Gallo's slice

I first wrote about Gallo's, a pizzeria in Greece, back in 2009, giving a B-minus to my two pepperoni slices.
I later reviewed Gallo's Old World Style Pizza, giving it an A-minus for its take on an old-school version of local pizza, before the current norm of processed mozzarella and sliced pepperoni. And I enjoyed an interesting conversation with owner John Gallo, who's probably forgotten more about pizza than I'll ever know.
I've meant to go back to try one of Gallo's gourmet pizzas, but as too often happens, I simply haven't gotten around to it. But as I found myself in the neighborhood the other day, I was able to stop in for a lunchtime slice.
The slice measured 9 inches along one side and 10 on the other (the pie was obviously cut a little off center), so I'm guessing it came from an 18-inch pie. The crust was thin to medium thick, with a golden brown underside that was firm and crisscrossed by screen marks.
Along the outer edge, the crust was crisp and bready, and formed into a narrow, moderately thick lip. The dough had a faint touch of sweetness, like a tasty loaf of Italian bread. This was one of those slices where the cornicione is the best part, as that's where I could best appreciate the subtle qualities of this dough.
I was put off a bit, though, by the grease factor. I've been criticized before about using the term "grease" instead of "oil," I would call this grease, in the sense that most of it, I think, was melted fat from the pepperoni. I know you'll always have some grease when there's a fatty meat topping on a pizza, and a little grease can actually be a good thing, but there was enough here that I turned the slice upside down onto its paper plate, which collected a fair amount of orange-colored liquid.
As for the other components, this was a pretty well balanced slice, with a slightly herbal sauce and a uniform layer of melted mozzarella (which could've been an additional source of the oil/grease, but I'm guessing most of it came from the pepperoni). I had no complaints about the cheese, but it was rather nondescript and unremarkable, with a texture that was between chewy and stringy.
Despite the grease factor, I did like this slice. The number one factor for me remains the crust, and this was a pretty good, if not great crust, with fundamentally good dough. But it lacked crispness underneath, the cheese didn't wow me, and the grease was rather off-putting. As much as I liked the outer edge, I have to rate the whole slice, not just part of it. This slice exemplified some of the better characteristics of Rochester-style pizza, but also some of the potential pitfalls, and so I'll give it a C.
Gallo's, 1064 Stone Rd., Greece 663-5960
Mon. - Thu. 11 - 10, Fri. & Sat. 11 - 11, Sun. noon - 10