Doughboys Out, East Ridge Pizza In

Today's "New Businesses" section of the D&C list East Ridge Pizza at 1963 E. Ridge Road. That was the address of Doughboys, which I reviewed in October 2009.I called Doughboys' number and got a "no longer in service" message. I'm not sure if East Ridge Pizza is open yet; I'll drive up that way sometime.
Update:  drove by - it's to be, if I remember correctly, "Mr. Lee's Pizza & Wings."  Lee Pak Lam is listed in the D&C as one of the owners. Sounds, um, interesting.

Hometown Pizza, Bloomfield

I wouldn't usually go this far to get a pizza, but I'd heard from a friend that Hometown Pizza in Bloomfield made some outstanding New York style pizza, so the other night I made the trek down to check it out.
I got a large cheese pie. It was very thin, so thin that the crust didn't have much of an interior. The slices were foldable, but not floppy (a good thing), and the screen-baked bottom was firm but not crisp (not such a good thing), except along the outer edge, where there was some crackling underneath. The flour-dusted edge had some crunch, and there was a fair amount of bubbling on top near the edge, particularly along one side, as this pizza appeared to have baked somewhat unevenly.
The pie was topped with a slightly sweet sauce, with some herbs (I'm pretty sure I picked up oregano) noticeable. The sauce had a good flavor, but it seemed a bit skimpy, even for this thin a crust. Atop that lay a thin layer of cheese, which was unremarkable, and again was browned a little more on one half of the pizza than the other.
Hometown's pizza menu offers 20 toppings, and a selection of "specialty" and "premium" pizzas. The former includes an "Italian flag" pizza with 1/3 red, 1/3 white, and 1/3 green (pesto) sauces, and the more expensive premium pizzas include a "dumpster plate" pizza and a sirloin steak pizza. They also serve calzones, strombolis, wings, hot and cold subs, and various other fried and grilled items.
Hometown isn't just a pizzeria, but also a video store, although with things like Netflix and movies on demand, I think they'd better not put too many eggs in the video basket. There's some seating, and a soft drink cooler in the back.
This was decent pizza, but not outstanding. The bottom could've been a little more crisp, and it could've used a little more sauce. But I will give it credit for being more firm than floppy, for some crispy crunch along the edge, and for a pretty good overall flavor. So, perhaps with some of my NY-style prejudices coming through, I'd say this was a little better than average in spite of its shortcomings, and this pizza rates a B- from me.
Hometown Pizza & Video, 10 Main St., Bloomfield 657-6190
Tue. - Thu. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sun. noon- 9 p.m. Closed Mondays.
Delivery available 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. within a 5-mile radius, $8 minimum order. Delivery charge of $1 in village, $2 outside village.

Cosimos Revisited

Last March, I reported on Cosimos Pizza in Marketplace Mall.  I was quite surprised by how good it was, considering my preconceptions of food-court pizza, and gave my two slices a B+.
Recently, I returned to Cosimos for a full pie. They only come in one size here, large (16 inch, I believe), and I got just a plain cheese pie.
I was again impressed. The crust on this pie was thin, but not at all floppy, and there was enough of an interior to allow for some internal chewy breadiness. The underside was firm and crisp, with some crackling near the outer edge. It was more dark brown than charred, but still crisp enough to have a nice crunch when biting into it, followed by a satisfying chewiness. The narrow, thin lip along the edge was also pleasingly bready.
The crust was topped with a moderate layer of tomato sauce, which had a mild, even bland, flavor. The cheese was also added in proportion, not in a thick, uniform blanket, but with small ponds of sauce poking through here and there. The cheese was well melted, and was smooth-textured but not stringy.
I can't say I had any genuine complaints about this pizza. For it to attain my idea of pizza perfection, it would've needed some high-heat charring underneath, with the toasty flavor and aroma that goes with that. I also would've appreciated a little more flavor from this sauce. I don't think a heavily seasoned sauce would be called for here, and I will say that the mild flavors of the sauce and cheese had the virtue of not getting in the way of the subtle breadiness of the crust.
But those quibbles aside, this was a very good, well-integrated pizza in the New York style. If you like a thick crust, heavy toppings, or bold flavors, it might not be your thing, but as one of the better NY style pizzas I've had around here, Cosimo's rates an A- from me.
Cosimos Pizza, Marketplace Mall (near West entrance to mall) 424-6444
Mall hours:  Sun. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m., Mon. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.