Emilio’s -- Both a Very Nice Guy and a Great Pizza Place

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 the perfect slice of heaven.

The one thing I’m quickly learning about the pizza shops in Strongsville is they’re pretty small. In fact, most are pick-up and delivery only. Growing up, most of the pizzerias I went to had tables, even the small ones, not to mention pinball machines, but who has those now?

Even my usual current-day pizza haunts like Parma's Antonio's and Angelo's are full-blown restaurants. Strongsville seems to cater more to the delivery crowd. Maybe real estate is more expensive here?

Strongsville Patch reader Christina Ball Mangini suggested that a visit to , 20934 Drake Rd., was a must stop in my search for the best pizza in Strongsville. I wondered what would be waiting for me at this location. Great pizza? Tables? The suspense would build the closer I got.

I was happy to find that Emilio’s did indeed have tables - two to be exact. Luckily, I only needed one to sit my keister down.

To call Emilio’s Pizza an eat-it-there kind of place might be stretching it a bit. Still, if you decide to dine in, the option is here and I took advantage of it and was grateful.

Emilio himself was a very friendly fellow. I enjoyed chatting with him and it’s obvious that he takes great pride in his pizza.

I asked him to recommend his best pies.  He suggested their White Pizza, which has creamy garlic butter sauce, spinach, tomatoes and a mix of cheese. That sounded yummy, yet my eye couldn't stop wandering to their Emilio’s Pizza Specialty, a red sauce pizza which piles on the toppings including pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, black olives, bacon, ham and banana peppers topped with a mix of mozzarella and provolone. The only thing missing is the kitchen sink.

I decided I had to go with both the simplicity of the White Pizza and the jammed-packed parking lot of toppings that is the Specialty Pizza.

I was impressed when the pizzas came out. The White Pizza made me a fan from the first bite. First, it was topped with a ton of cheese, which always makes me happy.

It was filled with thick slices of tomato and wads of spinach. It was awesome.

The Specialty Pizza was certainly no slouch either. I don’t think there was a speck of room left for any more toppings to fit on this excellent, tasty pie.

My motto: The more toppings the better. And this one was ideal.

Both pies looked as great as they tasted. I’m always impressed with that wavy crust that some parlors do. That’s a sign of detail and care in the making of these pies. They’re obviously not slopped together and tossed into the oven. In my book, pizza-making is an art form and Emilio just may be the Michelangelo of pizzas.

Which was better? I’m not sure but I’ll admit that there wasn’t anything left to take home of the White Pizza. (Burp.) The Specialty Pizza made for great leftovers reheated in my backyard grill. Mmmm.

Emilio certainly knows how to make a killer pie. I’m beginning to realize just how hard it’s going to be to pick a best pizza, but I swear, I’ll do it somehow. Keep your suggestions coming!