Guida's, Elmgrove Rd. Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Now and then I like to try, and report on, Buffalo chicken pizza. It's not necessarily one of my favorite styles, but it's clearly popular around here, and it does come in an interesting range of interpretations from one pizzeria to another.
I recently picked up a Buffalo chicken slice from Guida's on Elmgrove Road in Gates. Interestingly, this was a little different from the Buffalo chicken pie that I got some time ago from Guida's in Honeoye Falls. That one was topped with breaded chicken, and a heavy layer of mozzarella and blue cheese sauce, with a thin layer of hot sauce underneath. This slice was topped only with chicken, mozzarella and hot sauce, and the blue cheese sauce came on the side.
Although I liked the Honeoye Falls version, that's probably a good idea. With chicken wings, after all, the blue cheese is for dipping, and while I like blue cheese with my Buffalo chicken - whether wings or pizza - I'd rather control the amount that I use. I wonder, though, whether this difference between this slice and the Honeoye Falls pizza reflects a difference between the two locations, or a Guida's-wide change in how they make their Buffalo chicken pizza.
Anyway, this came on the usual good Guida's crust, which was crisp, chewy and charred, and I think a bit darker underneath than a typical Guida's slice, with a faint whiff of cooking oil, probably from the chicken. The crust was thin to medium thick, and bready, with a fairly thin, medium wide cornicione that was just slightly oily to the touch.
The cheese seemed to be straight mozzarella, and was applied moderately. Flavorwise, it took a back seat to the chicken and the hot sauce. The latter had a buttery quality and medium heat, like medium-hot Buffalo wings. The chunks of breaded chicken were rather salty and left a peppery aftertaste.
I haven't been rating Buffalo chicken pizza, and I won't start now. It's a style that has no clear parameters, and it would be difficult to rate a Buffalo chicken pizza without passing judgment on the pizzeria's take on the style. I will say that this pizza had a very good crust, as I have come to expect from Guida's, and pretty good flavor.
What I'd really like to see is pizzerias offering the option of getting your Buffalo chicken pizza hot, medium, or mild, or different sauces, like Cajun or garlic parmesan. None of those could ever supplant my preference for basic tomato sauce and cheese pizza, but they'd be fun to try. Until then, if you are a fan of Buffalo chicken pizza, Guida's on Elmgrove is worth a stop.
Guida's, 736 Elmgrove Rd., 14606
426-6464
Mon. - Thu. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., Fri. & Sat. 11 a.m. - 11 p.m., Sun. noon - 10 p.m.