Augie's Pizza & Ribs -- Independence, OH

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I went to Augie's Pizza & Ribs for lunch today. I had been there once before (while pregnant, so I obviously ate twice as much then as I did today. OBVIOUSLY.)

Mushroom pizza at Augie's

Located in a strip mall with some other chains (like Starbucks, Winking Lizard, Zoup!, and Aladdin's), you don't really expect to have knockout pizza there. However, the sign inside boasts that they were Voted #1 Sauce in Cleveland. So, hey, why not?

I had a mushroom slice (right). The sauce was definitely good, but it wasn't extremely memorable. In fact, there wasn't that much on the pizza.

The slice was small, but filling, as the tasty dough was on the denser side. It was a bit greasy -- not enough that it bothered me, but enough that I regretted not getting a napkin at the counter. I did enjoy the way the mushrooms were baked in with the cheese and not simply piled on top the way some other pizzerias do it.

I left feeling satisfied, but not full. Um, I guess that's how it "should" be, no? I'm always used to stuffing myself. When it comes to pizza, I rarely give myself any other choice.

The slice was closer to room temperature than I would have liked. I think that's because I got it in a to-go box, just in case I had to dart out of there in a hurry (when you're lunching with a baby, that's always a concern). I would have liked to have tasted this slice piping hot.

Many thanks, by the way, to the Augie's staff for allowing me to take pictures of the place for this blog!

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.