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Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Pastaria Pub, Lima

Pastaria Pub on Urbanspoon

NOTE:  Pastaria Pub is now Fanatics Pub & Pizza. Ownership and staff are unchanged. - RPG, Aug. 31, 2013
Italian restaurants are hit-or-miss spots for pizza. Some have it, some don't. Among those that do, some are very good, at others ... well, stick to the pasta.
So when I learned a few weeks ago that the Pastaria Pub in Lima had pizza on the menu, I was eager to check it out, but unsure of what to expect. What I got was some pretty good pizza, whether from a restaurant or otherwise.
The crust on my 12-inch pie was fairly thin, with a mostly medium-brown underside that was dotted with darker, nearly-charred spots. It had a slightly toasty flavor. The underside was dry to the touch, and the slices were pliable enough to fold, and firm enough not to require a knife and fork.
This was a pretty cheesy pizza, not overly so, but the well-melted cheese had a definite presence here. It appears from the menu that the Pastaria Pub usually uses a mix of mozzarella and provolone, and this cheese did strike a nice balance between texture and flavor, with the stringy chewiness of mozzarella and the slight tang of provolone.
The sauce stayed much more in the background. It was there, I could see it, and it added some moisture to the mix, but I had a hard time picking out its flavor.
Along its edge, the pie was formed into a medium-thick lip, which was somewhat crunchy. The thickness of the cornicione also allowed the dough's bready qualities to come through more.
The Pastaria Pub offers 14 pizza toppings and 10 specialty pizzas, including a chicken carbonara pizza with grilled chicken, bacon, alfredo sauce, mozzarella and provolone. All pizzas can also be ordered as individual-sized flatbread pizzas. The rest of the menu runs toward standard Italian fare, with an obvious emphasis on pasta, as well as steaks, chicken and fish, sandwiches, burgers and wings, plus nightly specials. The space is divided between a neighborhood pub/bar area and a two-level dining room. Service was friendly and attentive.
I'd like to say that this was good for restaurant pizza, but while that's true, it would be damning with faint praise. So I'll just say that this was good pizza. For my taste, it was just slightly out of balance - heavy on the cheese, light on the sauce - and the crust was very good, but fell a little short of greatness. But those are relatively minor demerits, and overall this was a tasty, well-made, enjoyable pie. I'll give it a B+.
Pastaria Pub, 7281 West Main St., Lima. 624-2080
Lunch, Tue. - Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m., Dinner, Tue. - Thu. 4:30 - 9 p.m., Fri. & Sat. till 9:30 p.m., Sun. till 8 p.m. Pub open Sun. - Wed. 3 p.m. - ?, Thu. - Sat. 11:30 - ?

8 comments:

  1. I checked, and it doesn't look like you've been to Dontonio's in Avon (which is fairly close to Lima). They are independently owned and I'm curious to know what you think.

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  2. I'll add it to my list, thanks.

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  3. Too bad this place is way out in Lima (I live in the Town of Greece); the chicken carbonara pizza sounds delicious! Carbonara is one of my favorite pasta dishes, though, so it's not surprising that I would be interested in a pizza topped with it. I'll have to do a search to see if any pizza places closer to me have this topping option.

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  4. Keep it in mind for a day when you're headed south.

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  5. Thanks for checking this out for me. ( I sent the comment asking if you had ever tried their pizza)

    I love my pizza and just this week had a friend suggest another pizza place - Main St. Pizza Co, in Batavia, NY. He got the deep dish and said that it was the best pizza. I prefer a reg. pie pizza, myself, but to each their own. I just may go there to give it a try in the near future. Just wanted to let you know in case you are ever in the area. I see you have been to Pontillo's in Batavia, but didn't see where you had visited this one.

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  6. I did stop at Main St. once for a slice but never got around to reviewing it. As I recall, it was OK but I wasn't bowled over by it either. It was screen baked and not especially crisp.
    I actually have photos of my slice - I'll put them on my facebook page, but it's been too long to try to do a full post now.
    I didn't know they served deep dish but I'll keep it in mind next time I'm in Batavia, thanks.

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  7. You aren't missing out on anything...the place is a dive with horrible customer service. Not worth the drive....even if you live nearby!

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