This one is easy to miss if you’re not looking for it. Located behind a Payless shoe store, just off Broadway (on Berwyn) Pizzeria Aroma is prime locale for a quick bite before boarding the Red Line. Though, you may find yourself wanting to stick around after trying a slice of the restaurant’s thin-crust.

You can order one of the restaurant’s signature pizzas ($13.50 to $17.50) or start with just the dough and go from there. Begin by choosing your crust preference (thin or thick) and then go crazy with two lists of over fifty toppings, combined. Pizzeria Aroma’s ‘regular’ ingredient list includes your expected ‘za staples like fresh basil, jalapenos and mushrooms, while the ‘premium’ list touts a few pleasant surprises like walnuts, eggplant and blue cheese. Pasta dishes range from your typical spaghetti (with or without meatballs) and meat lasagna to the more fanciful shrimp primavera and linguine served with ocean chopped clam in a lemon wine sauce.

While the place does an impeccable job with its pies and pastas, you can also get homemade paninis, subs and burgers. There are even a few chicken and rib entrees on the menu for those who aren’t at all in the mood for the rustic Italian stuff.

Centerstage Reviewer: Stacy Warden