Red Osier Metro Cafe

I learned recently that The Red Osier had opened a lunch spot downtown and that they are serving pizza. Now The Red Osier is known mostly for its beef - which, at least at the original, flagship location is well worth a drive to Stafford in Genesee County - so I wasn't sure what to expect from their pizza, but any new pizza place piques my curiosity, so it didn't take long for me to check it out.
They had several slices available on warming racks, and I got a single pepperoni slice. It had a thin to medium-thick crust, with was dotted with brown spots underneath, from the pan on which it was cooked. Except for those spots, which must have been where the holes in the pan were, it was pretty pale underneath.
The crust was soft and doughy, and a bit gummy. Not a very good crust, I'm afraid.
The slice was topped with a solid layer of melted, congealed cheese, a fairly generous application of thin-sliced pepperoni, and a thick, tomatoey, somewhat salty sauce, with a noticeable presence of dried herbs. The overall flavor wasn't bad, fairly typical of Rochester-area pizza.
In addition to pizza, the Red Osier Metro Cafe offers a variety of hot and cold sandwiches, wraps and salads, and of course their signature roast beef. It's located on the ground floor of the County Office Building, but you can get to it without going through the hassle of the metal detector/security check at the main entrance.
I've had dinner at The Red Osier's original restaurant on Rt. 5 in Stafford, just east of Batavia, and very much liked it. And I plan to go back to the Metro Cafe for a beef on weck sometime. But based on this visit, the pizza is not great. Sometimes places don't stick to what they do best, with less than stellar results, and this was one example. I have to give this pizza a D.
Red Osier Metro Cafe, 39 W. Main St., Rochester 14614
413-0151
Mon. - Fri. 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.