Memphis Foodie

I am usually behind on the trends when it comes to trying the latest, hot restaurant. However, I prided myself on checking out Aldo’s pizza Pies Downtown within the first week they opened. Behold my review, semi-timely.

I went to Aldo’s with a couple of friends recently for a light bite to eat for the evening. I admit I was pretty skeptical about this place, knowing it’s the same people behind Bardog and Slider Inn. I don’t really care for Bardog, and I have only had decent experiences at Slider Inn. However, I went in with an open mind.

It was Wednesday at around 8:30pm when we went, and they were packed, as expected. Despite the chaos, we were quickly seated. Service was a tad slow, but I could tell our server was overwhelmed with the traffic and trying hard. That’s what counts in my book: attitude and trying.

Kudos to Aldo’s for doing pizza by the slice for the dinner crowd. Every pizza place I have encountered in Memphis only does pizza by the slice for lunch. I was happy to know I didn’t have to purchase an entire pizza for myself. You have limited options when doing pizza by the slice, as I would assume, considering the effort in creating and keeping fresh so many different pizzas at once. Options are vodka cream, pepperoni, sausage, veggie, and their Slice of the Day.

The Slice of the Day sounded right up my alley, called “The Other Side” and loaded with Poblano Cream, Fontina/Trugole, Grilled Chicken, Tomato, and Spinach. (FYI: I’ll eat tomato and spinach on just about everything.) I went for it.

The slices were a good size. As for the taste? It was perfect. You could tell everything was made fresh, especially the bread. The crust was perfect, not too thin and not too thick. It was a thin crust for sure, but there was enough dough to taste the bread. Toppings were loaded on top. It wasn’t too greasy, and it was packed with flavor.

Greer ordered the Pepperoni Pizza slice, and agreed that everything tasted fresh.

Then, having heard nothing but rave reviews about the cheesecake from both friends and the media, I had to suck it up and try it. If people are raving about cheesecake at a pizza place, then it has to be worth a shot. Not to mention, I get weak in the knees for a good slice.

Let me tell you. I agree with Kerry when I say that, no doubt about it, this is the best freaking cheesecake I have ever had in my life. It has that dense texture that you want from cheesecake, but somehow miraculously also manages to be light and fluffy. The flavor combination is perfect. I had one of those “close your eyes and picture yourself on a tropical island eating this cheesecake” moments. There was one tiny drawback. I was told there was supposed to be a raspberry drizzle on top, but we didn’t get it. We asked our server for it, but no avail. Either way, it was amazingly delicious.

Overall, Aldo’s is worth a try. Don’t be surprised by their prices. They are a bit pricey for pizza, but it’s what you pay to get quality, fresh ingredients every time. It’s debatable whether Aldo’s is my new favorite pizza place, but it is definitely in my top 3. Memphis Pizza Cafe better watch their backs. They have competition.

I can’t seem to find a website for Aldo’s, but you can check out their Facebook page. You can also find more reviews at Yelp and Urbanspoon.