Both A Slice Above and Geppetto’s Know How to Make Pizzas that Deliver

Best Bites’ Gerry Shamray continues his search for the best pizza in Strongsville. He’s letting the readers of Strongsville Patch guide him on this important and historic journey by checking out their recommendations for a slice of heaven.

Take-out pizza has become the American way in enjoying cheesy pies. Even the pizza boxes themselves are serious engineering marvels that have become such an institution.

That precious corrugated box has to be strong to hold our gooey, chewy and oily double cheese, pepperoni pizza. And, remember the first time your box came with one of those plastic tripod little tables? What an important moment for mankind, maybe even bigger than landing on the moon. Man would no longer have to have half their cheese stuck to the top of the inside lid.

But it didn’t stop there. No sir, because then came the insulated sleeve that the entire pizza and box goes into so it will still be hot when your pizza is delivered to your door.

Then our wonderful boxes have been reconfigured to hold dipping sauces because just having a ton of melted cheese and tomato sauce baked into our pies is not enough. This is America and we will continue to make pizzas to be proud of.

Which brings me to a takeout and delivery only place. Strongsville residents can expect fast delivery of a delicious pie. Or you can jump in your car and drive to 8788 Pearl Road and pick up your order.

If you live out of the Strongsville area, like me, and are too far for delivery, like me, you can jump into your car and pick up your pizza and, well, eat it in your car because it’s too far to go back home. Yes, I’m willing to sacrifice my comfort to be sure that the pizza I’m eating is as hot and as fresh as it can be for this very important quest.

Strongsville Patch readers Tina Lewis Kozarik and someone simply known as “Matt” recommended A Slice Above and I had to find what the fuss was all about.

I couldn’t believe the number of choices available at this place. There are five crusts to choose from: New York Style is the classic hand-tossed dough; Chicago Style is deep dish of course; “Slice Above” Style is a secret house recipe; Whole Wheat is for those looking for a healthier alternative; and finally Low-Carb Crust is a mix of gluten and almond flour.

There are also five sauces: Traditional, Marinara, Bianco, Spicy Sauce and Sweet & Light. My head is already spinning and it doesn’t end there. There are nine meats, seven cheeses, 13 vegetables and fruits. And that’s not counting the nine premium items.

There are also 22 choices of specialty pizzas under the banner of “Unique & Exotic” on their menu! Choose from interesting titles such as the “Meathead,” “Honey Bee,” “The Twister” and the “Jimmy Hoffa.”

Needless to say, I was blind-sided by their menu and didn’t know what to order. Lucky for me, the assistant manager on duty was willing to guide me. I asked him what was their biggest seller. Without doing an actual account of sales, he guessed that “The Big Q,” which contains homemade BBQ sauce, chicken, sweet onions and sharp cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, was right at the top.

Then I asked him what his favorite pie was. He stated it was the “Quattro Formaggio,” which is an amazing cheese pizza with white cheddar, asiago, Monterey Jack, pecorino romano and mozzarella/provolone. His choice for sauce on this pie is the marinara.

I love meat on my pizza, so I ordered a medium sized “Big Q” but I had to try the “Quattro Formaggio” with marinara so I ordered it in the “pizza for one” (6-inch) size.

Both pizzas will use the “Slice Above” style dough. I figured if they slapped their name on it, it has to be good.

Oh. My. Goodness. I couldn’t believe it when I opened the box containing “The Big Q.” This pizza looked awesome. It contained huge chunks of chicken and I couldn’t wait to take a bite. I wasn’t disappointed either. The mix of BBQ, chicken, onions and cheese was fantastic. If I had to nitpick, I’d use less BBQ as it overpowered the pizza a bit. Next time I’ll try the “Ah-So Barbecued Chicken Pizza” which uses a red Chinese BBQ sauce. Oh, that sounds so good!

Then I opened the smaller box containing the “Quattro Formaggio.” I’ll admit that I’m not a fan of cheese pizza. I’m an adult man and I got to have my meat. For some reason, I always pictured cheese pizzas as something for kids. All the same, I tried to keep an open mind when I took my first bite and . . . I was blown away. This was one fantastic pizza and it easily bested “The Big Q.”

That marinara sauce tasted so fresh, and it blended perfectly with every cheesy bite. I woofed down that pizza like a rabid dog. I wished I had gotten a larger size. Better for my waistline that I didn’t.

Another take-out place is and Strongsville Patch reader Jessica Frenchik recommended it.

Luckily for me, Geppetto’s, 15323 Pearl Rd., is right next to Johnny Malloy’s Sports Pub, which serves their pizzas. I don’t have to sit in the car for this one. Yay! I’ll be sure to come back and give a review on Malloy’s own menu, minus the pizza.

At this point, after trying so many specialty pizzas and secret sauces, I really hungered for a classic pepperoni pizza and Geppetto’s delivered.

My large pizza was HUGE and was nicely covered in pepperoni. The dough was traditional, nicely chewy and held its contents perfectly.

Each slice had weight and felt good in my hands. It tasted even better in my mouth. Yum!

I also tried an order of chicken wings. I went with the Honey Bourbon sauce. Fantastic. It also went well with the pizza.

No complaints here. If you’re looking for a traditional pizza without the fuss and muss, this is a must stop.

It was fascinating comparing the contrast of these two pizzerias, one with an endless arsenal of choices and the other delivering supremely on the basics. Picking a favorite pizza is going to be tough, but next week, I will reveal my choice for best pizza in Strongsville.