KC's gone, Mac's on the way

The "new businesses" section of the D&C lists Mac's Pizzeria & Grill coming to 2346 Lyell Ave. That is, or was, the address of KC's pizzeria. Several pizzerias have come and gone in that location, which is tucked into a not-very-visible corner of a plaza across from Wegmans, in an area with several other pizzerias nearby. I'll be checking out Mac's and I wish them luck, but more than one pizzeria has tried and failed in that spot, so they will need to distinguish themselves if they're going to make it.

Guida's Sauce Pie

I've been intrigued for some time now by the basic, tomato-sauce-based pies that appear on the menus of some pizzerias around here. Often these are found at well-established places with deep local roots, and it seems to me that these pizzas come from an older tradition, before today's emphasis on heavy toppings took hold. Whether they go by the name or not, these pizzas, I think, are related to the "grandma's pizza" often found downstate. Though the specifics vary, this style of pizza generally deemphasizes the cheese, with a tomato sauce providing the dominant base for a few simple toppings, which frequently include a sprinkling of Romano.
One such pizza is found at Guida's. While Guida's does make a "Gramma's" pizza, they also offer something similar that goes by the simple name of "sauce pie." While that might sound like nothing more than a pizza with sauce but no cheese, this is in fact a little more than that. Any doubts on that score were removed when I opened the box, as my nostrils were greeted by an intoxicating aroma of tomato sauce, Romano and garlic, which is about as winning a combination of ingredients as there is.
That heavenly aroma again got me thinking about the term "grandma's pizza." I can imagine a lot of Italian grandmothers' kitchens smelling exactly like this, with a pot of sauce simmering on the stove. The name makes perfect sense now. And it's the addition of garlic that, I think, chiefly differentiated this pie from the Gramma's I'd had before at Guida's.
But what an addition it is. You could put this stuff over ice cream and I think I'd like it. Over pasta, it would be divine.
And aside from pasta, what goes with a good tomato-based sauce better than bread? And what is a pizza crust but a disk-shaped bread? (For that matter, bread and pasta are pretty close culinary cousins, apart from the inclusion of yeast in the former.)
Of course, not just any bread will do; ideally you want a nice, chewy Italian-style bread, and on that score Guida's delivers, with a crust that's firm on the outside yet chewy on the inside, with good bready flavor. That also differed from the Gramma's, which had a softer crust that seemed to have risen and been baked in a pan. Personally I love a very crisp, crackly exterior, which this didn't quite have, but it's hard to fault it nonetheless, as it was still firm, and had a mouth-pleasing chewy texture and good bread flavor.
The bottom of the crust was lightly dusted with corn meal, and there was a bit of oil underneath as well. While eating this, my lips and tongue picked up a faint hint of oil too, suggesting that perhaps the dough got a light swirl or brushing with olive oil before going into the oven, or maybe the oil came from the sauce or the garlic, I don't know. Whatever its source, that might also account for the crust being a little less crisp than some, as oil will typically tenderize bread dough. But it certainly wasn't what I'd call a greasy crust, and with its breadlike flavor and texture, it was more than just a vehicle for the toppings.
Speaking of which, the sauce was of course the star here, and, consistent with the overall simplicity of this pie, it had a straightforward character, with enough herbs to add some flavor accents but not enough to get in the way of the bright flavor of the tomatoes.
The same held true with the Romano cheese. With its sharp flavor, a little Romano goes a long way, and Guida's wisely avoided overdosing this pie; again, a plate of pasta comes to mind, with a sprinkling, but not a dousing, of Romano on top.
Frankly, I would've been happy with just the sauce and Romano, but things get even better with the addition of garlic. The garlic stood well out from the background, completing the trinity of toppings, and was assertive without being harsh; there wasn't the unpleasant aftertaste that raw garlic or garlic powder can leave behind. Finish all that off with the thick, bready outer crust and you've got one very good pizza indeed.
Having said that, this pizza might not be for everyone. If your ideal pizza is one that's covered with thick, gooey cheese, or loaded with toppings, well, this isn't it. But if you're one of those people who likes to sop up your pasta sauce with a thick slice of chewy Italian bread, then you'll love this pizza. It proves once again that for all the pizza ads you see trumpeting topping-heavy pizzas, with pizza sometimes less really is more. I'll give this one an A-.
Guida's Pizzeria, 440 Empire Blvd., Rochester 14609. 288-0590
Mon-Thu. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., Fri. & Sat. 11 a.m. - 11 p.m., Sun. noon - 10 p.m.
Other locations at 1837 Penfield Rd. in Penfield, 166 W. Main St. in Honeoye Falls, 964 Ridge Rd. in Webster, and 736 Elmgrove Rd. in Gates.

Pontillo's, Batavia

My wife and I recently had occasion to travel to Batavia, so while I was there I made a point of stopping by Pontillo's for lunch. This is site of the original Pontillo's, and that makes it one of the oldest pizzerias, in the same location, in Western New York. These days, there is no direct connection between this Pontillo's and any of the Pontillo's that most of us are familiar with in the Rochester area, but that's a whole soap opera unto itself. But in short, the Pontillo's in and around Rochester are part of a loosely knit chain, while the Batavia Pontillo's is a stand-alone location. Some might question whether the Batavia Pontillo's can really claim a direct lineage to the original, but it's the same place at least, and there is one Pontillo brother involved in the Batavia business.
I was curious, then, to see how the pizza here would compare with  what I've had at various Pontillo's in Monroe County. Although I've seen a number of comments to the effect that the pizza varies widely from one Pontillo's location to another, I've found a definite consistency within the Pontillo's chain, in certain respects, particularly with regard to the crust, which tends to have a somewhat charred underside, sometimes nearly black in some areas but browned elsewhere.
We each ordered a small pizza. I ordered a small with "Sicilian sauce," which was supposed to be just crushed tomatoes, garlic, herbs and Romano, but I was given a regular cheese pie instead, with "regular" red sauce. In the waiter's defense, I may have confused him because I first ordered a plain cheese pizza, but then asked for Sicilian sauce. Maybe I should've just ordered a Sicilian to begin with. But on our check, there was no mention of Sicilian anything, so I think the order just went in as a plain cheese pizza.
My wife got a "Siena," which was topped with Gorgonzola, balsamic vinegar, mozzarella, grilled chicken and eggplant.
The crust on both was similar, on the thin side, nice and crisp though not charred underneath at all. The crust on the Siena was a little oily, probably from the toppings, particularly the eggplant, which had been deep fried.
Nonetheless, both undersides had a nice combination of chewiness and crunchiness, and the undersides were lightly dusted with cornmeal. The edge was thick, bready and chewy.
The cheese on my pizza was laid on a bit heavily, and was rather stringy when the still-hot pizza arrived at our table. The cheese contributed not just texture, but a pleasant, mild melted-mozzarella flavor.
The sauce was added in moderation, and had a simple tomatoey flavor, with a few bits here and there of what looked like fresh shredded basil, but they were so tiny that I was unsure if they were fresh or dried. It was a perfectly acceptable sauce, though it left me wondering what the Sicilian would've been like.
Although my wife was a little disappointed that her eggplant was breaded and deep fried (I can't stand eggplant in any form, although deep-fried is probably least offensive to me), she was otherwise was very happy with the pie. It was a little oily, as I mentioned, but the flavor was good. I never would have come up with that particular combination of toppings, but they worked quite well together, especially with the sharp Gorgonzola playing off the sweet acidity of the balsamic vinegar.

As a full-service restaurant, the Batavia Pontillo's has an extensive menu. The takeout menu I grabbed on the way out doesn't mention it, but I'm positive I saw clam pizza on the menu at my table, and there are a handful of other specialty pizzas available. They also offer a range of pasta dishes, salads, soups, subs, wing, and sides, as well as beef on weck, which I also love. The $8.99 lunch buffet includes unlimited salad, soup, pizza, baked ziti, dessert and a non-alcoholic beverage.
Speaking of beverages, there's a bar overlooking the kitchen area, though I don't recall if it's a full bar or just beer and wine. The ample seating is divided between the bar area and the adjoining dining room.
This pizza was certainly different from what I've gotten at Pontillo's in and around Rochester, at least as to the crust, which was not charred underneath. But it was nonetheless crisp and bready, and good enough to polish off the outer crust. The overall flavor on both pizzas was good too, and I'd like to go back sometime to try both the Sicilian and the clam pizzas.
I wonder if any oldtimers out there remember what Pontillo's pizza was like back in the late '40s or '50s. And I'd love to see a menu from the original place back then. I can't tell you who can better claim to represent the pizza of the original Pontillo's, but the Batavia location turns out a very nice pie, indeed, and I'll give it a B+.
Pontillo's Pizzeria Restaurant, 500 E. Main St., Batavia, 343-3333
Sun. - Thu. 11 a.m. - 11 p.m., Fri. & Sat. 11 a.m. - midnight