Chip’s Deli, Jamesville

In this part of Jamesville, it is a matter of convenience. I know someone who lives nearby Chip’s Deli, and he often gets his pizza here largely because it is convenient. Think “convenience store” without gas or a car wash, and you basically have Chip’s Deli, located roughly halfway between Jamesville and I-81 on E. Seneca Turnpike. It took me two tries to get a slice, even though I was stopping in the middle of the day.

My sample slice was 1/8th of a 16″ pan-baked pie, $1.50 plus tax. It was a thin crust, around 1/4″. Although it wasn’t oily, it did have some amount of fried dough taste and texture on the bottom, with a little crispiness at the edge. I noticed that it was spiked to prevent large bubbles during baking. For convenience of preparation, I’m guessing that dough is allowed to rise on the pan for some time before baking, so spiking the dough is probably a good move. The long rise does give a very nice interior structure.

The sauce had a very middle-of-the-road taste, I think. It was mostly absorbed into the crust and cheese, so it was basically impossible to find any. The cheese was a little oily, had some brown spots, and had congealed into a sheet that was easily peeled back (I was looking for sauce, remember?) I’d say the cheese had a generally average, non-offensive taste.

Considered as a whole, this slice was actually slightly better than the sum of its parts. That happens now and then; you pick away at the flaws in the components, but the overall taste is still OK. I would have preferred that reheating was offered. It wouldn’t necessarily have improved the flavor – I just prefer to eat warmer pizza. Overall, it was a slightly better than average, non-offensive taste, and the Pizza Geek gives it a rating of 3.5 out of 5 slices.

Summary – Pros: inexpensive. Cons: invisible sauce, chewy soft crust, congealed cheese.

What do YOU think? Have you tried pizza from Chip’s Deli? Do you agree with my review? Click the comment link below and tell us about it!

Crust: ***
Sauce: ***
Cheese: ***
Toppings: NA
Bang/Buck: ****
Overall:

Robbie T’s Pizza, Jamesville

Sometimes I’ll talk about whether pizza has “personality.” Other times, the personality of the owner is what you notice first. Yes, there is a Robbie T., and he’s been making pizza at his busy shop in Jamesville since the 1980s. It’s obvious that during that time, Robbie has made many friends and loyal customers. I actually made three visits to sample the pizza, and each time I observed Robbie greeting virtually every customer, even while moving constantly through the busy kitchen. He takes the time to ask whether you liked the food, where you work, etc.

Evidence of Robbie’s connection to the community may be seen on the dining room walls, where there are many pictures of little league teams he has sponsored. I wouldn’t be surprised to see an entire team having a celebration meal on the front lawn’s picnic tables. As I waited for my slices to warm up on a recent visit, he looked across the counter at the nearly full dining area and said with a smile, “Everyone is so nice here, these are such great people.” This is a case where I believe he really means it. Building relationships with customers builds business, and Robbie T’s Pizza appears to be doing a great business.

Now, about the pizza. Obviously a lot of people like it, but I’m sad to say I didn’t so much. This is why I made three visits – I REALLY wanted to like it. The first two times I had slices, and on the third trip I brought along a fellow pizza lover from the office. We ordered a 14″ medium (actual size 15″) with peppers, onions and sausage on half ($11.99 plus tax). You order at the counter, take a seat, and the food is brought to you. Interestingly, you pay AFTER eating.

The best thing I can say is that the crust had good texture, with a nice medium crispiness and well-browned bottom. It wasn’t too chewy, and maintained its texture as it cooled. But, it generally had no flavor. Sauce was applied lightly, so it was difficult to get a good taste. Some spice flakes were visible, but I couldn’t discern much about the flavor of the sauce. It too appeared to be very bland. Most of the taste of this pizza comes from the cheese, which was heavily applied. A good deal of oil separated from the cheese, spreading across the pan after slices were served. The peppers appeared to be from a jar (I prefer fresh), and the onions were chopped and tasted OK. Sausage was in tiny crumbled pieces, and didn’t have much going on. We were seeing sausage, feeling sausage in our mouth, but not really tasting sausage.

Taken as a whole, this pizza gets most of its flavor from the cheese and toppings. There is a lot of room for improvement, but the busy dining room full of regulars means that major changes would likely NOT be welcome. It’s almost like I have to split the rating; Robbie gets a 5, but alas, this blog is primarily about the taste. The Pizza Geek can only rate the pizza at 2.5.

Summary – Pros: friendly proprietor, good crust texture, table service. Cons: very bland crust, sauce and sausage; canned peppers, large amount of oil separation.

What do you think? Keeping Robbie T. out of the equation, does the pizza deserve the low rating? What do you like or not like about it? Click the comment link below.

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

Robbie T’s – 4625 North Street, Jamesville – 469-3171