An exploration of pizza in and around Rochester, NY, one pizzeria at a time
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Santino's Pizza, Oakfield
Ever since I was a kid, I've loved looking at maps, and wondering what all those places were on there, and what they were like. These days, of course, you can virtually go anywhere on Google Maps, but it's hardly a substitute for being there. I'm pretty sure that spending a week looking at the Street View of Hawaii would not give me the same pleasure as spending a week there, in person.
So I still like to drive around and check out places I've never been to before. I always think, if it's your first time in a place, you're a traveler there, even if it's only an hour's drive from your home.
Which took me recently to Oakfield in Genesee County. I had to be in that area, and took the opportunity to pay my first visit to this village a few miles northwest of Batavia. Funny how some things stick in your mind, but I remembered hearing of it in 2005, when an 11-year-old girl made headlines by striking out every player she faced while pitching a Little League game. (If you're interested, here's a "what ever happened to" update.)
Of course, I didn't just go there to see Oakfield, nice as it may be. I also knew that - like any self-respecting American town - Oakfield has a pizzeria, Santino's, which had gotten some positive online reviews.
Santino's is a fairly large, bustling place, at least on a weekday at lunchtime, when I stopped in to try their pizza. They offer counter service, with a large seating area. They have pizza slices available at the counter, and I got two pepperoni slices to go, which looked pretty fresh.
The thin to medium crust was dark brown underneath, with a faint oily sheen and no screen marks. It was a good-looking crust, although on biting into it I found that it was not as crisp as I'd expected from its appearance. Firm, but not crisp.
The slices were topped with a thin layer of a simple, middle-of-the-road tomato sauce. The cheese, which seemed to be straight mozzarella, was quite thick, almost like double cheese. It had, unfortunately, congealed since coming out of the oven, which is one of the downsides of getting slices rather than a fresh pie.
A sprinkling of dried herbs was visible on top, adding a hint of oregano flavor and aroma. The thin slices of pepperoni were OK.
I could swear that I picked up a menu while I was at Santino's, but I can't seem to locate it. I'm not the most organized person around, so that doesn't surprise me. If I find it I'll edit this post to add more about their menu, but for now suffice it to say that Santino's offers a solid range of pizzas, wings and subs.
As for this pizza, hey, it wasn't bad. The flavor was pretty good, and the crust had some breadlike aroma, even if it wasn't as crisp as I like. The cheese was generous, even if congealed and chewy. And with two slices plus a fountain drink for just $4, it was a good deal. All in all, this was decent, basic pizza, average small-town pizza (and I don't mean that in a pejorative way), and I'll give it a C.
Santino's Pizza, 2 Main St, Oakfield
Phone: (585) 948-5266
Hours unknown, but it is open for lunch on weekdays
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