Guerreri's, Gates

Recently a reader let me know that the Cordello's in Gates had closed and been replaced by a new pizzeria, Guerreri's. So I got over there and grabbed a couple of lunchtime slices, which with a drink set me back just five bucks.
I've had hit-and-miss experiences with Cordello's, but I never cared much for the pizza from the one in Gates. So I was hoping that this new place would offer something significantly better. In that, I was, sorry to say, disappointed.
When I got there, there were three types of slices available from the pies in the warmer:  plain cheese, pepperoni, and sausage with banana pepper rings. I opted for two pepperoni slices.
The first sign of trouble came from a look at the underside:  that all-too-familiar pancake bottom, with big air bubble craters and a browned surface that was slightly oily to the touch, although I wouldn't call it greasy.
The medium thick crust was hard and crunchy along the edge, but much softer and rather spongy toward the center. It was topped with a straightforward tomato sauce that had a good, if basic flavor, with a medium thick viscosity. Atop that lay a thin, uniform layer of melted, slightly browned and congealed mozzarella cheese. The shredded cheese hadn't melted together completely, and I could still see individual shreds. I'm not sure if that's a function of the type of cheese being used (I imagine that full-fat mozzarella melts better, though I don't know that for sure), the oven temperature, or some other factor. The thin sliced pepperoni was fine, nothing exceptional, but OK.
Guerreri's pizza menu lists fourteen toppings, and four specialty pizzas, including a potato pie topped with mild wing sauce, seasoned potatoes, mozzarella, cheddar, and bacon bits, served with sour cream. They also serve calzones, wings, hot subs, wraps, fried sides, and a daily fish fry.
Since it just opened recently, I'll hold off assigning a grade to Guerreri's. I was disappointed with these slices, but I'll stop by again sometime and see how things are.
Guerreri's Pizzeria, 2445 Lyell Road (near Howard), Gates.
429-7555

Mon. - Thu. 11 am - 11 pm, Fri. & Sat. 11 am - midnight, Sun. noon - 9 pm