The grandiloquently named Captain Tony's Pizza & Pasta Emporium is a name that goes back some years in Rochester. If memory serves, there used to be a few Captain Tony's locations around town, but for a while now they've been down to one, at the intersection of Winton and Humboldt.Oddly, Captain Tony's has other locations in - get this - Cleveland, California, Kansas, Arizona, and ... England. Two in England, in fact.
There's probably an interesting story behind that, but my concern is the pizza here in Rochester. I got a couple of cheese slices at lunchtime.
The crust was medium thick and very soft, almost wet-sponge soft, and it practically had to be folded, at least if you wanted to eat it with one hand. It was a bit greasy on the bottom. Only the edge had any textural bite, and that was more of a greasy crunch than a baked-bread crispness.
It was more than a bit greasy on top. I wasn't even trying to get the grease off, but it started dripping grease as soon as I folded it. I flipped a slice over onto the inside of the box and you can see how much grease came off in the small photo below.
Just about everything about this slice was heavy: heavy, greasy dough, lo
ts of sauce (which had a bright, tomatoey flavor), and a thick layer of chewy, browned mozzarella. These weren't necessarily "huge" slices, as they came from what I'm estimating would be a 12" pie, but they were filling.Captain Tony's has a fair number of toppings available, including several types of cheese, and several types of pizza too, including "New York Thin Crust," "Pan Pizza," "Deep Dish," and "Stuffed Pizza." I'm guessing my slices were from a pan pizza, which is advertised as the "original Captain's recipe direct fr
om Italy" with a "thick, golden brown crust." They also have a few specialty pizzas, subs, wings, salads and sides, and, yes, pasta. It's pretty much takeout and delivery only, although there are a couple of outdoor tables in nice weather.I wasn't too crazy about this pizza. The flavor was good - I liked the sauce - and it was certainly a filling lunch for under $4. But I found it too soft, too greasy, and too heavy, especially on the cheese. I can see how some people might like it, and next time I'm in Liverpool (the one in England, not the one near Syracuse) I might stop in for a slice, but I'm only giving it a C-.
CaptainTony's Pizza & Pasta Emporium, 385 N. Winton Rd. 482-8430
Update 7/29/09: since this was posted, I have gone back and tried Captain Tony's thin crust pizza. See that review here.
I go to Captain Tony's all the time! I love there pizza, because it fills you up and tastes great. It sounds like you seem to like thin crust pizza which CT's has on there menu. That would give you a differant taste. I rate Captain tony's a A. that might be why this unit has been there since 1972.
ReplyDeletewhat the heck dude captain tonys deservers like an A plus plus plus you my friend do not know cood pizza i agree with frenchy above my .... u suck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
ReplyDelete"I love there pizza, because it fills you up and tastes great."
ReplyDeleteI don't doubt that it fills you up, but I consider that, at best, a neutral factor. Actually, if a pizza tastes good, I'd rather that it be less filling, so that I can make the experience of eating it last longer.
As for tasting great, I said the flavor was good. It was the texture and greasiness I didn't like.
"It sounds like you seem to like thin crust pizza which CT's has on there menu."
It's true, I like thin crust pizza, but of the three grade "A"s I've given out so far, only one was for a truly thin crust pizza, so it's not as if I won't give a good grade to a pizza with a thicker crust. I explained what it was about CT's pizza that I didn't like, and it wasn't the thickness of the crust.
I knew CT's had a thin crust, but on my first visit to a pizzeria I like to start with their "standard" pizza. I may go back sometime and try the thin crust, but if it's just a thinner version of what I had, that doesn't sound so good to me. But I'll try to keep an open mind.
"I rate Captain tony's a A."
I'm glad you like it. It would be a boring world if we all liked the same thing.
"that might be why this unit has been there since 1972."
Clearly some people like it, and again that's fine. But commercial success is not the only measure of a good pizza. If it were, then I guess the best pizza in the country would be the stuff put out by Pizza Hut.
"you my friend do not know cood pizza"
I will admit to never having tried "cood pizza" but it sounds interesting.
Guy:
ReplyDeleteYou know Captain Tony's has always used the best products and what you saw was butter fat from the cheese. If you ordered the thin crust you would of had a differant taste. If you like a crunch all you had to do is tell then make it well done.
I have been a customer for years and I think you made a very bad mistake.
Think about this. This place has been family owed since 1972! they stay in business because of the quality!
Taste is a very hard thing to judge. You are very wrong!!
"You know Captain Tony's has always used the best products and what you saw was butter fat from the cheese."
ReplyDeleteI didn't accuse them of not using good products. And whether it was butter fat or anything else, the pizza was greasy, or oily, or whatever you want to call it.
"If you ordered the thin crust you would of had a differant taste."
As I said, I'll probably go back sometime and try it thin. We'll see. I simply reviewed what I ate.
"If you like a crunch all you had to do is tell then make it well done."
Again, I try not to specify anything for my reviews. I want readers to know what to expect if they get the basic, standard pizza.
"I have been a customer for years and I think you made a very bad mistake."
OK, I'm glad you like it, and that's what you think.
"Think about this. This place has been family owed since 1972! they stay in business because of the quality!"
At the risk of repeating myself, I did not say that their pizza lacked "quality," whatever that means. And being successful for a long time is not the only criterion by which to judge a place. If it were, then McDonald's must make the best hamburgers.
"Taste is a very hard thing to judge."
I agree 100%. But factually my description of the pizza was accurate. It had a soft crust, and it was greasy. Look at the picture.
"You are very wrong!!"
Well, no. Again, factually I was not wrong at all. As for my grade, read my post about the grading system and you'll see that it's based in part on what I like and don't like. I don't know of any other way to do it.
OK Grease would be from Whenthere is meat. Butter is from the Cheese which shows quality of real cheese.
ReplyDeleteI think it is great what your trying to do. However, your standards are just not right. there is nothing basic about pizza, unless you order from dominos etc..
last year my family and I went through like a captain tony's phaze...and we got it at least 3 times a week. ANYWAYS The firts time we got it it was PHENOMINAL..we never tasted anything like it in rochester...but after the first time it kinda is like "blah" and we did order the thin a couple times too which btw i was excited to try since I havent had NYC pizza since I visted NYC back in like 96ish ...and I will tell you right now its not NYC pizza...It almost reminded me of the pizza you get in the freezer case under the brand "captain tonys"(dont know if theyre related O.O)
ReplyDeleteBut all in all I think the best part of captain tonys pizza is the dough they use..it has a very unique flavor..I am actually craving it right now
I think that the frozen pizza is just plain "Tony's."
ReplyDeleteCaptain Tony's clearly has its fans. I don't count it among my favorites, but they must know what they're doing to stay in business all these years, and I wouldn't try to discourage anybody from trying it. Unlike some places I've been to, they definitely use care in making their pizzas. It just boils down to whether you like it or not.
i would say for the person who cant stand "rochester style" pizza..captain tonys is the place to go if you ever get sick of the other 3 national chains. (papa johns, pizza hut, dominoes..etc)
ReplyDeleteHave to say the Captain Ts in Wallasey england is total crap £6 for a 7" grease grease grease. There is not one in Liverpool its across the river.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information!
ReplyDeleteThe Wallasey, England branch is local to me and is generally my go to place (or rather phone to!) for pizza delivery. Love their thin crust, especially with the 'curry' base which is a spicier version of the tomato one. Much prefer it over Papa John's and Domino's.
ReplyDelete