Specialty pizza with mac and cheese a knockout at Mario's in Melville

The delectably gooey-rich mac and cheese pizza served at Mario’s Pizza of Melville has the power to make your day — and crash your diet. This we learned after a photo on Instagram prompted an immediate visit to see whether the eating would measure up to the visuals. We're not usually fans of "creative" pizzas, but this pie took the cake.

You can get the pizza whole or by the slice, with or without bacon. We're more prone to classicism, preferring the clean, simple comfort of meatless elbows enrobed in a confluence of mozzarella, Cheddar and Mexican cheeses. Not that the bacon version didn't have its own smoky-salty merits.

For the past two weeks, both the plain and the bacon mac and cheese pies have been featured as a special — one that now will be extended indefinitely, said manager Junior Martinez. Students from nearby St. Anthony’s High School, he said, are “going nuts for it” at lunch.

With or without bacon, a whole 16-inch pie costs $24.95. A slice (cut from a larger 22-inch pie), goes for $4.37 plain; $4.72 with bacon.

Newsday would like you to nominate your specialty pizza. Photos appreciated. Send to joan.reminick@newsday.com. Or tweet to @FeedMeLI or, on Instagram, @NewsdayFood.

Mario’s Pizza of Melville is at 1 Schwab Rd., Melville, 631-385-7000, mariospizzeria.com.