Bianchi’s Pizza Pad, Solvay

I’ve visited virtually all pizza shops within a few miles of where I work, so to keep finding new pizza shops to review, the “circle” has to grow. Today’s review brings us to Bianchi’s Pizza Pad, in Solvay (western edge of Syracuse). I’m going to put together a few clues and conclude that this is a place that is serious about food preparation. When you buy a slice at some shops, you feel like you’re the only “action” they have at that time. At Bianchi’s, I was just a quick pause for a busy kitchen. Numerous workers in the large kitchen were obviously preparing food for a catering job. There is no seating, because kitchen equipment and storage have pushed all the way out to the front windows (visible in the picture).  Bianchi’s is closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Bianchi’s pizza menu lists both 8 piece round (no size given), and 24 piece tray versions (presumably a full sheet). My rectangular cheese slice ($2.25 incl. tax) was served from a warming case; from the size (approximately 6″ x 7″), I would guess that it was 1/12th of a sheet. No warming was offered.

This was definitely a thick crust pizza, averaging 1/2″ to 3/4″. It showed signs of being well risen, including rise time in the pan. It had a very good interior structure, breadlike texture and taste, some crispiness, and was not too chewy. Sauce was plentiful, with a moderate to high spice load and some visible spice flakes. There was a somewhat cooked flavor, with both some acidity as well as a little sweetness. Salt level was good. Cheese was somewhat browned, slightly oily, and applied in good proportion to the crust and sauce.

Balance is the key to any type of pizza; with a thick crust like this, you need proportionately more sauce and cheese to keep everything in harmony. Bianchi’s succeeds pretty well, with a decently balanced taste. I felt the cheese could be better with less browning and oil separation. The sauce was above average, but could still be better with a fresher, less cooked taste. Even with those nit-picks, the Pizza Geek gives this a rating of 4 out of 5. If you like thick crust, this is a great pizza for you.

Summary – Pros: mature, bready thick crust. Cons: oily, over-browned cheese.

What do YOU think? Have you tried the pizza from Bianchi’s Pizza Pad? Click the comment link below and give us your review.

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

Bianchi’s Pizza Pad, 2623 Milton Ave., Solvay – 488-2931

Michael Angelo’s Cafe, Syracuse (Eastwood)

When you’ve reviewed pizza at dozens of shops, you develop an expectation of the pizza quality just by looking at the place. Michael Angelo’s Cafe is latest in a long line of food operations to appear at 3605 James Street, and the first in a very long time to offer pizza. It is basically a small diner, and isn’t too much to look at, but the “PIZZA” and “WINGS” sings in the window got my attention. I stopped one day at lunch time, hoping to find slices, but no joy. I made a mental note to come back “someday” to sample a whole pizza.

The evil cross cut

That “someday” happened recently when fellow pizza lovers at the office starting hinting again for a group pizza outing. One of them ran through a long list of places he thought we should try, and I answered “been there!” to all of them! Michael Angelo’s Cafe came to mind. They had never heard of it, so I issued my standard disclaimer (“WARNING: This is ‘research,’ and it could be bad!”) and off we went for lunch. We selected a large 16″ with two toppings ($15.95 plus tax).

The first thing I usually notice about pizza is the crust. It was the same for my coworkers. We bit in to our first pieces, and gave quizzical looks to each other as we chewed. It didn’t take long to realize this was a pizza shell. It makes sense, really – a diner wants to include pizza on the menu, and won’t be making enough of them to justify a full dough-making operation, so it relies on shells. You can predict some of the negative aspects of pizza shell pizza, such as the “twice baked” taste, and thick, dry crust. However, one thing I haven’t experienced before is that the baked “skin” on the top allowed the sauce, toppings and cheese to slide right off with the slightest assist from gravity. It also allowed sauce, toppings and cheese to gather right in the center.  And don’t get us started on that confounded cross cut!

Maybe too much cheese?

Another compromise for convenience and cost reasons is the apparent use of pasta sauce on the pizza. It was salty, watery and chunky, with pieces of onion, some spice flakes, and not much fresh tomato taste. Over the next few minutes, the moisture soaked into the crust and made it very soggy. A large dose of cheese was applied (over the toppings), and much of it pooled in the middle. It was browned near the edge, but gooey and stringy in the middle. The toppings were OK – no real complaints there.

Overall, this pizza made us a little sad. We felt compelled to finish it because we had a lot invested in it. I asked my two coworkers for their “score” on this pizza, and they came up with the same rating I had in mind. For the reasons already described, the Pizza Geek (and the group) rate this pizza 2.5 out of 5 slices.

Summary – Pros: table service, tolerable wings. Cons: pizza shell crust, pasta sauce, expensive.

What say you? Can a diner ever make good pizza? Have you tried Michael Angelo’s Cafe? Click the comment link below and let us know.

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

Michael Angelo’s Cafe – 3605 James St., Syracuse – 299-6585