pizza

First off, La Famiglia Pizzeria in Greece is not the same as the Famous Famiglia chain that you see at Thruway rest stops and the airport. No, this is an independent place on Latta Road, across from Wegmans, near the intersection of Long Pond.
I got a cheese slice and a pepperoni slice. I had to wait a few minutes, but that was OK since it meant they were fresh out of the oven.
Though La Famiglia doesn't advertise "huge" slices, they were in fact rather big, and it was a pretty good deal: two slices and a 20 oz. drink for about $6.
The slices were thin and foldable, a little singed on the bottom, but pretty light in color overall. The crust was not at all greasy, and a little crisp on the outside, with what I'd call a "cornmeal crunch." That sounds like a breakfast cereal, but what I mean is that much of what crunchiness there was seemed to come from the dusting of cornmeal that the dough had received prior to going in the oven. (Cornmeal acts like tiny ball bearings and keeps the dough from sticking to the pizza peel, but as a side effect it also gives the underside a certain crunch.) On the whole, though, this crust was more pliable than crisp.
As I said, these were hot out of the oven, and the heavy layer of melted mozzarella was still semi-liquid and gloppy, though it became more rubbery as it cooled. Below that was a thin, somewhat oily sauce - or maybe the sauce had just mixed with the oil from the melted cheese - making for a rather wet slice overall. In fact, by the time I got these out to my car, the moisture from the slices had soaked right through the paper to-go sleeve.
A few flecks of dried herbs could be seen here and there, but generally the sauce had a pretty straightforward, right-down-the-middle flavor. The pepperoni seemed a little spicy, and had good flavor.
La Famiglia has ample seating, and they also deliver. If you eat in, you order at the counter and the food will be delivered to your table. I believe they serve soft drinks only, but don't quote me on that.
If you're looking for a whole pie, La Famiglia offers four thicknesses: thin, regular, thick and extra thick. I assume mine were thin; if they were "regular," then "thin" must be super thin. You can also choose from red, white, or pesto sauces, and a pretty standard lineup of toppings. There are six specialty pizzas, nothing too exotic.
Besides pizza, they do calzones, hot and cold subs, "steak bombers" (is that a local thing? I see it a lot around here), fish fry, pasta, wings, salads, a few sides, and if you're up for dessert, cannoli and "pizza fretta," which are described as "pillows of fried dough coated with confectionary sugar & cinnamon."
As for the pizza, bottom line, it's decent thin-crust pizza. Not exactly NY style, nor do they claim it to be, but pretty good flavor and texture. It should especially appeal to those who like a high cheese-and-sauce-to-dough ratio. If you like your pizza a little more well-done than rare, I'd ask for it that way. I'm not saying these were undercooked, but the cheese was more melted than browned, and the crust more browned than charred, but that's strictly a matter of personal preference. Whichever way you like it, I'd say La Famiglia is among the better places around, and I'll give it a B.
La Famiglia Pizzeria, 3208 Latta Rd., Greece. 225-9200
Mon. - Thu. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m. - 11 p.m., Sat. noon - 11 p.m., Sun. 3 - 10 p.m.

Mojoe's Pizza is on Genesee St., about two blocks south of West Main St., in Southwest Rochester. It's kind of a fast-food-style operation, with counter service offering pizza and other, mostly fried items, though I believe they deliver as well.
I got a pepperoni slice, which frankly wasn't very good. The crust, which was on the thick side, was very soft, floppy, spongy, and wet, and fairly greasy as well. Only along the crunchy outer edge was it at all firm, and that was more of a greasy, fried crunchiness than genuine crispness.
The sauce was applied somewhat thickly, but had a thin consistency and not much flavor. The cheese was a bit browned and rather chewy. It was OK, but like the rest of the slice, fairly greasy, and it simply didn't blend or mesh well with the other components.
The pepperoni was actually the best part. It, too, was greasy, but that's more acceptable with pepperoni, particularly of the cup-and-char variety, which tends to form a little bowl that holds its own melted fat, and it was nice and crisp along the edges, with good flavor.
Besides pizza, MoJoe's offers fried chicken, chicken wings, burgers, hot and cold subs, and one item I've not seen at any other pizzeria, Jamaican patties (which I guess are basically meat-filled pastries, something like an empanada).
Perhaps the Jamaican patties or some of the other items are worth a visit to MoJoe's, I can't say. They did seem to be doing a steady business when I stopped by. But as far as the pizza goes, I can't recommend it. I'm giving MoJoe's a D-.
Mojoe's Famous Pizza & Chicken, 337 Genesee St. 235-3930

NOTE: as of now, Mama Lizzie's appears to be closed. - 10/09/2009
Mama Lizzie's opened recently in what had been the short-lived Etna Pizza & Grill on Lyell Ave., across from Wegmans. The Etna Pastry Shoppe is still next door, so I don't know if there is or was a connection there.
As I've mentioned before, this stretch of Lyell Ave. has a high concentration of pizzerias, so anybody opening a new place along here faces some stiff competition. But Mama Lizzie's, in my opinion, is off to a good start.
For my $2.70 (including tax) I got two good-sized slices, mouth-burningly fresh out of the oven. Apparently they come in pairs, as I only asked for a slice, but the price was good and I appreciated having it cut in two so it was easier to save half for later.
These slices were medium thick, getting gradually thicker toward the outer edge. The underside wasn't charred, but was pleasantly crisp, a bit crunchy, and not greasy.
They were relatively saucy, with a straightforward, tomatoey sauce. The sauce had a definite presence, but was in good balance with the other components.
The cheese was lightly browned, and was likewise applied a bit heavily but proportionately to the crust and sauce. Between the relatively heavy layers of sauce and cheese and the fact that the slices were still quite hot, they were a tad gloppy, but I was hungry, they were good, and I didn't feel like waiting for them to cool off to allow the toppings tc congeal more.
The thin slices of pepperoni were just a little crisped along the edge, adding a touch of crunch to the overall texture.
The edge, or lip, was rather thick, and quite crunchy on the outside, with a fairly bready interior.
As I mentioned, I saved one of these for later, and it made for good cold pizza out of the fridge: still a little crunchy, yet still a bit moist from the sauce under the protective layer of cheese.
Mama Lizzie's has a relatively modest menu, with a handful of specialty pizzas, including a white artichoke and spinach pizza, and an "Old World" pizza made with pecorino romano. They also have wings, a few grilled items, four types of hot subs (steak, chicken parm, chicken finger and pizza), and some fried sides, plus a Friday fish fry. Oh, and milkshakes.
(By the way, if you go there, you may see a big "Pizza" sign out front, but that's for the C & C Deli, which is in the same plaza. C & C advertises "huge" pizza slices for $2, but I took a look at them and frankly they didn't look terribly appealing - sitting on a rack, they had that convenience-store-pizza look about them, if you know what I mean. But the deli itself is good - I've eaten there - and they carry some interesting Italian food imports too. So if you're feeling like a sandwich by all means check out C & C, which has a pleasant, familial feel about it.)
Getting back to the pizza at Mama Lizzie's, this was pretty good stuff. It didn't quite have that sublime blend of flavors, or mouth-watering breadiness that will put a pizza into the top echelon. But make no mistake, I liked this. The flavor was good, and the crust scores some points for its crisp, non-greasy exterior. I'm going to give this one a "B".
Mama Lizzie's Pizzeria & Grill, 2320 Lyell Ave. 426-5000. Some inside seating.
(Hours unknown as of the date of this writing - I'll check into it.)

General Hoock's is one of the more interesting pizzerias I've been to. For one, that's not its full name. Its full name is "General Hoock's (& Sons) All American Tailgate U.S.A., an All American Pizzeria." At least that's according to the takeout menu, which is interesting in itself. The menu, that is - it's color-copied from an original that was hand-printed in the owner's distinctive style of calligraphy, looking something like a medieval manuscript that was lettered by Dr. Seuss.
As for the pizza, I've now stopped by twice around lunchtime, during which General Hoock's (I'll stick to the short name) offers a limited selection of slices to choose from. I got a pepperoni slice on my first visit, and on my second time around the slice of the day was cut from a pepperoni/sausage/hot pepper pizza (not pictured).
This was fairly thick pizza, with a stone hearth-baked crust that was lightly browned underneath, and more firm than crisp. There was some oil from the toppings, but the crust itself was not greasy at all. It had a bit of crunch toward the edge, and a pleasant bready flavor, although the texture was not quite as gluteny-bready-chewy as I like.
On both visits, my slices were topped with a healthy layer of sauce and cheese that balanced out the relatively thick crust, giving the pizza something of a "wet" mouthfeel. The sauce had a pronounced herbal/spicy flavor, and the generous helpings of pepperoni and other toppings added to the complex, overall flavor profile of this pizza. The mozzarella hit the mark between melted and toasted, contributing both chewiness and flavor.
If you choose to dine in, there is a little counter seating, and a handful of tables. Though they only serve soft drinks (unless you count the Genny Cream Ale in the fish fry batter), it has something of a bar-like feel, with a TV in the corner tuned to ESPN, and the owner (a/k/a the "general," from a childhood nickname) behind the counter bantering with the customers, some of whom are clearly regulars.
All American has a pretty long list of pizza toppings - nothing too bizarre - and also offers wings, "Bronx Tale Bombers" and "Grand Slamwiches" (there's kind of a baseball/Yankees theme going on here), "Tailgate Plates," the aforementioned fish fry on Fridays, and a number of sides and items from the grill. There's also a kid's menu, as well as breakfast starting at 6 a.m. (7 on Sundays).
This was formerly DiCimino's, but the current owner, who's been in business here for a little under a year, changed both the name and the pizza recipe. I never tried DiCimino's, so I don't know how General Hoock's pizza compares, but this is pretty good stuff. It's assertive, but not to the point of assaulting your senses. The crust is substantial without being overly thick, the sauce has an unmistakable, though not overpowering presence, and the cheese and other toppings are likewise added proportionately, so that no one component takes center stage here. Like the lettering on the menu, it's distinctive, and I give it a solid B+.
General Hoock's (& Sons) All American Tailgate U.S.A., 1308 Buffalo Rd. 247-5000
Tue. - Thu. 6 a.m. - 8 p.m., Fri. & Sat. 6 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sun. 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

On one side it says Mexican on the other it says Pizza. When you drive by it gives the impression that it serves Mexican pizza. This of course is not the same. It is a Kosher food joint that serves up everything they can cook, from Mexican to Italian and classic Jewish cuisines. Located on Pico in a relatively Jewish neighborhood there are a few other pizza joints to compete with, a few

Driving down Pico, in a relatively Jewish neighborhood, with several Kosher pizza joints from Shalom Pizza to Pizza Station, is Pizza Mania. You can't miss it with the larger than life cut outs of pizza on top of the building. This is not a Kosher place. Which really makes no difference. The pizzas are technically the same. If you ask the guy who runs Pizza Mania he'll say the difference is

Tom & Nancy's Pizzeria is a name that goes back many years in the Rochester area. According to their menu they've been in business for nearly three decades. If I remember correctly they at one time had a place on Dewey Ave., and recently a location in Spencerport, which, sadly, closed last year. Currently their one location is on Stone Road in Greece. My understanding is that the original owners sold the business and the name, and have retired. If anybody knows differently, or has more info, please let me know or correct me.
I recently stopped by for a large pie, half pepperoni, half plain. The medium-to-thick crust had a toasted brown underside, with no greasiness. There was a bit of oven soot on the bottom, mostly cornmeal, as well as what appeared to be burned cheese (although it was blackened beyond recognition) that was stuck to the edge of the pizza in a couple of spots.
Despite that, I really enjoyed the crust on this pizza. It had terrific flavor and aroma as well as texture, with a chewy, bready, moist interior.
The sauce and cheese were both applied moderately, and in good balance with the crust. The sauce leaned more toward the tomatoey than the herbal end of the spectrum. The cheese was well melted but not browned, a little gooey, and had pooled a bit toward the center of the pie. The "cup & char" pepperoni was reasonably crisp and had good flavor.
Tom & Nancy's has resisted the trend among pizzerias to have huge menus offering everything under the sun. They keep it pretty simple here, with pizza (whole pies only, no slices) and calzones, a reasonable list of available toppings but no weird "specialty" pizzas, as well as wings, fried chicken, and a modest list of deep-fried sides. It's strictly a takeout and delivery operation, with a couple of chairs if you're waiting for your food, but no eat-in facilities.
This was very good pizza, in what to me is the traditional "Rochester style" - a tad thick, nice and bready, with a healthy but not overwhelming dose of sauce and mozzarella.
One of Rochester's great culinary assets is the presence of some great old bakeries turning out delicious, traditional Italian bread, and I think some of that heritage is reflected in Rochester's older, established pizzerias as well. Tom & Nancy's is one of them, and based on this visit, it's a good one. With its fresh-baked-bread flavor and well-balanced components, this was a very enjoyable pizza, although on this particular one I have to take off some points for the oven soot (not so much the cornmeal as the burnt-to-a-crisp cheese stuck to the edge, which was pretty unappealing looking). A little more attention to detail and this could be a top-notch pizza, but this time around I'll give it a B+.
Tom & Nancy's Pizzeria, 423 Stone Rd., 663-1274
(I'm not sure of the hours at this point but I think they generally open sometime in mid-afternoon.)