Gelsosomo's Pizzeria near Chicago, IL

Basic Information:

Pizza: Gelsosomo's Pizzeria

Number of Locations: 10, mostly near Chicago, IL
Location Reviewed: 5184 S. Franklin Street in Michigan City, IN (in front of Meijer on US 421 just north of I-94 exit 34B)
Website: https://gelpizza.com/
Date of Review Visit: September 2024
What I Ordered: small (10") deep dish pizza with pepperoni and sausage; Dr. Pepper to drink
Price: $24.88 (includes drink and tax but not tip)
Photo:

Summary Review:  4.5 stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust: Gelsosomo's offers a true Chicago style thick crust that is at least 2 inches thick.  The crust has the crispy texture you would expect, and the sauce and cheese blend well with the crust.  Score: 10/10

Sauce: This pizza has lots of sauce.  The sauce had a nice tomatoey taste at first, but a bitter flavor grew on my taste palette the more I ate.  I would like this sauce more without the bitter end.  Score: 8/10

Cheese: This pizza has a thick layer of cheese baked right on the crust, which is where it should be for a deep dish pizza.  I like it.  Score: 10/10

Toppings: The sausage comes in nice big chunks and has a mildly spiced pork flavor.  The pepperoni is unremarkable.  Both toppings appear in abundant quantity.  Score: 9/10

Overall Taste: The big gobs of sauce dominate the taste, and therefore this pizza has more of a bitter taste than I prefer.  Score: 7.5/10

Pizza Appearance: This pizza looks like the robust deep dish pizza it is.

Dining Atmosphere: Gelsosomo's has a nice casual dining atmosphere with nice booths and a few TVs for entertainment.  I enjoyed the dining experience here.

Customer Service: The table service was quick and attentive on my visit.

Monetary Value: While the price is expensive, it is not the most expensive pizza of this type I have ever had.  Thus, the value is about average.

The Final Judgment:

I enjoyed the food and service at Gelsosomo's.  Only a fresher, more tomato-tasting sauce like the sauce at Lou Malnati's or Uno's keeps this pizza from being elite.  Score: 86/100

Cavoni's Pizza and Grinders in Battle Creek, MI

Basic Information:

Pizza: Cavoni's Pizza and Grinders
Number of Locations: 1
Location Reviewed: 5424 Beckley Road Suite D (in Minges Creek Plaza near Big Lots)

Website: https://www.cavonispizzagrinders.com/
Date of Review Visit: October 2023
What I Ordered: small (8") pizza with sausage and pepperoni; fountain drink
Price: $12.92 (includes drink and tax)

Photo:

 

Summary Review: 4 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: Cavoni's Pizza has a fairly thick crust that looks hand-made.  It has a nice crispy texture, and it does a good job of supporting the rest of the pizza.  I like this crust.  Score: 10/10.

Sauce: The sauce is way too spicy; I tasted more spices than tomatoes.  It appears in average quantity.  Score: 5/10.

Cheese: This pizza comes with a nice thick layer of cheese.  The cheese does not produce much grease.  It also does not have much flavor until you sprinkle on some parmesan.  Score: 9/10.

Toppings: The pepperoni is unremarkable.  The sausage has a little spice but not much other flavor.  For veteran pizza eaters, I will remark that this sausage tastes like Domino's sausage from 25 years ago, which I liked more than the sausage Domino's uses today.  That's not exactly a high endorsement, but it's something.  Both toppings appear in sufficient quantity.  Score: 6/10.

Overall Taste: The spiciness of the tomato sauce and sausage dominate the tongue, so the overall taste is unimpressive in spite of this pizza's other positive qualities.  Score: 6.5/10.

Pizza Appearance: The thick crust dominates the appearance, and it looks kind of odd sitting on a contoured plate.

Dining Atmosphere: Cavoni's has a small casual dining room with no TVs or anything else for entertainment.

Customer Service: The service is counter service, and it was quick and friendly on my visit.

Monetary Value: The price is low for decent quality pizza, and hence the value is quite high.

The Final Judgment:

I like Cavoni's, but they need to upgrade their sauce and toppings to become elite.  Score: 80/100.

Papa Romano's Pizza in Detroit, MI

Basic Information:

Pizza: Papa Romano’s Pizza

Number of Locations: about 25, mostly near Detroit, MI

Location Reviewed: 22310 Middlebelt Rd. in Farmington Hills, MI (corner of 9 Mile Road and Middlebelt)

Website: https://paparomanos.com/

Date of Review Visit: August 2017

What I Ordered: 4 Corners Pizza with pepperoni and sausage; 5 piece Bambino Bread

Price: $10.45

Photos:

Summary Review: 3 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: Papa Romano’s Pizza comes with the thick pan crust typically associated with northern climates.  The crust is not as crispy as you might expect in terms of consistency.  It’s not the best crust I have ever eaten, but it does the job and does it well.  Score: 8/10.

Sauce: This pizza comes with lots of sauce, as you would expect for a thick crust pizza.  The garlic flavor is too strong for my taste, and hence the score is not that great.  Score: 6/10.

Cheese: The cheese appears in good quantity and does not produce too much grease.  Score: 8/10.

Toppings: Both toppings appear in good quantity, but they are lifeless in terms of flavor.  Score: 5/10.

Overall Taste: The 4 Corners pizza impresses with pure heartiness rather than finesse.  I can’t say the taste is anything impressive, but this pizza fills you up.  Score: 6.5/10.

Pizza Appearance: The pizza looks like the hearty robust pizza it is, while the Bambino Bread is akin to Little Caesar’s Crazy Bread.  

Dining Atmosphere: (not applicable; the location I visited is carry-out only.)

Customer Service: The service was quick and attentive.

Monetary Value: This pizza is more expensive than it should be.  Papa Romano’s offerings are a cross between Jet’s and Little Caesars but more expensive than either one.

The Final Judgment:

Papa Romano’s is an odd cross between Jet’s and Little Caesars.  I would probably rather have Jet’s pure heartiness or Little Caesars’ pure value than the combination offered up here, which I find to be a rather average entry in the thick crust pizza category.  I would sanction coming here but not over other options.  Score: 71/100.