In his indispensable book “American Pie,” author and baking
educator Peter Reinhart embarks upon a hunt for the perfect pizza. Even he
acknowledges that a flawlessly prepared pie often can’t compare to one that is
simply, thoroughly satisfying. Because pizza really doesn’t have to be perfect;
it can evoke a savory memory, lure friends over for dinner, or merely soak up
the booze sloshing around your stomach as you stand over the sink and wolf down
a cold slice at 3 a.m. Whatever the circumstance, there’s always a chance that any
slice could be the finest pizza you’ve ever had.
But pizza,
as you know, is an extremely personal thing; what rises
another guy’s dough might not appeal to you. Thin crust or
thick?Red sauce or white? And the toppings —
go minimalist or opt for the works? Fortunately, Rochester
is brimming with enough pizzerias to satisfy even the fussiest pizzaphile. And while there are a few delicious higher-end
places that use buzzy terms like “brick oven” and “wood-fired,” I’m focusing on
the neighborhood take-out joints, the ones where the grease pooled in the
little pepperoni cups is a symbol of love.
This list is
neither comprehensive nor scientific; I asked around, ate around,
and here is what I came up with. If you have a favorite neighborhood pizza
joint we didn’t cover, tell us about it.
The name may suggest otherwise, but the pie is not an
afterthought at Acme Bar and Pizza (495 Monroe
Ave, 271-2263), a fairly typical saloon that also
serves up an excellent pizza. The toppings are pretty standard, and the New
York-style slice folds in half beautifully, allowing you to easily balance both
your pint and your snack. Acme serves from lunch until 2 a.m., though take-out is available in case your toddler
can’t find her fake ID.
If you like
your pizzerias established, visit Amico’s Pizza (859 E. Ridge Road,
544-8380, amicopizza.com), which is nearing its 50th year in existence. The
family-run business sells exactly what you would expect, namely pizza and
wings, with a few fried sides. Interesting choices include an eggplant-parm pizza as well as a bianco
with tomatoes and fresh basil. But purists should dig the No. 1: homemade sauce
covered with ground Pecorino Romano.
The term “Rochester
institution” gets bandied about a little too often, but it almost definitely
applies to Bay-Goodman Pizza (620 N Winton Road,
288-0730, originalbaygoodman.com), which has risen from the proverbial ashes of
its original outpost and multiplied. (The second spot is near the House of
Guitars on Titus Avenue.)
This is quintessential Rochester
pizza, with a classic sauce and a crust somewhere between New
York thin and Sicilian thick. Chances are your
Rochester0born parents adored this place.
Brandani’s Pizzeria (2595
W. Henrietta Road, 272-7180, brandanispizza.com)
has also been kicking around for a while, and in its
current location since the mid-80’s. It serves up specialty pizzas like Philly
cheesesteak and Buffalo wing, and
caters to the commitmentphobes among us by offering
those by the slice to boot. Oh, and you better bring your sweet tooth; along
with pizza fritta, Brandani’s
makes its Italian ices and gelati in-house.
Fans of
Chicago-style pizza ought to seek out Chester Cab Pizza (707 Park Ave,
244-8211, chestercab.com), which goes beyond the mere deep-dish to include a
top crust that will seal in any of the 25 topping choices that might tickle
your fancy. The extensive menu also includes salads, subs, four styles of
wings, as well as “Poor Man’s Pizza,” a hearth-baked thin-crust pie for those
who just don’t have that much, um, dough.
So What if
they’re long removed from their namesake Upper Monroe
neighborhood? Cobbs Hill Pizza & Pasta (630 Park Ave, 672-3266,
cobbshillitalianbistro.com) still does great pizza and all kinds of sandwiches,
from wraps to subs to panini.
Not in the mood for a pie? Get yourself some rigatoni and homemade sauce; it
might be better than your grandmas, but you can never, ever tell her that.
Dragonfly
Pizza Factory (725 Park Ave, 563-6333, dragonflytavern.com) does way more
than just pies (in case you need to feed any heathens), but it’s the pizza that
gets most of the attention. Whole-wheat crust is available for a little extra,
and the specialty pies are inspired. Try the Greek pizza with feta and kalamata olives, or embrace carbohydrates with the mac-n-cheese
pizza. May as well top it with bacon…
I still
remember this one particular pie I had from Little Venice Pizza (742
South Ave, 473-6710, littlevenicepizza.net) back in the late 80’s; it was white
garlic, with broccoli and sausage, and I had never tasted such awesome pizza
before. Little Venice is still at it, now in a larger space down the street
from its original location, and though it offers other items like a fish fry
and the ubiquitous Rochester-style “plate,” it’s still all about memorable
pizza.
Martusciello’s Bakery (2280
Lyell Ave, 247-0510, martusciellos.com) is pretty
renowned around here for its fantastic bread, so it should come as no surprise
that it does pizza as well. Order a pie to go or walk in and try to choose from
the tempting display of personal pizzas. Or personal cannoli, personal baklava.
Want a preview? The website offers a mouthwatering virtual tour.
Those who
require a gluten-free pie probably already have Nick’s Deli and Pizza (1098
Chili-Coldwater Road, 247-6270,
nicksdeliandpizza.com) on their radar; Nick’s even sells packages of unadorned
gluten-free pizza shells to take home. But of course Nick’s does a conventional
white-flour pizza, like the quattrostagioni: separate quadrants of artichoke, olive,
prosciutto, and sausage.
Although it
also makes a thinner crust, Nino’s Pizzeria (1330
Culver Road, 482-2264,
ninospizzeriarochester.com), is justly famed for its thick-crusted focaccia
pizza, which it has been turning out since 1973. No weirdo toppings here; just
fresh, traditional offerings that many devotees of the Sicilian style swear is
the area’s best.
In my
unofficial poll, however, the victor was clear: Pizza Stop (123
State St., 546-7252) is consistently held up as the
finest New York-style pizza in Rochester.
Toppings are customary (mmm… cherry peppers!) and properly hot ovens give the
crust a tasty char, which you can also see when you fold the hot slice in half
to cram into your mouth. Keep in mind that Pizza Stop locks its doors at 5:30 p.m. (7
p.m. on Fridays) and closes for the weekend, so plan ahead!
Local pizza chains
Chain establishments often get an unfair rap. People are so
busy accusing them of corporate whoredom that they ignore one obvious fact: businesses
expand because they’re doing something right. But you can still feel good about
buying local with a few of our hometown pizza chains.
Pontillo’s Pizzeria (pontillospizza.com) has
been around for more than 60 years; now with 23 locations, its pie is what a
lot of Rochesterians grew up on. (Around these parts
the kids teethe on pizza bones, a/k/a leftover crust.)
The Fantauzzo family has operated Salvatore’s Old-Fashioned
Pizzeria (salvatores.com) since 1978, and its 21 locations famously “deliver
everything… but babies!”
Marvin Mozzeroni’s (whatareyouhungryfor.com) was known as Starvin’ Marvin’s until a couple years ago; now with five
stores, its newest one is nestled at the primo corner of Park and Oxford.
Once a
hidden gem, Guida’s Pizzeria (guidaspizzeria.com) has expanded to five locations over the last 16 years,
becoming a yummy force to be reckoned with.
This article appears in Mar 17-23, 2010.
