text: On a Friday night with nothing else going on, we decided to try a new place in our quest to find the best pizza in Phoenix.  LAMP is a little out of the way in North Scottsdale, but it looked good.  It was a little more crowded than I expected, and after 15 minutes or so, we were able to get a table.\n\nLAMP is a mid sized venue with an upscale feel (the area is fairly insulated from any normal working class neighborhoods), with a very open food preparation area, as wood-fired pizza restaurants tend to be.\n\nI went with the Gem (red pizza with sausage, pepperoni, ricotta, garlic, and oregano), and my friend had the Geppetto (white pizza with sausage, gorgonzola, and caramelized onion marmelade).  According to the menu, all of their sausage comes from the fantastic De Falco's Italian Deli in south Scottsdale.\n\nThe crust was excellent, and I really liked my pie.  Often when I get pepperoni on a pizza, the flavor overwhelms all the other ingredients and completely ruins it (I'm reminded of the terrible pie I had at LGO).  On this one, it was just right.  The sauce was delicious as well.\n\nI tried the white pie, and I didn't like it as much.  It wasn't bad, but it just didn't seem that special.\n\nAlso tried the ricotta cheesecake for dessert, and it was delectable.  I think I really like this concept of using ricotta instead of cream cheese.  Don't get me wrong, I like a good chunky New York cheesecake, but I guess the Italians do it better.\n\nMy biggest complaint about LAMP is the dining experience - the place does feel a bit cold and pretentious.  It probably goes with the North Scottsdale territory, but it lacks the welcoming air that Phoenix's smaller pizza restaurants enjoy.