Twin Trees III, North Syracuse

What is the attraction to “all you can eat” pizza? When I was younger and could eat large quantities of pizza without physical penalty, it was all about getting maximum pizza for minimum money. Now, it is probably more about things like sampling a wide variety, making ordering easier, or getting hot pizza quickly. Whatever their individual reasons may have been, the guys from the office joined me for the Thursday all-you-can-eat lunch at Twin Trees III in North Syracuse.

I could spend a lot of time and space writing about the history of Twin Trees, but instead I’ll direct you to a story here, and to my review of another Twin Trees location here.  As I sit here thinking about it, I’m surprised that I have never been to TT III before, given my penchant for pizza and frequent travels through North Syracuse during 22 years living in this area. All of the gang from the office HAVE been to TT III before. My first impression was that the restaurant was bigger than I expected, with multiple dining rooms, clean and simple decor, and a separate entrance for evening pizza pickup. Lighting was rather dim, so I kept the flash turned off and did my best to adjust in Photoshop.

As I mentioned earlier, we chose Thursday for the lunchtime visit because of the weekly all-you-can-eat pizza special for $9.95, including a salad bar and chicken wings. Drinks are extra, of course. I thought I would save us from high traffic in the restaurant and directed the group to get there “early,” about 12:15pm. We didn’t have any trouble finding a table, but note the condition of the pizza buffet table at the time. Undeterred, I headed for the salad bar. After all, one of the rules of all-you-can-eat is that if you have a salad first, a certain amount of the pizza calories is cancelled out!

For a while, every time a pizza was brought out, people from various tables scurried to the buffet table to pick up a slice, and it was gone within a minute. Plates were also in short supply at times. However, as the clock moved toward 12:45 or so, many people left and the pizza supply caught up with the demand. Pizzas were all 16″, sliced in triangle style (rather than the cross-cut style typical of Twin Trees), probably because it makes buffet serving easier. The selection of toppings varied from cheese, to pepperoni, chicken bacon ranch, supreme, and other typical variations. It wasn’t always easy to tell which pizza had which toppings, because of the dim lighting and cheese on top of the toppings in most cases.

Many readers of this blog have experience with Twin Trees pizza, so much of what I’m going to say may be old hat. As far as I know, all of the Twin Trees locations prepare and bake pizza on a flat pan, resulting in the familiar slight “fried dough” effect. Average crust thickenss was about 1/4″, increasing to 1/2″ at the edge. It was evenly browned, didn’t droop much when held by the edge, and had a generally fine bubble structure inside. I’d say it was an above average crust. The sauce was also above average, applied in good proportion, with slight saltiness, and a very strong tangy and acidic character. The spice load was medium, with lots of spice flakes visible.

The cheese was a little oily, but not enough to puddle. It was also a little bit burned in spots, which I think does not add to the flavor or enjoyment of pizza.  Toppings were about average, and according to members of the gang they were a little more sparse than what you get when you order a pizza at other times. They speculated that quality may have been compromised slightly in order to produce the quantity needed for the buffet. If it is proper to compare TT III with other TT locations, I generally agree – I’ve had more plentiful toppings at other TT locations.

Overall, it was a very pleasant lunch. Table service was reasonably quick and efficient, with used plates removed frequently. Eating with real silverware and plates is a nice change from typical pizza shops.  Getting a taste of several different toppings combinations is a plus, as long as you don’t mind getting up repeatedly. Whenever the Pizza Geek is out with a group, he asks others at the table for their rating: one said 3.5, because it had a slight “mass-produced” character due to the volume required; another said 3.5 for the same reasons; another was more generous, rating it 4.25 to 4.5. Personally, I enjoyed it and can recommend it, and I waffled between 3.5 and 4 for a long time. I also looked back at the review of the rather similar TT Too, which was 3.5. Trying not to overanalyze it any further, I’m going with my gut and will give it a Pizza Geek rating of 3.5 out of 5 slices.

Summary – Pros: crispy crust, tangy sauce. Cons: unremarkable toppings, burned cheese.

What do YOU think? Have you tried the all-you-can-eat buffet at Twin Trees? Click the comment link below and tell us about it!

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

Antonio’s To Go, N. Syracuse

A relative newcomer to N. Syracuse is Antonio’s To Go, which has taken over the space previously occupied by Basil Leaf at 458 S. Main St., next to Fish Cove. (Basil Leaf is now a full restaurant, a mile or so north on Main St.) Open 7 days a week, Antonio’s offers pizza, wings, typical Italian entrees, and $4.25 slices of cake. Catering services are also listed on the menu. Free delivery is available; there are only two chairs at a small table, so I would not classify this as a place to eat in.

Antonio’s serves a thin, pan-baked pizza. I sampled a cheese slice ($1.50 plus tax) that was 1/8th of a 16″ pie. Crust thickness was 1/4″, closer to 1/2″ at the edge. It had some of the typical pan “fried dough” texture and taste. I don’t know if it was from re-warming, but the bottom was very browned. I noted a little crispiness, and it wasn’t overly chewy.

Sauce was plentiful – it was bright red, had good texture, carried a mild spice load, and generally had a subdued tomato flavor. Not bad, while at the same time not great. The cheese was reasonably decent – not very oily, just a little bit browned in spots.

Overall, it adds up to a rather ordinary slice of pizza. I can’t picture going way out of my way, or making a special trip to grab some. Not offensive, not great – just OK. The Pizza Geek rates it 3 out of 5 slices.

Summary – Pros: cheese was OK. Cons: bland sauce, ordinary taste.

What do YOU think? Have you tried pizza from Antonio’s? Click the comment link below and tell us about it!

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

Antonio’s To Go, 458 S. Main St., N. Syracuse – (315) 458-7437

Delta Sonic’s Brick Oven, N. Syracuse

Pizza from a car wash? Nothing surprises me anymore. OK, so it isn’t just a car wash – there are a bazillion gas pumps, and a variety of snack and lunch foods in a large, clean building. As for the eats, Delta Sonic’s web site says that a 5-star chef from Caesar’s Palace was recruited to help create the food for Delta Sonic’s Brick Oven, which has four locations.  I visited the North Syracuse location on Route 11.

One rather interesting thing about the food operation is that you order on a computer terminal, print an order slip, and take it to a cashier. Finally, you present your receipt at the food counter to pick up your food. Another intersting thing is that this car wash has a brick oven, the kind with an open front so you can see the flames. Further interesting is the shape of the pizza. It is baked in an oval shape, approximately 14″ x 22″. The pizza peel is even marked with this shape to assist with shaping of the dough.

Each large oval is sliced in to four quarters. These quarters are then sliced into thirds, and served as a “jumbo slice.” Alas, it stops being interesting at this point. My cheese “slice” ($3.09 plus tax) was already warming in the brick oven by the time I arrived at the serving counter.

It was a rather thin crust, less than 1/4″ thickness. A large amount of cornmeal had been used to keep it from sticking to the peel and oven, and it coated my fingers as I ate. The crust was a little bit crispy in spite of not being very brown. Flavor was unremarkable.

There was a very scant application of sauce, making it virtually impossible to tell anything about it, other than being red, and apparently from tomatoes. Cheese was equally scant, but appeared to be generally OK. Sometimes I’ve had pizza where the cheese wasn’t too thick, and you could see the sauce in spots. This was one step further, where you could actually see the crust in spots between the sauce and cheese.

It’s hard to imagine that a 5-star chef would consider this to be an adequate execution of his culinary vision. Something has obviously gone wrong along the way. It is bland enough and non-messy enough that it might make a good choice for your young child, but as a satisfying, tasty “adult” pizza – not so much. The Pizza Geek gives it 2.5 slices out of 5.

Summary – Pros: nice oven. Cons: scant sauce and cheese, bland.

What do YOU think? Have you tried pizza, or any other food from Delta Sonic’s Brick Oven? Click the comment link below and tell us about it!

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

Commisso’s Pizzeria, North Syracuse

At lunch time the other day I drove up Route 11 from Mattydale to North Syracuse, looking for a pizza review “victim.” I had in mind one location, next to Fish Cove, but its sign was removed and a “for rent” sign was in the window. Traveling on, I came upon Commisso’s Pizzeria.

As is the case with a majority of the pizza shops I have reviewed, there is a small collection of booths and tables in the dining area, a soda cooler, and a collection of 18″ pizzas cut into slices at the counter. Their web site and roadside sign both mention NY style pizza. There were also a few small “personal pan” pizzas (about 8″ across) next to the NY style slices. While I was waiting for my slice to warm up, I looked carefully at the personal pan pizzas, and they indeed appeared to be baked on a shallow pan. Thickness of the pan pizzas appeared to be similar to the larger NY style.

I picked a cheese slice, 1/8th of an 18″ pie, $1.89 incl. tax. My first impression of the thin crust was that it had a “plain” taste. That may sound a little strange when you consider that most basic pizza dough is just flour, water, yeast (or starter) and salt. However, the choice of flour, starter, how it is mixed, how long and how fast it rises, and the baking method can dramatically affect the taste. Perhaps part of the “plain” flavor is that only the bottom was browned – the top side was rather light. Also, the bubble size indicates either a short rise, or handling that squished out the bubbles. The rim was not “poofy” – the thickness was nearly the same all the way to the edge.

Sauce was not very plentiful, lightly spiced, and it lacked any real personality. Cheese was pretty good – not browned, not oily, melted and soft, and the amount was in good proportion to the crust.

Overall, this was an OK “utility” pizza. It was a little dry due to a small amount of sauce, and the crust taste was not well-developed – likely due to the reasons I mentioned above. I can’t really fault the cheese, but cheese alone does not a good pizza make. Also, several minutes after eating it, I noticed a lingering, slightly salty aftertaste. The Pizza Geek rates it 3 out of 5 slices.

Summary – Pros: good cheese. Cons: crust undercooked on top, scant sauce.

What do YOU think? Have you tried Commisso’s Pizza? Click the comment link below and let us know.

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

Commisso’s Pizzeria, 315 N Main St., N. Syracuse – 452-3254

Fat Jamie’s Pizzeria, North Syracuse

I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later – a new “low” in pizza ratings. Fat Jamie’s Pizzeria is located on the very busy East Taft Road, near the intersection with Thompson Road.   There was one small table in the counter area, but I would hesitate to say you could “eat in.”  The gigantic sign beckons, promising a large, unlimited topping pizza for $8.99, delivery or takeout. Actually, large is the only size offered. I picked up a slice for $1.50, tax included.

The very biggest problem with this pizza was the crust. It was very stiff, dry, dense and chewy – almost like a giant dense cracker, or a dense, flat biscuit that didn’t rise. It was screen baked, light and dusty with flour on some areas of the bottom, but very brown and crispy, maybe even burned on the edge. At a uniform thickness of about 1/4″, I’d call this a “medium” thickness crust.  Either the yeast or starter was dead, or the dough was rolled or pressed out just before baking, because there was remarkably little bubble structure visible. The crust had the same thickness right to the edge.

Sauce was very orangey, with an overcooked taste and an indistinguishable spice load, with some spice flakes visible. Cheese was basically OK, and not too oily, but it had congealed into a thick mat that could be peeled back like a blanket.

Overall, if it weren’t for the fact that I’m conducting pizza “research,” I wouldn’t have eaten any more than the first bite. I kept hoping something “good” would happen if I kept going, such as discovering a section of something tasty, but it didn’t happen (I did finally give up about halfway through).  If anyone reading this has experience with Fat Jamie’s Pizzeria, please comment and let us know if this is typical. Even if this were a “bad day” or a “mistake,” I’m really quite astounded that someone would serve pizza this bad, which is why I opted to post this review without making a return visit to double-check. The Pizza Geek rates it 1 out of 5 slices (Why not zero?  Believe it or not, I think it is possible to do even worse, and I have to leave room to go lower).

Summary – Pros: convenient location. Cons: terrible crust, poor sauce.

What do you think? Have you been to Fat Jamie’s? Click the comment link below and tell us about it.

Crust: no stars
Sauce: *
Cheese: ***
Toppings: NA
Value: ****
Overall:

Fat Jamie’s Pizzeria – 6059 East Taft Road, N. Syracuse – 424-1313