Brockport, Part II: Avanti Pizza

Avanti Pizza in Brockport is the second location of this pizzeria, which started in Medina in Orleans County. They advertise themselves as offering "gourmet pizza and old-fashioned subs," with the added promise that at Avanti's you can "get more, eat better, [and] pay less!"
I put that claim to the test with a cheese slice. It was medium thick, with a soft crust that had just a little crispness on the exterior. The underside was browned where it had come into contact with the cooking surface in the oven, but not at all charred.
The crust was more doughy than bready. I'm not saying it was undercooked, just that it lacked the complex flavors and texture of bread. This was more, well, doughy, with a soft, somewhat spongy texture.
The sauce was applied moderately, and had a slightly sweet flavor. That's apparently a trademark of Avanti, as their menu advertises both their "original" pizza sauce that "made [them] famous," and their "NY-style" pizza sauce, which is their "non-sweet traditional pizza sauce packed with lots of flavor." This was clearly the original.
The mozzarella cheese was browned here and there, and there were also sprinkles of what I took to be Romano, although my taste buds didn't pick up much of the sharp flavor of Romano. The edge of the slice had a bit more crispness than the rest, and was fairly enjoyable as edges go.
Avanti has a very long menu, mostly because they offer so many different varieties of pizza, subs and calzones. Besides the two different sauces, there's "classic" pizza, "old-fashioned Sicilian style" (which comes with cheese only, something I've never associated with Sicilian-style pizza), and 17 varieties of "gourmet" pizza, including "3 cheese steak hoagie," BLT, "loaded potato," and cheeseburger pizza, which comes with, yes, dill pickles. They also have wings, salads, and fish fry dinners, plus a few sides. There's some seating, and they have a large delivery area.
This wasn't bad pizza, but I think Avanti is more about the toppings than the crust. If you like a wide variety of toppings, or are into exotic, "gourmet" pizzas, Avanti may be just what you're looking for. Me, I'm more of a keep-it-simple pizza lover - just give me a good, crisp, bready crust, with just enough toppings to add some contrast and complexity. And for me, Avanti fell a little short in the crust department. It had good flavor overall, but lacked the solid base that I look for in my pizza. I'll give it a C+.
Avanti Pizza, 27 Main St., Brockport. 637-6377
Mon. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sun. noon - 9 p.m.