Cheap Eats - Slices in the ‘hood
Liro’s dishes out the pie and delivers, too
What’s up with getting a pizza delivered in these parts? demands my buddy Todd, who lives a few streets over in East Atlanta Village. Like most of my neighbors, Todd’s a young professional who’s just bought his first house. He enjoys being able to toddle over to a handful of good bars and he loves the cheap eating options just a stroll away. But like me, he’s discovered that it’s nearly impossible to get a pizza delivered.
Luckily, Liro’s has come to the rescue. Sort of. While their delivery area is limited to Cabbagetown, parts of Inman Park, Grant Park and a limited portion of EAV, the new locally owned pizzeria offers cheap and tasty slices for dining in or painless pick-up. Delivery service is fast and the pies arrive piping hot.
BUILT RIGHT:With checkered linoleum flooring and an open (though unpretty) kitchen, Liro’s might not be where you want to take a date, but it’s clean and service is fast, friendly and polite. Pizzas and calzones are baked in a conveyor-belt-style oven, with heating elements on the top and bottom. The crust isn’t thin, blistered manna from heaven, but it is crunchy yet toothy, winningly toasty and flavorful, with semolina dusting that adds extra crunch. Pizzas are clobbered with toppings, and the sauce and dough are made in-house. Gooey and stringy, the cheese is portioned perfectly for the right amount of chew.
ON THE WAGON:The Meat Wagon ($12.99 for a substantial 12-inch) is heavy with all the porky, nitrate-rich things I love on a pie: pepperoni, sausage, ham and beef. Although we’re famished when we attack the Meat Wagon pizza, half of it goes home with us for lunch the next day. Vegetarians and those who want to lessen their measure of guilt over stuffing themselves will love the surprisingly fresh Ultimate Garden Delight ($13.99, 12-inch). Laden with crisp strips of bell pepper, mushrooms, onions, piquant black and green olives, spinach and loads of garlic, the veggie pie offers a satisfying play of textures and tastes.
CLIPPED WINGS:I can’t ever pass up hot wings when I see them, but skip them at Liro’s ($4.99 for 10). They’re soggy and not very hot. I don’t think there’s even a fryer in the kitchen, but they are a pizzeria, after all. Calzones ($6.99) are a steal at their enormous size. Puffy, golden and perhaps a bit too chewy for some, the sausage and mushroom-stuffed variation I ordered was just fine, although I could do for a bit less ricotta and more mozzarella. The cup of marinara for dipping tastes pre-packaged but totally inoffensive. Liro’s won’t win over any brick-oven fanatics, but it is certainly a welcome addition to the east side of town. Todd’s just right outside their delivery area, but, as he says, “I always need to go out for beer, anyway.”