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Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Mac's Pizza Shack, Gananda

I recently learned of a pizza place that opened in the summer of 2016, Mac's Pizza Shack. It's in Macedon, or Gananda; apparently this is one of those areas in our region that seems to go by more than one place name.
That's a bit of a haul for me to get to, whether from work or home, but I was intrigued enough to want to check it out. So I recently made the drive to pick up a pizza for dinner.
I got a large, half pepperoni, half green bell pepper and onions. The menu lists thin crust as an option, but I went with the original crust. First time around, always go with original.
I was favorably impressed. The crust was medium thick, firm and a little crisp underneath, but not crunchy or brittle. The interior was pleasantly breadlike. The perimeter of the pie was shaped into a substantial but not overly puffy cornicione, with a light dusting of flour.
As you might notice in one of the photos, the crust was a bit gummy on top, at the interface between the dough and the toppings. But I can't fault Mac's too much for that. It was about a half-hour drive from there to home, and I neglected to bring my insulated pizza bag (what was I thinking?). So these photos were taken well after the pie came out of the oven. Mea culpa (that's Latin for "my bad"). And overall, the crust was quite good.
The time factor also affected the cheese, which had cooled and congealed somewhat. But in spite of that, it seemed like good, whole-milk cheese. It still had a nice balance of softness and chewiness, and it had not separated into its constituent components. No exuded oil, bits of curd, or anything along those lines.
The sauce was a basic, mildly seasoned tomato sauce, and the toppings were abundant and flavorful. Lots of pepperoni, just crisp, and on the other half, softened but still vibrant green peppers and thinly sliced white onions. All the components of the pizza were well balanced. On the whole, a damn fine pie. Next time I should eat it on the spot, fresh out of the oven.
Mac's menu is on their website, so I won't bother to recite it here, but they have a pretty extensive list of toppings (even anchovies!) and a handful of specialty pies, as well as wings, subs, plates, burgers and finger foods. I especially like the "About" page, which gives some background, and an image of Mac, who passed away some time ago but who looks like somebody I would've enjoyed meeting.
So yeah, a bit of a trek for me, which is always a gamble on a first-time visit, but it paid off. I very much liked this pizza.

Mac's Pizza Shack, 3290 Canandaigua Rd., Macedon
Mon. - Thu. 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Fri. & Sat. 9 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Sun. 9 a.m. - 10 p.m.

315-986-5678

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Dustin's Pizzeria, Holley

I always appreciate pizza tips and recommendations, like the one I got recently from reader Dennis Litzenberger, for Dustin's Pizzeria in Holley.
Dustin's menu is available here. I largely went with Dennis's recommendations and got a large, regular-crust pie, with pepperoni on half and onions and banana peppers on the other half (sorry, Dennis, I don't do mushrooms).
It was about a half hour drive to Holley from my workplace, but worth it. Dustin's is a small place, just a basic, small-town corner pizza joint, but don't let the nondescript appearance fool you. They make good pizza.
This pie had a medium-thick crust, with a thick, bready cornicione. The edge was a deep brown, and crisp on the outside, while the medium-brown underside was dry to the touch and firm. The interior was pleasantly breadlike. I might've liked a smidgen more salt in the dough, but I like salt more than I should, so my blood pressure's probably better today than it would be otherwise. 
The toppings were tasty and well applied. There was enough sauce to balance out the crust, and to add a touch of tomatoey sweetness. The abundant pepperoni would satisfy any meat lover. And I was happy with the vinegary, mild heat of the peperoncini, which played off the slight crunch and flavor of the chopped onions.
I don't often eat wings, but again on Dennis's recommendation, I got a small order of breaded, plain wings with a side of "insanely" hot sauce, along with a side of mild Buffalo sauce for my less-heat-tolerant wife and daughter. I usually like my wings doused in sauce, but I have to admit that the plain wings were nice and crisp, with no grease. The insanely hot sauce was indeed fiery, but tolerable, at least to my palate. And the wings were reasonably sized, not scrawny.
So my thanks again to Dennis Litzenberger, who, I might add, is a co-owner of a local hot sauce company. You can find Tongue Puncher sauce at a number of Rochester-area establishments - click on the link to see where. (I should also add that he didn't ask me to mention that. That was my idea.) I haven't tried it, but I'll keep an eye out for it.
As I mentioned, Holley is a little out of the way for me, but I would like to go back to Dustin's to try another pie, perhaps a specialty pie or a different crust, thick or thin. But it would be hard to top this one, which was a very fine example of WNY style pizza, with a bread-like crust and abundant but well-balanced, flavorful toppings.

Dustin's Pizzeria, 50 Public Square, Holley
(585) 638-5440

Mon. - Thu. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m. - 11 p.m., Sat. noon - 11, Sun. noon - 10