just you and one to share ($3-$8).  Desserts ($4-5), and you must save room, include house-made gelatos, spumoni, sorbetto and cookies.  Drink selection is nicely-rounded, priced well, and includes everything from yummy espresso and fresh iced tea to Italian artisanal beers and  Italian or California wines (glasses of wine $6-8).

So when are you going?  Reservations (by phone) are highly recommended.  As the weather warms, there's a lot more space in the 1200 sq ft patio. (Dogs welcome!)  Meantime, the coziness of the dining room might be just the thing for a night out.  A walk around town afterward, hitting up a gallery or shop or just people watching, might be good for the body and the soul.  You can wander up the block to the library or see what's happening at the park.   This small part of the Springs is chock-full of things to do and places to see.  After you eat your pizza.

For more info:  Pizzeria Rustica, 2527 W. Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80904.  719-632-8121. Hours:  Mon-Tues:  Closed.  Wed-Thurs:  5pm-9pm.  Fri-Sun:  Noon-9pm.   (You might check for holiday or seasonal hours.)   Take-out available.   Leave a message on the website, but you must telephone for reservations.  http://www.pizzeriarustica.com   Off-street parking available; follow signs to Public Parking.

A pizza blogger you might want to consider:  http://www.worstpizza.com/

The best 25 pies in America from 2009:  http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/30872147/page/3/

Watch this space for periodic articles on "The Best" of CS Cheap Eats, including more on top-notch pizza.  Or you can subscribe (just click on "subscribe" above) and be the first on your block to read "Cheap Eats" each week.

For info on chain restaurant pizza:  Chain Restaurant Examiner or Best Super Bowl Pizza deals in the Springs