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One of the great ironies in life is that grilling — or any type of outdoor cooking, really — is most commonly associated with summer, which I consider to be merely the third-best season for it, behind spring and fall. I tend to really commit well before Memorial Day, to the extent that I often joke about how by the time the Fourth of July comes around, I am officially done with hot dogs.
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From J.Crew to Todd Snyder, sweaters are peak fall weatherI’ll stick with it all summer, of course, grilling up all manner of meats and vegetables while drinking beers with my dog hanging out on the lawn just a few feet away. And I entertain quite a bit over the summer as well. It’s all very nice and very Norman Rockwell, but you know what it also is? It’s fucking hot. Despite what we’ve come to accept as the norm, standing over a grill on a 90-degree day is crazy work. The payoff is great, sure, but no greater than it was on May 15 when it was 72 degrees.
So that brings us to fall grilling. There is perhaps no better feeling than cooking outdoors when temperatures are in the 60s or, hell, even the 50s. Being afforded the opportunity to wear a light jacket while grilling is about as good as it gets for me. The problem, though, is that come October, I’m not really looking to make any of the stuff I was making all summer. There are only so many burgers and steaks a man can eat, and corn’s not in season anymore, which is an enormous, depressing bummer. And besides all that, there’s obviously the seasonal inclination to want to start making various roasts and braises to fully lean into the coziness of it all. But that, reader, is where I would argue that outdoor pizza-making is the perfect fall activity. You get to enjoy the cool, brisk weather while preparing a food that feels perfectly in keeping with the spirit of the season, given its relative heartiness and ability to be paired with football.
As a person who already owns enough grills and smokers to make my wife very angry, I’ve chosen to forego any of the very good pizza ovens currently on the market, and I’ve opted instead for the Weber Crafted pizza stone, which is an insert that conveniently replaces ⅔ of the standard grates on my Weber Genesis S-335. Purists would argue that there are better options, and I’m sure they’re right, but it suits my needs perfectly.
Below, though, a range of other options that will yield outstanding results. Also, a word of advice if you’re just getting started: If you live in a place where there are good pizzerias, stop in and ask if you can buy some of their dough. Making dough is a pain.
Meet your guide
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