When I walked into The Corner Slice at Fisher Park for the first time, I was amazed. The new pizzeria, next to Fishers Grille on Elm Street (and opened by Fishers' owner Doug Jones), is housed in a tiny building that once was a gas station, a plant shop and a corner store. But upon entering the establishment in its latest incarnation, one would never suspect the businesses that came before it.
Surprisingly roomy, The Corner Slice has a relatively spacious dining area set to the side of a long, polished wood bar. The restaurant's walls are adorned with paintings that depict scenes from Greensboro, as well as flat-screen televisions showing sports and news. Outside, a small patio area accommodates smokers and offers al fresco dining.
Settling in near the bar, we scanned the beer selections. The Corner Slice serves a nice variety of beers on tap, such as Fat Tire, Hoegaarden and local brews Red Oak and Red Oak Hummingbird. Excited to see Hummingbird on tap, we ordered pints and got down to the business of food.
The Corner Slice offers a number of appetizers: cheese dip with pizza crisps, garlic knots with Red Oak-infused marinara sauce, nacho chips and homemade salsa. We chose the crab dip, which comes in three varieties -- original, Cajun and Parmesan -- and is served with pita triangles. I also ordered a side salad. Larger salads such as the grilled chicken and Greek salad are available.
The Corner Slice's selection of subs looked interesting -- meatball Parmesan, sausage Parmesan, chicken Parmesan, chicken pesto and Italian. But we came for pizza.
The eatery serves the pies (choose from 10-inch or 16-inch) several ways: by the slice, build-your-own and specialties. Specialties include the Magnolia (white sauce, spinach, chicken, mushrooms and feta cheese), the Elm (Thousand Island dressing, ground chuck, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and cheddar -- sort of a Big Mac pizza) and Fishers Finest (barbecue, honey barbecue or Buffalo sauce with diced roasted chicken, onions, peppers and cheese).
Because we had ordered an appetizer, we decided to go by-the-slice. I chose spinach, chicken and feta as my toppings. Rodney selected sausage, mushrooms and bacon. Other toppings include green peppers, onions, pepperoncini, salami, black olives, Canadian bacon, pineapple and jalapeños.
The crab dip arrived first. We chose the Cajun variety, and it definitely had a slightly spicy kick to offset its overall creaminess. The crab meat was tender, without even a hint of fishiness. It came with a generous portion of crispy pita triangles, perfect for scooping the gooey concoction.
Shortly thereafter, my salad arrived. Though it was just a side salad, it was piled high with fresh greens, crispy carrot shreds, crunchy cucumber slices, juicy tomatoes, onions and cheese. The house balsamic vinegar and oil dressing added a zesty kick without overpowering the flavorful, fresh veggies.
Just as I finished my salad, the pizza was served. The slices were large, and generously covered with toppings. Often, I'm disappointed by pizza by-the-slice because it looks and tastes like pizza that has been sitting around and then reheated with a few extra toppings. However, the Corner Slice's pizza had a fresh taste, with a chewy and slightly crispy crust. The sauce had just a bit of spice, and the gooey cheeses, spinach and marinated chicken blended perfectly.
The sausage on Rodney's slice was also mild and well-complemented by the salty bacon and fresh mushrooms. Everything tasted fresh, as though the slices came from a new pie.
Throughout our meal, the attentive staff stopped by our table several times, asking if we needed anything or if we were enjoying our food. Though there were several other patrons in the restaurant, the staff went out of their way to be as friendly and helpful as possible. Coupling that service with the good food, I have a feeling this stage of the building's life will last for many years to come.
Casual Dining features local restaurants for diners on a budget. It runs every other week in Go Triad. Contact Jennifer Bringle at jenniferbringle@gmail.com
