Leo's Bakery and Deli, East Rochester

My wife, daughter and I had lunch on Sunday at Leo's Bakery and Deli in East Rochester. It's a local institution going back to the 1940s, but I believe this was my first visit.

My main reason for going there was to try their pizza. My understanding from news reports is that it's a reincarnation of Surace's pizza, which used to exist on West Commercial Street. Surace's, which I reported on in 2009, suffered a devastating fire in 2015.

I say that's my understanding because I haven't found any mention of it on Leo's website. And when I called Leo's some weeks back I was told, rather curtly, that no, it's not officially on the menu. I got the impression that they seemed to be de-emphasizing the pizza, or at least the Surace's connection. That's all I can tell you.
In terms of the physical layout, Leo's has a bakery/grocery side, adjoining the dining area and food counter. Both were clean, attractive and comfortable.
We entered through the bakery side, and headed for the food counter, where I spotted three pizzas available for slices: cheese, pepperoni and Buffalo chicken. I got a cheese slice.

Based on my 2009 Surace's review, it was pretty similar to what I had then. Thin, firm but not crackly underneath, with a light dusting of flour on the bottom. And as before, some oil toward the tip of the slice, i.e. the center of the pie, which probably seeped down after the pie was sliced. But it wasn't greasy, and the crust had a pleasant aroma of fresh bread.

The slice was a bit on the salty side, from the sauce, I think. I didn't especially mind it, as I like salt (probably more than I should), but it was noticeable. Overall, think more salty than sweet. The cheese struck a nice balance between melted and chewy, with some lactic-tangy flavor.

My wife and daughter opted for a wrap and sub, respectively. I didn't try either so I can't say much about those other than that everybody seemed to like what they got. 

Aside from what we had, I was struck by the breadth of Leo's offerings. The cookie display was particularly impressive, but they also had a variety of breads and pastries, cold cuts, sausage, and imported foods. You can read about all their offerings on Leo's website.

In 2009, I gave my Surace's slice a B-minus. When I assign grades these days, I try to avoid pluses and minuses, as I think that gives a sense of exactitude that is unwarranted for something this subjective, but I feel comfortable giving this slice a B. It was good, basic pizza, fresh and flavorful.

Leo's Bakery and Deli

101 Despatch Drive, East Rochester

Tel. (585) 249-1000

Fax: (585) 249-9231

 

Mon. - Sat. 8-8, Sun. 8-6

Peppino's, Revisited

It's hard to believe that it's been about five months since I posted on Facebook about a slice that I got at Peppino's, which is in Chili, just off Chili Ave./33A. Peppino's was recommended to me by a reader, whom I thank once again. I enjoyed the slice, and made a mental note to go back for a full pie.
A couple weeks ago, I finally made good on that, and picked up a pie to go.
The first question was what to order. Peppino's has some interesting specialty pizzas on the menu, including a potato pie and my old standby, the Margherita, but this was a dinner pizza for my family and me, and since it was Thanksgiving eve, we didn't want leftovers. So I went with half pepperoni and half green peppers and onions. My daughter likes the former, my wife the latter, and I'll eat either.
Allow me to digress for a moment and say that I would also have been happy with half of either, and plain cheese on the other half, but in my experience that's a bad decision. The toppings tend to act as a blanket on the cheese. So a half-cheese/half something-else pie never comes out right. Either the extra toppings don't cook enough, or the cheese gets too brown.
This pie had a thin crust, with a darkly browned but not charred underside. The crust had a pleasant chewiness, and a crisp cornicione. The bottom was a little oily in spots, but I think that was due to oil that had seeped down after the pie was sliced, and mostly came from the cheese and pepperoni on top. It too about 20 minutes to get this pie home, which was likely a factor as well.
The balance and flavor were good. This wasn't a particularly cheese-heavy pie, but the cheese was a standout; nicely melted and smooth.
The sauce was pretty straightforward, with a tomatoey-sweet flavor accented by a bit of saltiness, and was applied in good proportion to the other components. The pepperoni was crisp but not overdone, and the peppers and onions were cooked enough to be softened, but they retained a bit of bite.
Peppino's pies come in medium, large and half-sheet sizes, with 22 toppings to pick from, including house-made ground sausage, fresh mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, and anchovies (which are all too rare on local pizza menus). The menu is rounded out with a mix of wings, several types of arancini (rice balls), sandwiches, and, incongruously but welcome, deep-fried, Southwest corn fritters, which are made with jalapenos, bacon and cream cheese.
To get back to the pizza -- my overall impression was that this pizza could be described as broadly in the New York style. Since Peppino's doesn't claim to make New York style pizza, I'm not going to judge it against the parameters for that style. It's a thin-crust pizza, and a good one. This was a cut above average, so I feel comfortable giving it a "B."

Peppino's Pizzas
25 Chestnut Ridge Road
(585) 247-8600

Tue. - Thu. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Fri. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Sat. 3 - 10 p.m.
Sun. noon - 10 p.m.
Mon. closed

Old Italy, Latta Road

I took a drive the other day at lunchtime up to Old Italy Pizzeria on Latta Road.
I posted about Old Italy about two years ago, shortly after it opened. A few things have changed in the meantime, perhaps the most obvious being the introduction of Old Italy's "Mamaluke slices." What you see here is a single Mamaluke slice, cut in half. This measured 13 inches along the sides. Figuring this to be a quarter of a 26" diameter pizza, that comes out to about 132.75 square inches, which is roughly equivalent to the surface area of a 13" diameter pie. So figure about the same as, or even a little bigger than, the average medium pie. For $5.
Now I'll be the first one to say, big and cheap doesn't necessarily mean good. But big, cheap, and good ... well, that's very good. And fortunately, this was good.
The crust was on the thin side, with some screen marks on the bottom, and some surface crackling. Mine came fresh out of the oven, so I didn't ask for it to be rewarmed, nor did it need rewarming, but I imagine a minute or two of reheating would further boost the crispness factor. The crust, which is made using high-gluten flour, was chewy but not tough, with some air pockets visible inside.
The components were well balanced, with nicely melted whole-milk mozzarella, a light layer of sauce, and wide pepperoni slices.
Owner Bradley Cedar, who's spent many years in the pizza business, developed his own recipes for the dough and sauce, which are both prepared in-house. The menu mostly sticks to the basics - pizza, wings, calzones, hot subs and sides - but I've found over the years that there's an inverse relationship between the number of items on a menu and the quality of the pizza. In other words, best to stick to what you know, and that's the impression I came away with here. Good pizza, well prepared by an experienced pizzaiolo.
Bottom line, this was good, not because it was big, or because it was cheap, but because it was good. The big size and the low price were gravy.
Bite for bite, compared to other local pizzerias (and considering that the bar is set pretty high to begin with), I'd give it a B. Good crust and good toppings. All this for five bucks kicks it up a notch or two, but I've never rated pizza based on price or quantity, so I won't start now. But dollar for dollar, you can't do much better than this.

Old Italy Pizzeria, 1250 Latta Rd., Greece
(585) 445-8782

Sun. - Thu. noon - 9 p.m.
Fri. & Sat. noon - 10 p.m.

Rohrbach, Railroad Street

Rohrbach Brewing Company is best known as the granddaddy of Rochester's craft brewers, dating back to its original location in the German House, but their food is not to be overlooked. Their brewpub on Buffalo Road offers a full menu highlighted by beer-friendly German specialties, and it's also one of the few places in the Rochester area where you can get a decent beef on weck.
This past spring, Rohrbach opened its new Railroad Street Beer Hall at its primary production facility near the Rochester Public Market. The food menu at the Beer Hall is different from (and for now, at least, considerably shorter than) the brewpub's menu, but it does offer one thing you won't find at the brewpub:  wood-fired pizza.
I recently joined a friend there for dinner, and we each got a pizza. Our choices were:  the Rohrbach Classic, with red sauce, a three-cheese blend, and pepperoni; Sausage & Pepper (red sauce, sausage, pepper, red onion, and shredded mozzarella); Caprese (basil pesto sauce, fresh mozzarella, and sliced tomato); Jalapeno Bacon (garlic-Parmesan sauce, sliced jalapeno, bacon, and shredded mozzarella); and that evening's special, which had an Asian-sounding theme involving Sriracha and oranges. It sounded like it might be good, but I was looking for something a little more traditional, so I ordered the Sausage & Pepper, while my companion got the Classic.
Our dinner-plate-size pizzas had a very thin crust.  Mine was a little puffier around the edge. The undersides were browned in spots, but not charred, and the surface was uniformly smooth, with little sign of any bubbling in the dough.
The dough didn't seem to have risen much, and the crust, while not bad, was not terribly interesting either. It was on the chewy side, not particularly crisp, nor breadlike. It also lacked the toasty, smoky notes that I look for in a wood-fired crust. Just a guess, but I suspect that the oven wasn't quite as hot as it could've been. The pies were considerably browner along the edge than underneath, which further suggests that the oven deck wasn't terribly hot.
On the plus side, my Sausage and Pepper pie had good flavor overall, with a slightly sweet red sauce accented by small chunks of mild Italian sausage and peperoncini slices. The mozzarella cheese was browned but still appropriately gooey.
I tried a slice of my companion's pie, and it was indeed a classic pepperoni pizza, with a uniform blanket of cheese and crisp, spicy cup & char pepperoni slices. I liked my pizza well enough, but I actually preferred the Classic, which was a basic but tasty "bar" pie.
The food menu at the Beer Hall comprises four pizzas, three salads, warm pretzels, and wood-fired cookies (which sounds intriguing), as well as nightly specials. Aside from their extensive lineup of craft beer, Rohrbach also offers house-brewed root beer and orange cream soda, and Pepsi products. The space is attractive, with high ceilings, brick walls, and long communal tables; think German bierstube, but with an industrial-chic look.
Getting back to the pizza, I found a lot to like about these, but I wasn't crazy about the crust. It served well enough as a base for the toppings, which were quite good, and in general I enjoyed the pizza. With a little work on that crust, these could be truly outstanding pizzas. These, I'll give a B, on the strength of their overall flavor.

Rohrbach Railroad Street Beer Hall

97 Railroad St, Rochester

(585) 546-8020

Wed. & Thu. 4 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Fri. 2 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Sat. 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Closed Sun. - Tue.

Brewery tours on Saturdays hourly from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Uno Pizzeria & Grill, Henrietta

I don't often go to chain pizzerias, and I don't make it a point to review them. It's not simple prejudice; I just figure, reviewing a chain pizzeria is like reviewing McDonald's. Unless you just arrived from Mars, you already know what it's like, and there are scores if not hundreds of sites where you can get other people's reviews.
At the same time, this blog is a record of my pizza-eating experiences in the Rochester area. And I recently had occasion to dine on pizza at Uno Pizzeria & Grill in Henrietta, so I figured, why not do a review?
I was with a group of friends, and we shared two pizzas, as well as some sides. We got a "Numero Uno," topped with sausage, pepperoni, onions, peppers, mushrooms, and chunky tomato sauce, and mozzarella and Romano cheese. We also got a "Farmers Market" pie, with caramelized onions, spinach, sun-dried and plum tomatoes, eggplant, pesto, feta, mozzarella and Romano.
I thought about pushing for one of Uno's flatbread pizzas, but decided against it. I may go back and try it sometime, but this time around I wanted to stick with what their signature style.

As always, the starting point for me is the crust. There wasn't much difference between the two, so I'll describe it in the singular. The crust was more crunchy than chewy. It clearly had been made with some shortening--in other words, fat--but it was not oily or greasy. It was reminiscent of a pot-pie crust, only thicker and a little airier.
Which is not to say that I didn't like it. I don't want to get into the debate about whether deep-dish pizza is really pizza, or a casserole, but this crust had a nice light crunch, and made a good base for the toppings.
I can't claim to judge how good these were as Chicago deep-dish pizza, given my limited experience with the style. I'm not even sure that Chicagoans prefer it over Chicago thin-crust pizza. I think a lot of Chicagoans defend it, as a matter of honor, but also look at it as a style that's largely what tourists get, while the natives are enjoying thin-crust pizza.
All that aside, I liked this. As thick as it was, the crust wasn't dense, and it had a good mouthfeel:  a little crunchy, but not brittle or crumbly.
The toppings were good as well. I have an aversion to both mushrooms and eggplant (it's a texture thing), but I was willing to overlook that in deference to my compadres. I just tried to pick the slices without so much of either.
Both pies had a thick layer of well-melted cheese, and the other toppings were evenly balanced. The spinach leaves on the Farmers Market pie were wilted but not burned, and the sliced tomatoes were softened but not overly dried. And both pies had an appealing mix of flavors.
So both pies were pretty good. Despite my disdain for chain restaurants, that doesn't surprise me. I presume that Uno hasn't been as successful as it has without having done its research. They know what people like and what they don't, and they know how to replicate what people like, in multiple locations, with consistency.
I was a little surprised to learn that Uno's dough is made in house, as opposed to being shipped in from a central location. Of course it's made according to a recipe dictated by the corporation, but it was interesting to know that they don't simply get a truckload of dough every morning. The dough is made on site, and refrigerated overnight.
For what it does, Uno does a good job. I don't see it as a threat to local pizzerias, because deep-dish pizza will never take hold here as a dominant style, plus Uno simply has a different business model: it's primarily a casual chain restaurant, not a pizzeria.They've got the formula down, and they follow it well.
A grade? I think a B is appropriate here. This wasn't exceptionally good pizza, but it was enjoyable, and Uno is worth going to, if you're in the mood for this style. So a B it is.

Uno Pizzeria & Grill, 1000 Hylan Drive (across from Marketplace Mall)
Henrietta, NY 14467

585-272-8667
fax: 585-272-8719

Ruck's Pizza Kitchen, Lima: Sheet Pizza

Pizza aficionados may tend to discount "sheet" pizza, as little more than a quick, cheap way to feed a bunch of people. With an individual pie, we imagine the pizzaiolo tossing the dough, hand-crafting the pie, and tending to it the oven. A sheet pizza seems too ... easy. You spread the dough on the sheet, top it, stick it in the oven, and pull it out. Done.
While there is a lot of bad sheet pizza out there, there's no reason it can't be good. So-called sheet pizza is an American descendant, or perhaps cousin, of Sicilian-style pizza, and nobody ever accused the Sicilians of not knowing how to make good pizza (well, perhaps some Neapolitans have, but I'm not aware of it).
All that's a lead-up to this. At my wife's behest, I was recently tasked with picking up a sheet pizza for an event she was running, and I went with Ruck's Pizza Kitchen in Lima.
I reported on Ruck's last May,when I got two slices. They were good enough to rate a "B". But I know that a pizzeria's slices are often not a good indicator of how good their sheet pizza will be, and vice versa.
Not so here; this was good pizza. I'm afraid I neglected to take any photos of the underside or the sides of the individual slices, partly because within seconds of my opening the box, the pizza was set upon by a horde of hungry teenagers.
In contrast to some sheet pizzas, this was not oily, nor did it have the fried-dough-like crunch that is all too prevalent with that style. The crust was firm underneath, and the interior had a faint aroma of fresh bread, with a good chew.
The pizza was topped with a medium-thick sauce, which had a basic tomatoey flavor accented by dried herbs. I generally don't like heavily cheese-laden pizza, and this was just about right for me. The cheese seemed to be straight mozzarella, nicely melted, just enough to play off the crust and the cup-and-char pepperoni, which was crisp but chewy.
So no, sheet pizza need not mean bad pizza. This was a very nice job by Ruck's. I gave their slices a B, and I'll give this a B as well. It was an above-average example of an underappreciated style.

Ruck's Pizza Kitchen

7294 W. Main St., Lima, NY
585-582-6552

Mon. - Thu. 11 - 9, Fri. & Sat. 11 - 10, Sun. noon - 8

Shooters, Revisited

It was back in March 2011 that I last reviewed Shooters, a bar and restaurant in Fairport, or Perinton, depending on how you look at the map, or go by postal designations. Either way, it's at the corner of Fairport Road (31F) and Baird Road. But it was overdue for a revisit.
With that in mind, I recently stopped at Shooters with my beautiful wife for lunch. She opted for a salad (ah, women, what can I say) while I got a Margherita pizza.
It was thin, as expected,  with an underside that was generally golden brown, with a light dusting of flour. There were a few charred spots along the edge, but not underneath.
It was tasty, with a thick layer of bright-tasting tomato sauce and several well-melted dollops of fresh mozzarella, and some fresh basil that had been added at the end. The pie had also been dusted with a grated hard cheese, probably Parmesan.
Although the underside wasn't shatteringly crisp, it was firm. As you can see in the photo, I was able to fold and hold a slice up, horizontally, even as the well-melted cheese stretched out.
There was a genuine wood fire in the oven; it wasn't just a gas fire, as I've seen in some places. From a brief conversation with the pizzaiolo, though, I learned that the fire typically gets cranked up, and the oven temperature is typically higher, in the evening, resulting in a shorter baking time.
That's understandable; the lunch crowd was relatively sparse, and I can see not wanting to go through a lot of fuel during low-volume hours. I suspect, then, that a pizza ordered during the dinner hour would likely come out a little more charred and/or crisp underneath.
But this pie was not underdone, even if it was a little different from what I would've gotten had I ordered the same pie that evening. It was not blistered or charred underneath, but it was firm. If your ideal pizza is "leopard spotted" underneath, try coming here for dinner rather than lunch.
Shooters offers twelve pizzas, and while I went with my default Margherita, I'd like to try their clams Casino pizza and their andouille sausage pizza. They also have an extensive burger menu, as well as sandwiches, panini, salads, wings, and other sides and appetizers. There's a full bar, and a lot of TVs around to keep sports fans happy.
I liked this pizza, and I liked the place itself. The service was attentive, and the pizzaiolo was obviously dedicated to his craft. This particular pie wasn't among the very best I've had, in my opinion, but it was good overall, and good enough to make me want to go back. So a B seems about right.

Shooters, 1226 Fairport Road
Fairport, NY 14454

Mon. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 2 a.m., Sun. noon - midnight
Pizza available till 11 p.m.

585-385-9777

info@shootersny.com

Grappa

As the College Town development on Mt Hope continues to grow, pizza continues to be part of the mix.The latest entrant is Grappa, which opened in June.
Grappa which bills itself as "Italian nouveau." My regular-guy inner self recoils a bit at a term like "Italian nouveau," but my pizzaholic self can get over that, if the pizza's good. And on a recent lunch visit with a friend, it was.
Grappa offers six pizzas, although I imagine they could do custom pizza if you asked. I got a Margherita, my friend got a pepperoni, and we shared.
The crusts were thin, with an underside that was crisp, but not crackly, and spottily browned but not quite charred. (These are not wood-fired, by the way.) 
Which is not to say that they weren't good. I don't like limp, soggy pizza, but neither do I think that a thin-crust pizza has to be blackened and shatteringly crisp underneath to be good. These straddled the line between crisp and pliable.
Aside from that, the crust wasn't especially flavorful or aromatic. I had no particular complaints about it, but it was more serviceable than sublime. But the toppings were good enough to pretty much make up for any shortcomings in that regard.
My dining companion and I don't always see eye to eye on pizza, but we both enjoyed these. My Margherita was a little unusual for having both tomato sauce and sliced tomatoes; most places do one or the other. But it was a nice combination. The sauce was lightly applied, and not heavily seasoned, while the sliced tomatoes had an acidic edge that balanced the slight sweetness of the sauce.
With its two-tomato topping, the Margherita was not a minimalist version, and that carried through to the cheese. Some Margheritas are dotted with islands of slightly melted fresh mozzarella. This pie was blanketed by a uniform layer of processed mozzarella, which was slightly browned, with a good balance (there's that word again) between chewy and stringy. The shredded fresh basil added enough flavor and visual appeal to round out the pie nicely. The basil seemed to have been added right after the pizza came out of the oven, as it was still bright green and aromatic.
The pepperoni pie was highlighted by three different types of sausage, which I think is a great idea that I'd like to see more pizzerias adopt. Small, crisp, cupped slices, and meatier, wide, beefy slices were combined with thin strips, adding variety and interest with each bite. A moderate layer of basic red sauce and well melted cheese, which was applied nearly all the way to the thinly formed edge made for a very satisfying pie.
Grappa's additional pizza choices include:  a Mediterranean pie with artichokes, roasted red peppers, cured olives, feta cheese, arugula, and garlic pesto sauce (which I came very close to ordering, but I decided to stick with my usual Margherita); funghi (garlic bechamel sauce, roasted portabello and button mushrooms, and truffle oil); a white pizza with garlic bechamel, fresh herbs, ricotta, mozzarella and shaved Parmesan; and a spicy meatball pie, with house-made meatballs, ricotta and a Roma tomato blush sauce.
Beyond the pizza, Grappa's lunch menu includes several pasta options, panini, and a grab bag of other dishes, including a burger, grilled salmon, chicken cutlet, greens & beans, and "zesty Parmesan" wings. The dinner menu adds several more entrees, such as steak, pork osso buco, and frutti di mare, with a medley of seafood. Pricewise, pizzas run 10 to 12 dollars, entrees are mostly in the 20s, and pasta dishes in the teens.
The layout is partitioned into several dining areas. On this visit, we were given a table on the south side of the restaurant, which afforded plenty of sunlight at lunchtime. Since I had to get back to work, I didn't take the time to look around the rest of the dining area, but if you go, you might want to ask for a table in one area or another, depending on whether you want more privacy or to do more people watching.
I debated whether to give Grappa a grade, considering that it only opened a couple months ago, but unlike at some places, I didn't get the sense that they were still working out the bugs. These were well made pizzas, and it seems fair to rate them. That said, I found these clearly above average, but not quite among the top tier for our area. So I'll give them a B.

Grappa, 30 Celebration Drive (just west of Mt. Hope Ave. between Elmwood and Crittenden)

(585) 445-5750
grappa@delmontehotels.com 

Open for lunch and dinner daily
free parking

Pizzeria FAVO, Monroe Ave., PIttsford

Pizzeria FAVO opened last month in Pittsford Colony Plaza, on the northeast side of Monroe Avenue, across from Pittsford Plaza.
FAVO is among the first local examples of what I'm guessing is an emergent trend, or actually a combination of two trends: fast-casual pizzerias that use a gas flame, to mimic wood-fired pizza.
That sounds like something I would dislike, just on grounds of principle. But ultimately the end product is what counts, and this was good pizza.
At FAVO, you order at the counter, and in a few minutes you pick it up a little further down the line. There you'll see the Italian-made oven, which utilizes a gas flame and a rotating deck.
My Margherita came up quickly, in just a few minutes. It displayed a somewhat unevenly baked edge, with some charring, and not-quite-charred blistering along the other. The underside was firm, but not crackly crisp (that's not a criticism, just a description). The bottom was slightly dusted with either corn meal or semolina; whatever it was, there was too little of it, and it was too finely ground, for me to identify it.
One issue I have with some places these days, using open flames, is that the edge gets charred, but the underside remains pale. It's easy enough to get some blackened blistering along the edge, if you expose the edge of the pie to a flame for a few seconds. It creates a nice appearance, but with a thin-crust pizza baked in a high-temperature oven, I'd like to see some "leopard spotting" on the bottom as well.
The crust here was browned underneath, but not spotted. I don't want to make too much over some sort of pizza-snobbish criteria ("charred - check"; "spotted - check"), but I'll confess to being mildly irritated about a crust that's blackened along the edge, but not underneath. It seems to be done more for appearance's sake than anything else.
Having said all that, this crust was enjoyable. It lacked the toasty, slightly smoky notes of a great wood-fired crust, but it was bready, a bit chewy, and thin but not paper thin.
The toppings were good as well, both on my and my companion's pies. On my Margherita, a thin layer of tomato sauce was layered with slices of fresh tomato, melted rounds of fresh mozzarella, and a smattering of torn basil. One of my companions found the sauce a bit metallic; I thought it was acidic, in a tomatoey way, but maybe that's just a case of us coming up with two different adjectives for the same thing. But it was not a sweet sauce.
My friends both liked their pies. The pepperoni pie was a well balanced take on an American standard. My other friend's Paesano was very tasty, with a light layer of tomato sauce, topped with processed mozzarella, sliced sausage, mushrooms and tender, sweet grilled onions.
We got there relatively early, right around noon, and initally had the place almost to ourselves, though the crowd started to pick up quickly shortly thereafter. Service was efficient, and the manager seemed to be on top of things, making sure that everything ran smoothly.
FAVO's website doesn't seem to be fully up yet, although I did find an image of their menu on Yelp. They offer seven "classic" pizzas, and six "specialty" pizzas (I'm not quite sure how some of them ended up in one category or the other), and a very reasonably priced "build your own" option, which includes a choice of sauce, crust ("traditional" or "ancient grains"), cheese, meat, and unlimited veggie toppings for $8.95. They also offer gluten-free crust for an additional $2.50. There are a few salads on the menu, as well as self-serve gelato.
Pizzeria FAVO's menu states that they are "inspired by the spirit and traditions of classic brick-oven pizzerias from Naples, Italy to New York City." That's probably a good way to put it. This is an Americanized, neo-Neapolitan pizza, suited to the fast-casual format and at a relatively low price. For what they're doing here, I'd say they're doing a good job.
To grade, or not to grade? With new places, I often hold off on assigning grades. But having sampled three pies, and given its standardized procedures (which presumably result in some consistency), I feel safe in giving Pizzeria FAVO a B. I can't say it's among the very best I've tried in our area, but I was pretty pleased with it, as were my companions, so I do think it's worth checking out.

Pizzeria FAVO, 3400 Monroe Ave. (Pittsford Colony, opposite Pittsford Plaza)
(585) 310-7383

11 a.m. - 10 p.m. daily

Stromboli's

It's hard to believe that it's been that long, but I last reported on Stromboli Express in 2009. It's since moved and become Stromboli's Restaurant.
At the time of my last review, Stromboli Express was on the south side of the 100 block of East Avenue, between Scio and Chestnut Streets. In 2014, they moved across the street, to a new space with a little more room.
I recently stopped in and got a cheese slice and a Philly cheesesteak slice. I wouldn't ordinarily order a cheesesteak slice, but it was a daily special, I wanted something to contrast with the cheese slice, and it looked good, so I went for it.
Both were thin, and the slices were foldable but not floppy. They were a bit oily underneath. The cheesesteak slice was more so, probably because of the toppings, which comprised cheddar, mozzarella, onions, sweet peppers, tomatoes and shaved steak. It was tasty, although the beef was a little well done, for my taste.
The cheese slice - which was noticeably wider than the Philly slice - was a pretty good, more or less NY style slice. It too was a little oily underneath, on the bottom surface. The edge was drier and crisp but a little dry.
The flavor was good, with a nice balance of melted mozzarella, tomato sauce, and herbs. The sauce had a medium consistency. The cheese was well melted, but had exuded a bit of oil. Not bad.
I suppose at some point I should get a stromboli from Stromboli's. It's a close relative to pizza, and it is after all what they're named for. But aside from stromboli and pizza, Stromboli's offers calzones, subs, wings and pasta. Check out the full menu here.They've also got twelve specialty pizzas, which you can see here.
These were good slices, with some minor flaws. Primarily, a little too oily underneath. They weren't soaked through with oil - it was mostly on the surface - but I'd have liked them a little drier to the touch, and a little crisper. The crust here was more of a platform for the toppings than something worth seeking out in its own right. But nonetheless, the crust served that role well. I enjoyed these slices, which had good flavor and balance. I'd say they were better than average, so I'll give them a B.

Stromboli's Restaurant
130 East Ave, Rochester 14604

585-546-2121

Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Sat. 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Sun. noon - 6:45 p.m.

Ruck's Pizza, Lima

Just when I've nearly run out of pizza places to try, a new one comes along. One of the latest is Ruck's Pizza Kitchen in Lima. It's near the crossroads of 15A and 5 & 20.
Apparently Ruck's opened in 2014, but I only recently learned of its existence. I assumed it had gone into the now-closed Mark's location, but it's actually a door or two down, closer to the intersection.

I stopped in around lunchtime on a recent Saturday and got a pepperoni and a Buffalo chicken slice. They were pretty big, and one would have been enough to satisfy my hunger after a morning hike, but I wanted to sample a couple different varieties.
The crust was medium thick, a little charred on the pepperoni slice, paler on the Buffalo chicken slice. It's been my experience in general that the crust on Buffalo chicken pizza tends to come out a little different from that on "regular" pizza, so that didn't surprise me.
The pepperoni slice was heavy on the cheese, and a little oily underneath toward the tip, i.e. the center of the pie. I liked the crust overall, which was reasonably crisp and bready.
This was a fairly weighty slice, mostly due to the mozzarella cheese. It was laid on in a thick melted blanket. The texture straddled the line between stretchy and chewy.

The thin slices of pepperoni were crisp along the edge, as they should be. The tomato sauce was slightly sweet and mildly seasoned. Overall, a good, basic slice of pizza, typical of the Rochester style.
The Buffalo chicken slice was wider than the pepperoni slice. I don't know if the pies were sliced differently or if it was just luck of the draw. But it was nearly a quarter pie, whereas the pepperoni slice looked to be about a sixth.
As I mentioned, the underside was relatively pale, but it was mostly dry to the touch, and it had a nice, chewy interior. On top, the slice was topped with small chunks of chicken, a thin layer of mozzarella, mild Buffalo sauce and a swirl of blue cheese dressing. It was good, but if I were to order a whole pie, I'd probably ask for at least a medium-hot wing sauce. But for a slice with the flavor of Buffalo wings, this was a pretty good example.
Ruck's offers pies in 10, 14 and 18 inch sizes, plus sheets. You can easily customize your pizza, with thin, "regular" and thick crust, red, white or "pink" sauce, and 20 toppings to choose from. They also do 18 specialty pizzas, including a "585" (basically a garba- I mean "trash" - plate on a pizza), and "Ruck's favorite," the "Golden Boy," with "Golden BBQ sauce," chicken tenders, steak and cheddar.
They also do hot and cold subs, wings, calzones, salads, quesadillas, fish fry, and a few more items. In short, Ruck's pretty much covers the basics, and then some, for a local pizza joint.
I was generally happy with these slices. They were well made, flavorful examples of Rochester style pizza.
I have in the past avoided rating Buffalo chicken pizza, largely because the whole approach to that style varies so much from one place to another. As for the pepperoni slice, it was pretty good. Some charring, breadlike crust, crisp pepperoni and a good balance of cheese and sauce. Not quite at the top of my local list, but good enough to rate a B.

Ruck's Pizza Kitchen

7294 W. Main St.
Lima, NY
585-582-6552

Mon. - Thu. 11 - 9, Fri. & Sat. 11 - 10, Sun. noon - 8

Alloco's, Long Pond Road

New pizzerias continue to spring up, and one of the most recent is Alloco's Restaurant and Catering, on Long Pond Road, in the former site of Martino's (that former Martino's, by the way, was NOT associated with the Martino's in Webster, which is still in business, and as far as I know, is still going strong).
I recently picked up a large pizza from Alloco's for a family dinner. To satisfy the disparate tastes of my wife and daughter, I got half ham, half sweet peppers.
I got the pizza home quickly, and it looked good on top. I then checked the bottom, which was a uniform dark brown, with screen marks and some visible flour.
That didn't look so promising. Based on my past experience with pizza displaying similar characteristics, I was expecting a firm but lifeless crust, more pliable than crisp, with an aroma of cooking oil.
So I was pleasantly surprised to find that the crust was quite good: crisp on the outside, with a toasty aroma. The surface of the underside cracked a little when the slices were folded, which was also a good sign, as I generally prefer a pizza that's both crackly and chewy. Good pizza is all about balance, and that's one aspect of it.
I mentioned seeing some flour on the bottom. It was detectable to the touch, but not excessive, and I didn't taste any raw flour. The edge was shaped into an attractive cornicione, with a series of indentations along the edge. The thin-to-medium crust had a good, bready flavor and a nicely chewy texture. And it was well complemented by the toppings.
I was struck by the brownish color of the peppers, almost as if they'd been tossed with balsamic vinegar, but I didn't get any such flavor. I think they had just caramelized a little along the edges, perhaps when they were par-cooked before being applied to the pie. Though their appearance was unusual, the peppers tasted good, neither raw nor overly cooked.
Now to the ham side. I like ham, though I don't rank it among my favorite pizza toppings. But this was good ham, thin-sliced and more meaty than fatty, and not too salty.
The cheese was somewhat obscured by the other toppings (which is why, for evaluation purposes, I often order plain cheese slices), but seemed to be all mozzarella; I didn't pick up any tanginess or other flavors that would indicate otherwise. The cheese was not abundant, but I generally don't like cheese-heavy pizza, and it was added in good proportion to the other components. The underlying sauce was basic, tomatoey, with a medium consistency. As you can see, it was applied quite close to the edge of the pie.
Alloco's offers some 30 toppings, nothing terribly exotic, but just about any standard topping you can think of. They also have 17 specialty pizzas, which you can see on the menu, which I've included here. Besides pizza, Alloco's does calzones, subs, wings, pasta, seafood, quesadillas, and a variety of grilled and fried items.
As I said, I was pretty pleased with this pizza. Overall, it was well balanced, with straightforward ingredients and a decent crust. It was difficult to pigeonhole - kind of a cross between a traditional Rochester pizza and a New York style pizza - but it was good. I'd go back, and I think I will, at some point, so I'll give it a B.

Alloco's Restaurant & Catering, 1742 Long Pond Rd.

(585) 426-TOGO (8646)

Mon. - Thu. 8 a.m. - 11 p.m., Fri. 8 a.m. - 1 a.m, Sat. 10 am.m - 1 a.m, Sun. 11 a.m, - 10 p.m.

Tantalo's

A reader advised me last October to check out Tantalo's, which opened last year in the former site of a Pontillo's pizzeria in Greece.
I went there at lunchtime shortly after it opened, and the only slices they had available were Buffalo chicken slices. I got one (pictured in the bottom photo), which was OK, but not great. The crust was rather soft, and while the toppings were tasty enough, the chicken seemed a bit overcooked and the toppings just didn't come together that well.
But as I said, this was not long after they opened, so I figured I'd wait a while and go back.
Which I did, recently. And to judge by the two slices I got on this occasion, things had indeed improved.
This time, there were four selections, from which I chose a pepperoni slice and a white slice with broccoli, ricotta and tomatoes (the other choices were plain cheese and another white pizza with banana peppers and black olives).
These were a definite improvement over the time before, in my opinion. The crusts were on the thick side of medium, and after a brief rewarming, they were crisp and crackly underneath, yet still pliable and not brittle. I should point out that I don't think my earlier Buffalo chicken slice had been rewarmed, which
The undersides were browned,in a mottled pattern, with a light dusting of corn meal. The interior of the crust was chewy, well risen and well baked.
As for the toppings, the pepperoni slice was topped with nicely crisped cup & char pepperoni. The cheese was a bit overly browned, but it's always going to be a challenge to strike the balance between the cheese and pepperoni (might I suggest par-cooking the pepperoni before it's added to the pizza?). The sauce was a basic tomato sauce, with a good balance of sweet and salty. 
The white slice was flavorful, with a light coating of olive oil, topped with small chunks of broccoli and sliced tomatoes, overlaid by mozzarella and a few bits of ricotta cheese. The veggies were added before the cheese, which was a smart move, as it kept them moist. Pepperoni, I like crisp; veggies should retain most of their moisture.
Tantalo's offers 17 pizza toppings, and 13 specialty pizzas. Among the most interesting of the latter are the "Mama Mary's Greens & Beans Pizza," with sauteed greens, cannelini beans, sausage, mozzarella and Parmesan.
Beyond pizza, Tantalo's offers wings, which can be ordered with any one of some 13 sauces, and mac & cheese - which seems to be a trendy dish of late, although even as a kid I was never crazy about it - in a variety of combinations.
Tantalo's also offers an interesting lineup of hot and cold subs, and salads that go beyond the usual "chef's salad." For example, there's a beet salad with blue cheese, candied walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette. I've never been able to decide if I like beets or not, but that's intriguing. I'm waiting for someone to put them on pizza. I may even try that at home, much, I'm sure, to the dismay of my wife and daughter, who are decidedly in the anti-beet camp. And Tantalo's menu is the first I've seen since I don't know when to offer Waldorf salad, which immediately brings to mind an episode of the funniest sitcom ever made, Fawlty Towers.
If you've got room left after your pizza, sub or salad, Tantalo's has also got some decadent sweets, like deep-fried Twinkies or Oreos, or simple, freshly baked cookies.
My primary focus, of course, is the pizza. And this was good. Not so head-and-shoulders above other area pizzerias that I'd give it an A rating, but better than average. Nice crust, good toppings. So I'll give it a B.

Tantalo's Pizzeria, 3366 Latta Rd.
(585) 227-0080

Mon. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sun. noon - 6 p.m.

Delivery available (min. order $12)

Atlas Eats

One place that's been on my to-do list for some time now is Atlas Eats in Irondequoit. For whatever reason, they only offer pizza on Sundays, and since I don't live near there, it's been difficult to work it into my Sunday schedule. But I was downtown on a recent Sunday, so I made a short trip up Clinton Avenue to check it out.
I chose what was effectively a Margherita pizza (though I don't think they call it that), with red sauce, cheese and shredded basil. Like all the pizzas here, this was a personal-size pie, and came unsliced (I sliced it later at home).
The underside was a dark, mostly uniform brown, and deeper brown along the edge. It wasn't particularly crisp, but it was firm, and neither soggy nor oily. There was a light dusting of flour underneath.
On olfactory inspection, a pleasant, toasty, breadlike aroma greeted my nostrils. The crust was medium thick, with a chewy texture and a few bubbled spots near the edge.
For all its simplicity, this was a flavorful pizza. The tomato sauce had a fresh, bright flavor, and the cheese, though not heavily applied, was tangy and sharp; not overpoweringly so, but enough to balance out the other components. I'm not sure what kind of cheese they used - I suspect it was a blend - but it was a good example of how a pizza doesn't have to be heavily laden with cheese if the cheese has some flavor.
I like basil, and I wouldn't have minded a bit more, but there was enough here to add flavor. It was wilted just enough to mellow it a bit, but not dried out or burnt.
As I indicated, Atlas Eats is not a pizzeria as such; they only sell it on Sundays. But they do offer breakfast and lunch Thursday through Sunday, as well as some very good bread. On a prior weekday visit (before I knew they had no pizza during the week) I bought a baguette, which was excellent. And pay attention for their "Edible Atlas" Dinner Series, when they put together some terrific meals; currently upcoming is a "tour of New Orleans" featuring Cajun and Creole cuisine.
As for the pizza, it was very good. I'm not putting it in the top rank of Rochester pizza, but it was better than average, with a good crust and flavorful, well balanced toppings. So I'll give it a B.

City Grill, Rochester

With a couple of friends, I recently had lunch at City Grill, which opened some months ago at the corner of East Avenue and Alexander Street. I've lost count of how many restaurants have been in and out of this location in recent years, but this one might stick for a while.
What drew me there, of course, was pizza, in this case wood-fired pizza. I don't want to go into a long digression here, but before I go further, I should say a word or two about wood-fired pizza.
I have mixed feelings about the recent proliferation of local restaurants offering wood-fired pizza. Wood-fired pizza is not inherently better than pizza baked in other types of ovens. There are many factors going into any given pizza, from the ingredients to the preparation, to the attention paid to it while it's in the oven. The type of oven will certainly affect the end result, but a wood-fired oven does not by any means guarantee a better end result than a standard gas-fired pizza oven. In fact, if the pizzaiolo doesn't utilize it to its best advantage, a wood-fired oven can very easily yield a worse pizza than a more conventional oven.
But: the wood-fired trend has led to a lot more places around here offering pizza, and that's not a bad thing, from my perspective. So if I seem to be focusing recently on wood-fired pizza, it's mostly because I'm always looking for new places, and that's where most of the growth seems to be coming from lately.
OK. Back to City Grill. I don't think I'd ever been there before, under any of the restaurant's previous incarnations, because I was surprised to discover how large a space the restaurant occupies. There are two dining rooms (and an outdoor patio), and my friends were waiting for me in the back room. It's an attractive space, with a fireplace (not in use on this warm sunny day) and an open kitchen.
I ordered my usual Margherita (correctly spelled on the menu), while my two companions ordered a five-cheese pie and a "classic" pepperoni.
All three were nicely done, with some char spots underneath and a pliable crust that had some surface crispness.  There was some noticeable corn meal on mine, which was a bit unusual for a wood-fired pizza, in my experience. Some of the corn meal had carbonized, in other words, blackened, which I find a little off-putting, but it wasn't too bad.
To quibble a bit more, the crusts were a tad unevenly done, with some areas along the edge quite blackened, while others were only browned. But I know that's tricky with a wood-fired oven, and none of them were over- or underdone overall. So again, not a big deal, but I bring a critical eye to my pizza, and in the interests of giving a complete description I thought it worth mentioning.
Aside from those minor issues, I liked the crust, which had a bready aroma and a chewy but not tough texture. It was thin and pliable but not floppy, and was dry underneath.
We all enjoyed our toppings. The sauce seemed to be the same on all three, and had a basic tomatoey flavor with some herbs in the background. The toppings on my pie were  a little unevenly distributed, with the cheese and sauce coming close to the edge in some spots and other areas where there was a wide swath of naked crust, but this was no major cause for complaint. I would, however, have liked a bit more basil than just the few sprinkles that I got. What basil there was, though, was good, and had been added at the end, so it wasn't burnt, browned or dried out.
Pepperoni pizza is about as basic as American pizza gets, but this was a good one. The toppings were well balanced, and the pepperoni was especially tasty, with a good, meaty/spicy flavor, and just the right combination of crispness and chewiness.
The five-cheese pie was topped with mozzarella, aged provolone, Asiago, Fontina and Gruyere cheeses. While it wasn't overloaded with cheese, they combined to give it a sharp, pungent flavor and aroma. I liked it, but you've definitely got to be a cheese lover to appreciate this one.
In addition to these three pies, City Grill offers an "Italian," topped with crumbled meatballs, onions, tomatoes, cheese and parsley, a chicken-and-pesto pie with ricotta cheese and cherry tomatoes, a Greek pizza with shredded eggplant, kalamata olives, goat cheese, spinach, artichokes & roasted peppers, and the only one I would take a pass on, a wild mushroom pizza with shitake, portobello, crimini & porcinni, topped with a truffle sauce. All pies come in two sizes, which are priced at $11 and $15. The menu also features a variety of other dishes, including a wood-fired s'mores pizza with Belgian chocolate and marshmallows on a graham cracker crust. There's a full bar to boot.
So will City Grill succeed where so many others have tried and failed? I suspect that it might. I can't say what went wrong with the other establishments, but on this visit the food and service were good, business was brisk, and the atmosphere was comfortable yet - to use a word that I dislike, but that seems apt - sophisticated.
I'm not prepared to give City Grill's pizza an "A," at least not yet. (Maybe with the proliferation of wood-fired pizzas, I'm becoming more demanding, and I should probably revisit and re-rate some of the places I reviewed months or years ago.) But it's well worth a stop. For now, I'll give it a B, and I look forward to my next visit.

City Grill, 384 East Ave.
222-2489

Mon. - Wed. 11 a.m. - midnight
Thu. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 2 a.m.
Sun. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.