Sal’s Pizzeria, Baldwinsville

A recent business trip to Baldwinsville took me past Sal’s Pizzeria. OK, actually I wasn’t anywhere near Sal’s – but in the search for the Syracuse area’s best pizza, you have to make certain sacrifices, such as taking the long way home. This was well worth the detour.

Sal’s has several excellent reviews on Yahoo Local, and a very attractive web site (but the online ordering page says “coming soon”). Inside, I noticed a table with several computers and phones used for taking orders. The staff confirmed that weekend nights are “Crazy! Nobody likes to cook anymore!” A very busy pizza shop is a good sign.

It was the middle of the afternoon, well after the lunch rush, so I had my doubts about getting a reasonably fresh slice. The cheese slice I selected was reportedly 30 minutes old, and they gave it a 2-3 minute warmup. While I waited, I noted that there are just 4 small booths, so this is mostly a takeout and delivery operation. I also noted a very large and varied menu.

The outside sign says this is “NY Style” pizza. I couldn’t say for sure, because I’ve only had pizza in Manhattan one time (at the legendary Lombardi’s). The crust is quite thin, all the way to the edge on my piece. When you finish biting off the “good” stuff, you really don’t have much crust left. I really liked the texture of this crust. The best word I can think of is “delicate.” Crispy exterior, soft interior, and not very chewy (you don’t get exhausted chewing it). I don’t know how reheating may have affected it, but the bottom cracked when I picked it up for the picture. The taste was fresh, subdued and well-balanced. In my opinion, this is a perfect crust – equaling the best I’ve ever had.

Cheese was just as good. Even after 30 minutes of cooling and 2 or 3 minutes of reheating, it maintained a perfect soft texture and didn’t turn orange. It perfectly complimented the sauce and crust.

The sauce had a very smooth texture, with a light spice load and tiny bits of garlic. It had slightly sweet and slightly salty notes. Although it was an adequate sauce, it lacked a fresh tomato taste, and is the only thing standing between this pizza and a 5 slice rating. All things considered, this is excellent pizza, and I’ll grade it 4.5 slices – quite an accomplishment for a half-hour old slice. I can’t wait to come back for a fresh pizza with toppings, and will soon.

What do you think?  Do you like Sal’s pizza?  If you haven’t been there before, will you try it now?  Please comment by clicking the link below.

Summary – Pros: Perfect crispy-soft thin crust, high-quality cheese, not oily. Cons: Sauce with subdued tomato flavor and spice.

Crust: *****
Sauce: ***
Cheese: *****
Toppings: NA
Value: ***
Overall:

Sal’s Pizzeria (web site) – 24 East Genesee Street – Baldwinsville – 638-8505