E. M. Pizzeria - Brentwood

4140 Saw Mill Run Blvd. (Rt. 51)
Brentwood
412-884-3034

This review is a testament to the fact that advertising does work!  We must have driven by the E. M. Pizzeria thousands of times but never really noticed it.  This past week, we found a menu tucked into our copy of the either the South Hills Record or the Pennysaver ... and it looked pretty good!  We tried it last night and are glad we did.

The pizza had a very tasty thick and chewy hand tossed crust.  The fresh sauce was thick and flecked with herbs, and the pizza was just the way we like it - extra sauce and light cheese.  (We asked for light cheese on our pizza which is why it looks thin in the photo.)  I read another review that said the sauce is bland - that is not at all how we feel!  We liked the sauce very much, and although it is mild, it is also very flavorful.

E.M. Pizzeria has a very extensive menu with many varieties and combinations of pizza, salads, calzones, wedgies, pasta, specialty pasta, oven-baked hoagies, gourmet hoagies, gyros, wings, appretizers and desserts!  We love the sound of the Chicken Spinach Gourmet Hoagie, the Gyro Hoagie and the Chicken Ranchero sounds awesome - chicken breast, ranch sauce, french fries and provolone.  I can imagine myself stopping back very soon for a yummy Chicken Gyro Platter, Greek Pizza or a Tuscan Chicken Pizza (grilled chicken, tomato sauce, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and mozzarella). 

We'll be back!

Spartan Pizza - Brentwood

3600 Brownsville Road

Pittsburgh, PA 15227

412-886-9430

Spartan Pizza makes an outstanding crust. It was thin and almost cracker like; it held its shape, yet could be easily folded and the flavor was near perfection. We decided that it was the best crust that we have tasted to date on our Pizza Tour de Pittsburgh. The crust was topped with a thin layer of a tasty red tomato sauce, and a bubbling mixture of freshly grated cheese - half Provolone and half Mozzarella.

It was a chilly day, so we also ordered a cup of Spartan's Italian Wedding Soup to help warm us up. The soups at Spartan Pizza are homemade by a retired chef. The Wedding Soup was very good and also unusual in that it was made with beef broth rather than chicken broth, which gave it a very rich flavor. It was loaded with thick chunks of fresh carrot and dotted with spinach and acini de pepi, as well as tiny and tasty meatballs. The Wedding Soup is available seasonally - and I'm glad it is Wedding Soup season, because I'd like to go back soon for a larger container!

Spartan's pizzas are available in four sizes ranging from Small (12" 6 cut $7) to Xtra Large (18" 16 cuts $11). They also offer small or large Pizza Boats and I was happy to see that their pizza is available by the slice, at $1.25 per slice. They also offer four specialty pizzas: White Pizza, Spinach & Feta (the Spartan's Special), Grilled Chicken Pizza (with a white pizza base) and BBQ Chicken, which uses BBQ sauce instead of a red pizza sauce.

They also serve Wedgies, which are fresh dough stuffed with meats, cheese and veggies and garnished with lettuce, tomato, onion and dressing. You can choose Italian, Deli, Philly Cheese, Turkey Bacon, or Vegetarian. Their Calzones also sound very good and are available in Italian, Philly Cheese Steak, Meatball, Spinach, Mushroom, Pepperoni or Chicken.

Spartan says that their best seller is their Steak Sub - the Steak Sub is available in either half or whole, with the lowest priced Steak Sub the regular ($4.75 half/$8.75 whole) and the most expensive the Philly Cheese Steak ($5.75 half/$10.25 whole). Other varieties include Cheese Steak, Mushroom Cheese Steak, Steak & Egg, Steak & Peppers, Italian Steak, and Bacon Cheese Steak. The Steak Subs are served on a fresh Italian roll from Mancini's Bakery.

They also serve six types of burgers, the most unusual of which are a Cajun Burger and an Italian burger, which includes Pepperoni. Their sandwiches are also served on a fresh Mancini's Italian Roll, or Kaiser Roll. You have 17 sandwich choices, a comforting BLT or Grilled Cheese, or a hearty Hot Sauce or Chicken Parmesan sandwich. Spartan also makes wraps, croissant sandwiches and pita sandwiches, including gyros.

Some of the 13 sides on the menu are fried provolone, mushrooms or zucchini, Cheddar Cheese poppers, and Hot Buffalo Chicken Fingers. They also make buckets and baskets of Buffalo Party Wings, and four pasta dinners (sauce with meatball, meat sauce, hot sausage casserole, chicken parmigiana), served with a salad and garlic toast - available for a dinner special from 4-8 pm for $6 plus tax. If you're in the mood for something lighter, there are seven salads on the menu.

Spartan Pizza is located near Brentwood High School, on the opposite side of the street. It is, in fact, named after the Brentwood High School mascot, the Spartan! We were there on a weekend, but I am willing to bet that Spartan Pizza is very popular with the students after school - and they are lucky to have such a wonderful pizza parlor so close to their school.

Italian Oven Cafe Pizzeria - Brentwood

Italian Oven Cafe
4090 Brownsville Road
Brentwood Towne Square
Brentwood, PA
412-882-6500


12/26/09 Update:  The Brentwood location of Italian Oven appears to be closed.  I know they were planning to move to a location in Caste Village.  My hope is that the Caste Village location will open soon - I hope that they are not closed permanently!  If anyone knows what has happened to them, please let us know - I have been having an Italian Oven craving.

I am a long time fan of Italian Oven - I was sorry when the once large chain of restaurants ran into problems, but delighted when the Italian Oven reemerged in the Brentwood Towne Square in 2004.

The Italian Oven Cafe is a fast/casual restaurant, where you place your order at a counter (or by fax or phone). You can watch your food being prepared if you like, or relax at tables or in a comfortable chair while you wait.


The Italian Oven offers two basic types of "pizza al forno" - Rosa (red) or Fancy White pizza - both of which are prepared in a wood fired oven.


On our latest visit, we ordered a Pizza Rosa - a classic pizza with red sauce and fresh mozzarella cheese. We ordered the 12" and asked for extra sauce and light cheese. The cheese was delicious but, as you can see from the photo, definitely not "light"! The crust was outstanding - thin and crispy, with a nice chewiness and a light dusting of cornmeal on the bottom. The sauce was rich, sweet and mildly spicy, with some small chunks of tomato.

We didn't order any topping for our pizza, but the Italian Oven offers pepperoni, Italian sausage, onion, mushrooms, Kalamata olives, homemade meatballs, peppers, bacon or Cappacola. In addition to the 12" size that we ordered, the pizzas also are sold by the slice, or in 14" or 18" sizes.

On past visits, I've also tried the white pizza and am particularly fond of the Grilled Chicken and Spinach version that also is topped with bacon, onions and Roma tomatoes. Other white pizzas offered are a classic Bianca, Margherita, BBQ Chicken and Vegetariana versions. Slices of pizza are also offered in combination with a tossed salad or cup of soup - we like their Wedding Soup.


Another Italian Oven favorite of mine is the Grilled Tuscan Chicken Panini, which comes with "fresh mozzarella cheese, Roma tomatoes, crispy onions, mixed greens and artichoke lemon pesto." Other Panini include Parmesan Crusted Chicken, Italian Sausage, Classic Italian, Grilled Portabella Mushroom, a wonderful Italian Meatball and Cheese, Grilled Sirloin Steak and Chicken BLT. All panini are oven baked on ciabatta bread and are served with a bag of chips.


In addition to the pizza and panini, Italian Oven serves wonderful salads, stromboli and pasta dishes. I've never tried the stromboli, but have had the Chicken Parmesan with linguine and liked it very much.

In the evening (after 6 p.m.) Italian Oven offers a complimentary pitcher of beer with a qualifying dine-in purchase. They also serve breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays, and also have a reasonably priced Kids' Menu.


And here's a tip ... if you like Fried Zucchini, as I do, you will love their Famous Italian Oven (r) Cafe Fried Zucchini!!!!! Wow!