DeLinda's, Gates

There are two DeLinda's locations, one in Gates and one in Greece. It's your pretty basic pizza & wings kind of place.
A while back, I picked up a large, half-pepperoni pizza from the Gates DeLinda’s. This turned out to be a square pie, with a fairly thick crust. I wouldn’t call it a sheet or Sicilian pizza, however, as it didn’t seem to me that it had risen in a baking pan. I could be wrong, but I think typically a pan-risen pizza will be a little oily underneath, because the pan has to be greased to prevent the dough from sticking. The underside of this pizza was dry and floury, which is more indicative of a pizza that’s been baked directly on the deck of the oven. It was light to medium brown in color, and was not especially crisp, but it had a fairly bready taste and texture.
The pizza was on the cheesy side, at least toward the center of the pizza. The cheese had pooled a bit away from the edges toward the center, leaving the outer slices more sauce- than cheese-dominated. The cheese was just slightly browned, but still pretty stringy and viscous, rather than rubbery or congealed.
The sauce had a distinctive, prominent flavor, with a sharp, acidic tang and some herbalness. The outer edge was not particularly crusty, but was pleasantly chewy without being tough. The cup & char pepperoni was nicely crisped.
Again, DeLinda’s has a pretty standard menu, with the usual list of toppings and seven specialty pizzas, the most exotic of which might be the “Mad Dog Special,” with Country Sweet sauce, fresh garlic, chicken, ham, and jalapenos. Pizzas can be ordered thin, thick, or regular (presumably I got the regular, since I didn’t specify a preference). They also offer wings, calzones, and fried sides. No subs, and no slices. The Gates location is pretty much a takeout and delivery place, not sure about Greece.
All in all, this was a pretty good pizza. Not outstanding, perhaps, but certainly enjoyable and well made. It rates a solid B.
DeLinda’s, 2997 Buffalo Rd. (between Elmgrove & Coldwater) 247-3637
3725 Dewey Ave. at English Rd. 581-0820
Sun. and Tue. - Thu. 3 p.m. - 9 p.m., Fri. & Sat. 3 p.m. - 11 p.m. Closed Mondays. Extended hours in summer.