Since this is the last day for readers to win a free pizza from Cimino's in Spencerport, I figured it's a good day for a Spencerport review. And this continues my occasional exploration of local Buffalo chicken pizza, which has lain dormant for a while now.
I picked up a slice of Buffalo chicken pizza from the Spencerport Pontilllo's a while back. Pontillo's slices aren't massive, but they're pretty big, with about a 10" radius, so one slice and a drink can make for a decent lunch.
The crust was thin to medium, and the underside a golden brown. The latter was a change from most Pontillo's slices that I've tried, which have tended to be well charred underneath, with a toasty flavor. Maybe this was baked in a pan rather than on the oven deck, or maybe it's got something to do with this being a Buffalo chicken pizza, which can be rather oily. But whatever the reason, the bottom here was slightly oily, with some shallow bubbly craters. It had some crispness, though, and wasn't soft or spongy. The edge also displayed a certain breadiness that I enjoyed. It would've been interesting to get a plain cheese slice to compare the crusts and see if this crust was typical of the Spencerport location, or was more particular to the Buffalo chicken pizza.
The toppings were pretty spicy-hot, as Buffalo chicken pizza goes. Chunks of spicy breaded chicken lay atop a thin layer of browned mozzarella. There also seemed to be a thin coating of orange, oily or buttery hot sauce between the crust and the cheese, unless that just had exuded from the chicken and cheese. But there was no tomato sauce, and the heat on this pizza clearly came from more than just the chicken. The other noticeable flavor was salt. This wasn't too salty for me (then again I like salty food), but it was definitely salty. Blue cheese, however, was absent.
Like most Pontillo's, the Spencerport location had a pretty good selection of slices available. There were a few tables available, but I think most of the business is takeout and delivery.
It's in a pretty competitive area, pizzawise, with Cam's and Leccese's nearby, and Cimino's just up the road. Pontillo's is also not particularly prominent, visually, with just a narrow storefront in a small plaza, wedged between a dry cleaner and a family restaurant. But it's been there for some years now, so it must have a loyal following.
Again, no rating on this one. Buffalo chicken pizza varies so widely from one place to the next that it's difficult to draw comparisons, and any attempt to grade it would depend to a great extent on one's personal preferences in terms of sauce, blue cheese, and so on. In other words, I haven't found any ideal against which to measure this style. And frankly, this will never be one of my favorite styles of pizza, so I'm not sure that I could ever be objective enough to give any Buffalo chicken pizza a useful rating. But it's a popular style around here, so I would like to let readers know how it's prepared at different pizzerias in the Rochester area. What I will say is that Spencerport residents are fortunate to have several good pizzerias to pick from, including Pontillo's.
Pontillo's, 500 S. Union St. (Rt. 259) near Rt. 31 intersection.
Phone: 352-8111
Hours: Sun. - Thu. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., Fri. & Sat. 11 a.m. - midnight
Pontillo's, Spencerport: Buffalo Chicken Pizza
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