Last time I visited Sizzle Pie for a Daily Slice, it was the east side location, and I aimed for the most carnivorous item available. On my recent trip to Sizzle Pie West, the micro-chain's second location, I decided to give a veggie option a chance. Truthfully, it was a no-brainer after I spotted one of Portland's most elusive pizza toppings behind the glass case: fried eggplant. More

My prime suggestion for Sizzle Pie is to pick a direction and stay focused. I enjoyed the ease and casual nature inside, the big portion, and the simplicity of everyday ingredients put together to satisfy a late-night or hungover craving. On the other side of the spectrum, it offers basil-cashew pizza with goat cheese and cracked egg. I understand the desire to have something for everyone, but the act of spreading its act so thin (41 unique pizza selections on the whole-pie menu plus "create your own") allowed my meaty slice to fall just short of excellence. More

This could arguably be the best brick-and-mortar New York–ish slice in Stumptown. A crisp thin crust, a sauce that nicely balances sweet and savory, and a judiciously distributed blanket of dry-aged mozzarella. Its most glaring fault is the lack of life at the rim. Both slices I sampled—one plain ($3) and one pepperoni ($3.25)—catwalked an edge crust that was almost completely flat and relatively insubstantial in the flavor department. I visited on only their fifth day being open, so know that there's plenty of time for them to improve. That said, I definitely plan on returning. It's a quality greasy slice for a decent value and in a convenient location. More

If you caught yesterday's leftover links, you might have seen that Portland, Oregon's Sizzle Pie has some weird names on its menu. Nick Sherman of Pizza Rules! breaks it down. More