Review: Corner Slice in Decatur

Corner Slice, a family-run pizza shop from Ben Horgan and his pastry chef wife, Kimberly, opened in November in the former Avellino’s space in Decatur.

Horgan is a veteran of Twain’s Brewpub & Billiards and Comet Pub & Lanes, but, he got his start some 20 years ago, spinning pies at the now-closed Everybody’s Pizza in Emory Village.

At Corner Slice, the rectangular Detroit-style pizza is the menu’s star. A hybrid of Sicilian and deep-dish, it’s baked in tall steel pans, which create a dark, thick crunch around the crust. Layers of whole milk mozzarella, as well as cheddar with a bit of provolone, coat the fluffy focaccia-style dough, dotted with dollops of red sauce on top.

I liked it plain and simple, but you can load it up with your choice of more than 20 toppings.

Another option is the bar pie — an ultra thin, 10-inch round pizza that can be ordered with wheat or gluten-free crust, and toppings of your choice, too. It’s baked with a generous amount of cheese that makes it quite floppy, and rather fun to eat with a beer.

There also are three specialty combos — spicy, white or veg — for either the Detroit or the bar pizzas.

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Credit: Ben Horgan

Credit: Ben Horgan

Beyond pizza, you’ll find sandwiches, wings, salads and sides on the menu.

You can order the chicken wings fried from soft to extra crispy, tossed in your choice of six sauces, and served with ranch or blue cheese dressing, celery and carrots.

The house, Greek and panzanella salads are a good bet for something a bit more healthful. The regular-size house salad fed two as a side, so I’d guess the family-size lives up to its name.

Sandwiches include a meaty soppressata, capicola and pepperoni hero, and the Beyond meatball parm, which comes with marinara and cheese; you can substitute vegan mozzarella for an additional charge.

I ordered the eggplant parm, layered with hand-breaded and fried eggplant, marinara and a blend of cheeses. Along with the Detroit pizza, it proved to be my favorite bite. Not only was I surprised by how big it was, but it also traveled very well, and was easy to reheat.

You order at the counter. If you’re dining in, you can sit at one of the tables near the front window, or a smaller table along the narrow hallway.

I opted for a seat at the bar, where you’ll find two beers on tap, and a good selection of canned beer, wine and soft drinks.

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