Angelo's Pizza -- Lakewood, OH

Deep-Dish Margherita Pizza at Angelo's

Angelo's in Lakewood is one of the great pizza joints in the Cleveland area. It serves up countless varieties of pizzas, with three different crust options: thin, "our original," or deep-dish.

Now, here's my thought process. I don't usually try "thin," because it's never really that thin and I'm constantly trying to compare it to NY pizza in my mind. " Our Original" sounds good, so I usually try that; I mean, if it's the pizzeria's signature crust, why not try it?

I do like deep-dish pizza. A lot. So once in awhile I'll have to try that too.

The first time I went to Angelo's, which was over the summer, I tried the Margherita pizza in deep-dish style, and that is what I go back for time and time again. Why? Well, because it's perfect!

This pizza boasts plenty of fresh mozzarella, basil, roma tomatoes, and a delightful sauce with plenty of garlic. But the best part about this pizza is its buttery crust. It's not extremely thick, but it is divine. I ordered a small 6-slice pizza and was good to go after only two slices. Which means I got to take home leftovers and perform ...


The Next-Day Test: Weird, but even better than on day one!! You know how sometimes when you reheat pasta the next day, it's just that much better? Well, same goes here. Great the next day. (There's even reheating instructions on the box -- 350 degrees for 10 minutes.)

So, if you're in Lakewood, stop into Angelo's on Madison Avenue. Actually, go there even if you're not in Lakewood, but are somewhere semi-close. It's worth the trip.

Edison's Pizza Kitchen -- Cleveland, OH

The storefront ... in the snow
(how very Cleveland)

Yes! Finally, I get to write about Edison's. I mentioned in my first post on this blog that I'd only include my own photos of the pizza I review. So this meant waiting until I returned to some of my oft-visited pizza joints in order to take a couple pictures and then review. (Otherwise, I guess I could have written the review and then included the photos later. Well, maybe if I'm going through a dry spell, I'll do that. Until then, I'm fine with waiting.)

It's ironic, considering I frequent Edison's more than probably any other pizzeria in Cleveland. It's only a few blocks away in my neighborhood (Tremont), and it's just really good. It's different than other pizza I've tried, in that it's just a bit more "over the top." I can't really explain it better than that. But I'll try.

Preparing my half-banana-pepper pizza

There's a little something extra to the crust. Perhaps that's because, upon emerging from the oven, the guys at Edison's brush oil around the pizza's circumference, and then sprinkle parmesan cheese on it. This extra preparation gives the pizza a little more greasiness, sure, but also a lot more flavor. I would describe the crust as "thick," although based on conversations I've had about several pizzerias in the Cleveland area, others might call this "thin crust." It's definitely not deep-dish, though, because it's not made in a cast-iron pan or anything.

Also, another funny and unique thing that Edison's does is they include small packets of honey into which pizza lovers may dip their crusts. I've never done it, personally, but I have heard of several yelpers who have.

The only thing I'll say about the pizza which is unsatisfactory for me is that, depending on which toppings you order (mostly veggies), sometimes the pizza isn't as well done and the toppings aren't really "integrated" into the slice. However: for those of you who like their pizza a little less done, and who really love biting into toppings as their own entity, this could be the pizza for you! And the pepperoni slice is awesome, I will say that.

Banana pepper slice

Pizzas come in medium (8 slices) and large (12 slices). And they really are big. Last night we ordered a large with half banana peppers. Because of the quality of the thinly-sliced peppers, this is one particular topping that comes out really nicely on the pizza. The vinegary, sharp flavor of the peppers could be a little overwhelming for some, but I still really enjoyed it. (I prefer a more "sour" flavor -- think pickled things, Greek salads, etc. -- to spicy things like jalapenos.)

The shop is tiny, as in no more than three people should ever be in there to place or wait for an order. However, there's a great bar attached to the pizzeria (called, aptly, Edison's Pub) where the service is friendly, the clientele is laid-back, and you can enjoy a beer while you wait for your order.

Check out the grease on that pizza box!

Next-day test: I would say that Edison's reheated pizza is almost as good as on day one. It's just a little bit drier, but not much. And, for those slices with veggies that weren't as well done -- here's your chance to cook 'em a bit more!

Danny Boys Pizza -- Rocky River, OH

The in-laws visited on Sunday, and we ordered from Danny Boys Pizza. Everyone else got sandwiches -- why?! I ordered a pizza called the "Clevelander," and I just had to share the description from their online menu. It made me crack up:

This one's a little upside down, built a little backwards, and kinda right in the middle of New York and Chicago.We take a New York crust, layer with pizza cheese, extra pepperoni, fresh garlic and fresh basil, all topped Chicago style with zesty pizza sauce and parmesan cheese. The best pizza in the world is right here in Cleveland! (dannyboyspizza.com)

The Clevelander Slice from Danny Boys.
(Note: many of the slices had much more sauce than this. But I ate 'em.)

I did, in fact, enjoy this pizza very much because it had some of the best elements of New York and Chicago styles. If given the choice, there's no way I'd go with Chicago style over New York, but I do appreciate the extra sauce and parmesan sprinkled on top of the mozzarella. I had a 12" pie, and it was all I could do to not finish the entire thing. It was delicious, and the sauce was zesty. In addition, there was a distinct garlicky taste that was not overwhelming, but still very present in this pizza.

Next-day test: Not even close to as good as on day one. That's unfortunate. After the reheat, it dried up quite a bit and just didn't taste the same. Sadness.

Eddie's Pizzeria Cerino -- Seven Hills, OH

Eddie's Margherita pizza, reheated

I've been to Eddie's once before (see my yelp review), but this is the first time I've tried their pizza in-house. (My husband had brought home some of their salumi pizza for his leftovers, but never have I ordered pizza at Eddie's before yesterday.)

I went with a basic margherita pizza (one of my favorites). These pies came in either 9", 13", or 17". Because it was only lunchtime, and because I was also getting a salad, I opted for the 9".

This was a pretty good pie. The mozzarella tasted fresh, the sauce wasn't too heavy, and the basil was sliced thin and scattered pretty evenly throughout. (I'm still undecided about whether I enjoy my basil left as a whole leaf, or chopped, on pizza. Both have their merits.) The one thing that, ironically, turned me off a bit was the crust.

Why is that ironic? Well, because their bread is so damn good. I love it. It's just that the crust, when baked into a pizza, wasn't that crispy. But it wasn't soft either ...or chewy. The only word I can use to describe it, unfortunately, is "tough." Don't get me wrong -- Eddie's pizza was very good. It just didn't have the magic crust I was looking for.

The next-day test: Eddie's pizza did very well today when reheated (see photo). I actually think I might have enjoyed it more today than fresh out of their own oven. Weird, I know.