Slice Pizza Co., Churchville

Thanks to a very alert reader of this blog, I became aware recently of a new pizzeria in Churchville, Slice Pizza Co. It's located in the site formerly occupied by Mama Mia's.
I got a couple of pepperoni slices at lunchtime recently. Apart from the thick cornicione, the crust was quite thin, and the slices were on the floppy side.
The undersides were a mottled pattern of golden and light brown, and were dusted with corn meal. There were no screen marks. I wouldn't call them crisp, but they were reasonably firm; call them al dente. The cornicione was a little crisper, and had a satisfactory breadlike flavor.
There wasn't an abundance of cheese on these, but it was enough considering the thinness of the crust; too much cheese can easily overwhelm a thin crust. This cheese, however, hadn't melted all that well, and individual shreds were easy to see; the pizza didn't seem undercooked, so it may be the type of cheese that was used.
The sauce was a tad sweet, and again considering the thinness of these slices, they were on the saucy side. The thin-sliced Hormel pepperoni was average, and not too greasy.
Despite the sweetish sauce, through it all there was a certain saltiness to this pizza. I couldn't say if it came from the sauce, cheese or pepperoni. It wasn't overly salty or anything, but my tastebuds did pick up some salty notes.
Pizzas at SPCo come in four sizes, personal, small, large (16") and sheet (25x18"). They offer 19 toppings, and six specialty pizzas. Also on the menu are hot and cold subs, wings, various deep-fried and grilled items, plates, wraps, nachos and quesadillas. 
This pizza was OK, no complaints, but all in all it was about average for local pizza. The crust was decent but not as crisp as I would've liked, and the toppings were acceptable but again not outstanding. Worth a stop if you're passing through the area and wanting a slice or two, but that's about it. I'll give these a C.
Slice Pizza Co., 54 S. Main St., Churchville
293-9000
Mon. 4 - 10, Tue. - Thu. 11 - 10, Fri. & Sat. 11 - 11, Sun. noon - 10

Book Review: Championship BBQ Secrets for Real Smoked Food

Certain foods tend to inspire more passion in people than others. Pizza is a perfect example, but barbecue is right up there too. And although pizza is my particular food passion, I do love good barbecue. In fact I've toyed with the idea of expanding this blog, or creating a companion blog, to cover the local BBQ scene.
And I do take a stab at barbecuing at home every now and again. The results have generally been good, but it's a difficult art to master, if you really want to do it right.
I'm one of those people who, when they get into something, do research and read up on it, so they can get better at it. And so over the years I've amassed a small library of books on barbecuing.
The latest addition to my BBQ bookshelf is Championship BBQ Secrets for Real Smoked Food, by Karen Putnam and Judith Fertig. I recently received a review copy from publisher Robert Rose.
This is mostly a recipe book - over 80% of its 405 pages are devoted to recipes - but it starts off with a concise overview of BBQ basics, including various types of ovens and smokers, wood and other heat and smoke sources, and hot vs. cold smoking. The authors also offer advice for those planning to enter BBQ competitions, although with a few exceptions (such as choosing a team name), most of the advice relates to techniques that would be useful for the noncompetitive, home barbecuer as well.
One thing about the book that I particularly like is a section covering the basic process for various types of meat, such as pork ribs, beef brisket and chicken, accompanied by full-color photos. Those instructions then form the template, on which you can build by using the more detailed instructions for the individual recipes which follow. Those recipes cover everything from rubs and sauces to every kind of meat and cut you're likely to run across, and a few that you're not (cold-smoked ostrich, anyone?), as well as vegetables, fruits, cheese and nuts. Not every recipe is illustrated, but a color photo section does provide representative pictures from each chapter.
Karen Putnam clearly knows her stuff - she's got some BBQ world championships on her resume - and Judith Fertig presents the recipes clearly and simply.
This isn't the most comprehensive book on the subject that I've got, but not everybody wants or needs an 800-page tome every time they cook. Championship BBQ Secrets is thorough enough for all but the most hard-core BBQer, it's well organized, and it's easy to read. If I had to choose only one of my BBQ books to keep, that would be a very difficult decision to make. But as a solid manual on the art of barbecuing, with enough recipes and ideas to interest even an experienced 'cuer, this would not be a bad choice.
Book Title: Championship BBQ Secrets for Real Smoked Food
Authors: Karen Putnam and Judith Fertig
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Robert Rose (2nd ed. April 2, 2013)

Airport Pizzeria, Sodus

Last year, following the Wayne County Pizza Contest, I passed by a place that had apparently escaped the notice of the event's organizers:  Airport Pizzeria, on Ridge Road in Sodus. I was hoping that Airport could be included in this year's contest, but sadly, the contest was not held this year. So it was up to me to go investigate Airport Pizzeria on my own.
I ordered a medium pepperoni pizza, which is as good a benchmark as any for basic American pizza. The thin to medium crust was browned and somewhat floury underneath. The underside was pebbled with screen marks, but the bottom was reasonably crisp, unlike many screen-baked pizzas that I've had. It also had some pleasant toasty overtones and an enjoyably chewy texture. The narrow outer edge was nice and crisp.
The pizza was well balanced, with a good, but not excessive amount of cheese, sauce and pepperoni. Well melted and stretchy, the mozzarella was baked just nearly to the point of browning. The sauce was marked by a distinct flavor of herbs, though I had a hard time pinpointing exactly what it was. Oregano is common, but there was something going on here - some thyme, perhaps? - so maybe they used a blend of dried "Italian" herbs.
The thin sliced pepperoni was fine, if nothing remarkable. As pepperoni tends to do, its melted fat did add a thin layer of oil to the top of the pizza.
Airport Pizzeria is not just a pizzeria, but a bar and restaurant. It's on Ridge Road - which is not the same as 104 - about two miles east of the village of Sodus (which is not the same as Sodus Point). According to the menu, Airport makes its own dough and sauce (and mac salad, baked beans, wing sauces, meat sauce and chili) daily, on site. That makes Airport a true pizzeria, not just a bar that serves pizza - a bar that serves pizza, as often as not, uses premade pizza shells and sauce straight out of a can.
Airport's pizzas come in small, medium, large and sheet sizes, and they're available by the slice as well.  They offer 19 toppings, and six specialty pizzas. They also do calzones and stromboli, wings, hot and cold subs, wraps, burgers, salads, sides, and a few dinners, including fried chicken, the "Big Pappa Plate," fish fry (every day), and, on Thursdays, a NY strip steak with potato, salad and a roll, for (as of the date of this post) $12.95. If you're interested in a pizza and wing combo, ask about their specials, and you'll save a couple bucks or so.
This was good pizza. Not top rank, for me, but certainly worth checking out. If 2014 brings us a new Wayne County Pizza Contest - and I hope that it does - I would definitely want to see Airport Pizzeria among the entrants. I'm giving this a B.
Airport Pizzeria, 7740 Ridge Road, Sodus
(315) 483-0653
Mon. - Thu. 11 a.m. - 11 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m. - 1:30 a.m., Sat. 11 a.m. - midnight, Sun. noon - 10 p.m.
Delivery available Mon. - Thu. 11 a.m. - 10:30 p.m., Fri. 10 a.m. - midnight, Sat. 11 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.