You know what they say about pizza and sex

Even when it's bad - it's good.

But I didn't have to fall back on the maxim after dining on Giuseppe's Pizza in Monroe.
We ordered a medium pizza - which they said was large anywhere else - with cheese, tomatoes and basil. When we asked if the basil was fresh, they said yes, but what we got was little flecks of dried. While it's probably true it was fresh - it was no fresh, green leafy basil. Maybe that's just too much to ask for in this neck o' the woods.

That aside, the sauce was perfect - not too sweet, nice and tomato-y, but also well flavored. The cheese was not some weird cheese conglomerate that some pizza places (ahem, dominoes) tries to pass off as cheese. It was a mix of Italian cheeses, melted nicely and bubbling in some spots. The crust, oh my, it was perfect. Crunchy, but not burnt or overbrowned. The crusts were chewy with a little crisp and tasted like good bread.

We also ordered a pizza with olives and ham, nice and briny and salty. Again, the sauce was nice, the cheese not too gooey and the crust, ah the crust. When we bit in it made the word crust an Onomatopeia (I have no idea how to spell that, but it means a word that is spelled and spoken exactly how the action sounds like caw or buzz or thwap.)

The spicy chicken wings were delicious. They were a nice size - but not that scary big size where you wonder what kind of chicken could have possible possessed them. Instead of describing the flavor I will tell you this: Chefy had eaten almost all of them by the time we pulled into the driveway and was upset when I told him to save at least two for me. I generally don't go for chicken wings, but loved these.

This is the best pizza I have had in the Monroe area thus far. It's a good thing we're outside of their delivery area.

Summary:
Flavor: Deliciouso! Good ratio of sauce to cheese to topping. Tasty buffalo wings.
Prices: I don't understand why pizza is so expensive. Anyway, pretty reasonable. In and out for $20-25 for two people with tons of leftovers.
Ambiance/service: Clean, guys behind a counter, friendly owner guy. Not a dine-in place.
Location: 14731 S. Telelgraph Rd. in Monroe.
Website: http://www.giuseppe-pizza.com

I hate myself for loving you...

Chipotle. Chih-pote-lay.

It's true. I do love you Chipotle. I've tried not to. But you're just so reliably well flavored and fresh. I got hooked on Chipotle in Minnesota, but worked it into my overall taco/taqueria rotation. Hit up Paneda for some of the harder-to-find fixings, grab Chipotle before catching my bus... I could offset my corporate/chain restaurant guilt by frequenting the others. But now, I don't really have that option unless I want to drive an excessive distance.

Sure I make it to El Maguey as much as possible, but their hours are not as lenient and their food a tad more pricey. I also make the trek to Downriver every now and then to find myself in line at the taco joint I can never remember the name of.

But I'm here to talk about Chipotle and since they've recently opened one in Toledo, my love has been rekindled.

For those new to the concept here's a briefer: you have essentially three different options. You can order a burrito, tacos or a burrito bowl/salad. The meat options are grilled chicken, barbacoa - a shredded beef cooked with some spices, grilled steak, carnitas - a roasted, shredded pork with some spices or vegetarian.
Last time I ordered the crunchy tacos - you get four if you order crunchy, three if you order soft. I got two filled with barbacoa and two with chicken.

Then there are the salsas. There's mild which is essentially a pico de gallo, medium which is green, hot and a medium corn-poblano option. I got the pico, the hot and the corn salsa to shake it up a bit.
Additionally there is guacamole, sour cream, cheese and lettuce.

The crunch of the shells just adds something. The meat was juicy and flavorful, but not overwhelming. The salsas each pitched in a different tang. It was a mound of crunchy deliciousness.

Chefy got a burrito bowl, which consists of rice, beans of your choice - black or pinto, meat, and toppings. He ate it with the salt-lime tortilla chips. This is a big eater. He could not finish.
For both of our meals it was under $12.

Of course the lime bin was empty and I had to ask twice for sour cream on the side, it was still a positive overall experience.

But I do have to say that my old Minnesotan Chipotles had a leg up on the Toledo version. I'm not sure why - though service had something to do with it - it just seemed a little less than expected. But for most people, I say make the venture with your hearts and mouths wide open.
Try it out, see if you like it. If you do, you'll be back. You'll see. If you don't, consider yourself lucky - because in my belly rests a feed-me-Seymour ache for their particular blend of goodness.

Summary:
Flavor: Yum! Mix and match to find different levels of flavor and heat.
Prices: Be still my heart. Change from a $20? why, thank you.
Ambiance/service: A little too shiny and music pumpy, but overall energetic. A little loud.
Location: Multiple places across the U.S. I visited Toledo's Westgate at 3305 W Central Ave
Website: http://www.chipotle.com