Restaurant: Vincente's Gourmet PizzaLocation: 1935 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214Date: December 2nd, 2011Ordered: Pepperoni Pizza & Salad (Lunch Special)Cost: $5.50I had the opportunity to walk into Vincente's Gourmet Pizza for lunch the other day. It's on the corner of Hawthorne and 20th, just across from the Cinemagic Theatre. I went in on a bit of a lark as I saw a sign that said, "Slice of Cheese & a side salad: $5". The waiter then explained that it was really a discount on the slice of cheese; for $.50 more, I could have the pepperoni.The good: the pizza was reasonably fantastic. Flavorful, covered in grease (which I wiped off with a napkin), and with excellent cheese, it was delicious. I ate it quickly and, as pizza goes, I'd definitely eat it again.The less-than-good: the side salad I ordered was the Caeser salad. It was watery, the dressing was runny, and just lacked any sort of real taste. It was as if they grabbed some Romaine lettuce, dunked it in water, put dressing on it, sliced it up, threw a few croutons on it, and served it to me. Not at all exciting.But man, the pizza was good. For $5.50 (only $5 if you just get the cheese pizza) it's still worth it; I'd just get a different side salad.

Restaurant: Girasole Pizza CompanyLocation: 8438 N Lombard, Portland, OR 97203Date: March 6th, 2010Ordered: Potato FusionCost: $7 I was dismayed at the end of last year to find that the Ladybug Cafe in downtown St. Johns had unexpectedly closed. However, in its place, Girasole has opened its doors. This "morning" (and I occasionally use that term loosely), I had breakfast there. While the early menu is small, I found on it the "Potato Fusion", which I ordered with cheddar cheese, red bell peppers, basil, and sausage mixed in. It's essentially all these items mixed together, and the result was delicious.The atmosphere of the place is nice, though the seating is not at all to my liking. I've always preferred a booth or a seat against a wall; I've never been comfortable sitting at a table in the middle of a restaurant and that's what 75% of the seating in this place was. Also, the food took a long time considering that there weren't that many people there; it makes me worry about what it would be like on a busy day.Don't get the wrong impression, though. Girasole is a fine addition to St. Johns. The food was delicious and quite reasonably priced. I'm glad it's here, and I'm looking forward to going back!

Restaurant: Dante'sLocation: 350 West Burnside, Portland OR 97209Date: November 6th, 2010Ordered: 1 slice Pepperoni PizzaCost: $3.50Dante's is a bar just on the west end of the Burnside Bridge that has many faces; it's generally not a kid-friendly place with a choice of entertainment for every adult. When I was there this last weekend, it was for a friend's birthday party and there was a Rolling Stones tribute thing going on, which meant loud rock music. Lots of fun, I assure you.At some point in the evening I started to get hungry, and I eyed the pizza that was being made in the kitchen on the corner of the building. Giving into temptation, I ordered a slice of pepperoni. What was given to me for the bargain price of $3.50 was a delicious slice of New York-style pepperoni pizza that was bigger than my face. It was quite possibly the largest slice of pizza I've found in Portland (though Rocco's, just up the street, might be close) and it was dripping in flavor.Did I mention the slice was large? It handily eclipses the paper plate beneath it!The trouble with Dante's is that it isn't a restaurant destination, per se. If you're already there for an evening's entertainment, the pizza will not be a bad choice. Otherwise, however, please note that the kitchen has an outside-facing order window and, if you're hungry in Portland late at night, it's a damn good place to walk past and grab a slice! I'm pretty sure I'll be there again.

Restaurant: Signal Station PizzaLocation: 8302 N Lombard, Portland, OR 97203Date: May 11th, 2009Ordered: 1 slice Pepperoni PizzaCost: $3.50On a whim today I walked past Signal Station Pizza and gave in to my craving. I walked into the former gasoline station (the pumps still warn of "leaded fuel") through the open bay door and ordered pepperoni pizza. The gal behind the counter warmed it up and handed it to me.The pizza itself was large and New York-style. It was decent, but something about it seemed a little off. I love supporting the little local restaurants, and I'm sure I'll be back, but it just wasn't the best pizza I've ever had. I'm not sure if the crust was too flavorless or the toppings a little bland, but it just seemed to lack that certain something that pizza ought to have.I don't want to say bad things about the place, though. The gal behind the counter was helpful and friendly, they deliver pizza around St. Johns on a bicycle on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and it's just got a lot of personality. I'll definitely give it another shot.