Nestled between Cold Stone Creamery and Verizon Wireless in Redlands’ Citrus Plaza, Z Pizza opened last week in the spot formerly occupied by Blimpie.

Nothing against Blimpie, but I think we got a better deal with Z Pizza.

Z Pizza’s shtick is that they offer a healthier pizza, with organic wheat dough and tomato sauce.

I’ll have to admit, I’m not generally a thin-crust pizza kind of guy, but I liked what I tried at Z Pizza.

The occasion for visiting Z Pizza was to get free pizza and to see (and hear) Allan Borgen’s Let’s Dine Out Show live broadcast.

First I tried a slice of the Mexican pizza. It consists of a salsa base, with mozzarella, spicy lime chicken, green and red onions, fresh avocado, cilantro and a drizzle of sour cream.

It had a hint of heat, with the lime flavor from the chicken dominating alternating bites. The addition of the sour cream also was a nice touch. Delicious!

The dough has almost a sourdough flavor to me, which was very appealing.

I’d definitely order this again.

My second slice was plain ol’ pepperoni, which was good, and the pepperoni plentiful, but it didn’t match the deliciousness of the Mexican pizza.

I did like that they took a light touch on the sauce.

Z Pizza is not the cheapest place around, with their small pizzas starting at $8.50 (for pepperoni) and topping out (get it?) at $22.20 for either an extra large Provence pizza with chicken sausage or California pizza with grilled chicken breast.

They do have a limited-time lunch special, though, two slices of pizza with a soda for $6.50. That’s a good way to sample their pizzas for a reasonable price.

They also have two pastas (penne with meatballs and chicken penne pesto), a variety of sandwiches and a smattering of salads.

The most intriguing thing a friend and I found on the menu, however, were their Rustica pizzas. Oval in shape, they offered slightly more exotic choices, such as pear and gorgonzola, or chicken curry and yam. We vowed to return to try these varieties, which are normally $8.95 each, but are on special at two for $15.

Another plus in Z Pizza’s favor is that they offer several options for those who have restrictive diets. They have a Yuppie Veggie sandwich and a Berkeley soy cheese veggie pizza, for example. They also have gluten-free crust available at participating locations, Redlands included.

The Redlands restaurant can be found at 27512 Lugonia Ave., Suite C.

They’ve got two other Inland Empire locations in Chino Hills at 3090 Chino Ave., Unit B and in the Colonies Crossroads in Upland at 1943-C North Campus Ave.

So, the next time you’re over at Target and are feeling a bit peckish, give Z Pizza a try. Tell ’em Dine 909 sent ya. Just don’t expect anything more than a blank look in return.