Leon Gessi New York Pizza (****) ($ ½)
1806 Palmer Park Blvd.
Colorado Springs, CO 80909
(719) 635-1542
Walk into Leon Gessi’s and you’ll encounter real pizzeria atmosphere set against the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains! Upon entering, you are struck by the hometown pizzeria feel and tempting aromas from the open kitchen where the staff of Leon’s serves up an excellent New York style pie!
I visited Leon’s after a long chilly, and rainy, day at the Air Force vs. Navy football game. The space was comforting, brimming with a hometown feel, and the severs were friendly and on the spot! I was with a group of locals, so they knew their way around, and that was a good thing because I was a bit confused by the ordering protocol; whether at the counter or table.
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After settling in at our table, we started out with salads and an appetizer of meatballs. The salads and meatballs were nothing special, but they kept us busy while the real treat was in the oven!
The sauce on the Gessi pie was excellent. They hit on all the good qualities of a New York sauce. It was well-balanced, with an identifiable blend of spices that didn’t conflict in the least. The sauce was smooth, as well, with no acidic or bitter background. I also admired the hint of sweetness the sauce displayed. This probably was from sugar added to cut the acidity of the tomatoes…a good trick if done skillfully.
The bakers at this pizzeria continue to score with an excellent crust. A good New York style pizza crust requires quality ingredients, patience in handling and forming, topping with care and, of course, baking at a high enough temperature to impart a somewhat crispy, brown and slightly charred character. Well, these guys do a great job in what I believe is a gas oven. The crust was approaching crispy, nicely browned with a bit of charring on the bottom, and very importantly, nicely finished on the edges. Too many bakers leave a thick, bready edge on the pie that doesn’t crisp up well. A little added attention can correct that by thinning out the edge so it takes on a firmly crisp finish. This can also add more surface area for the toppings. Wide, thick crust are often not suitable surface for the topping, effectively reducing the size of your pie.
As for cheese, no complaints here, although probably not a natural mozzarella, the cheese on the Gessi pie was very good. It was flavorful, not too salty and stayed well blended as it cooled, no oily separation. The staff at Gessi’s did an excellent job with metering that amount of cheese…you can use too much! The amount was just right!
The Italian sausage on the pie was excellent. The slight sweetness of this lightly textured and well-spiced sausage shown through the other flavors just enough, without the greasy, fatty after-taste often encountered with so-called Italian sausage.
The service at Leon Gessi’s is friendly, prompt and knowledgeable. The utensils were of good quality; however, the napkins were of low quality, and as I’ve stated before, constant reaching for another napkin is distracting, but hey, this pizza is worth a bit of reaching!
Enjoy your pizza!
1806 Palmer Park Blvd.
Colorado Springs, CO 80909
(719) 635-1542
Walk into Leon Gessi’s and you’ll encounter real pizzeria atmosphere set against the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains! Upon entering, you are struck by the hometown pizzeria feel and tempting aromas from the open kitchen where the staff of Leon’s serves up an excellent New York style pie!
I visited Leon’s after a long chilly, and rainy, day at the Air Force vs. Navy football game. The space was comforting, brimming with a hometown feel, and the severs were friendly and on the spot! I was with a group of locals, so they knew their way around, and that was a good thing because I was a bit confused by the ordering protocol; whether at the counter or table.
.JPG)
After settling in at our table, we started out with salads and an appetizer of meatballs. The salads and meatballs were nothing special, but they kept us busy while the real treat was in the oven!The sauce on the Gessi pie was excellent. They hit on all the good qualities of a New York sauce. It was well-balanced, with an identifiable blend of spices that didn’t conflict in the least. The sauce was smooth, as well, with no acidic or bitter background. I also admired the hint of sweetness the sauce displayed. This probably was from sugar added to cut the acidity of the tomatoes…a good trick if done skillfully.
The bakers at this pizzeria continue to score with an excellent crust. A good New York style pizza crust requires quality ingredients, patience in handling and forming, topping with care and, of course, baking at a high enough temperature to impart a somewhat crispy, brown and slightly charred character. Well, these guys do a great job in what I believe is a gas oven. The crust was approaching crispy, nicely browned with a bit of charring on the bottom, and very importantly, nicely finished on the edges. Too many bakers leave a thick, bready edge on the pie that doesn’t crisp up well. A little added attention can correct that by thinning out the edge so it takes on a firmly crisp finish. This can also add more surface area for the toppings. Wide, thick crust are often not suitable surface for the topping, effectively reducing the size of your pie.As for cheese, no complaints here, although probably not a natural mozzarella, the cheese on the Gessi pie was very good. It was flavorful, not too salty and stayed well blended as it cooled, no oily separation. The staff at Gessi’s did an excellent job with metering that amount of cheese…you can use too much! The amount was just right!
The Italian sausage on the pie was excellent. The slight sweetness of this lightly textured and well-spiced sausage shown through the other flavors just enough, without the greasy, fatty after-taste often encountered with so-called Italian sausage.
The service at Leon Gessi’s is friendly, prompt and knowledgeable. The utensils were of good quality; however, the napkins were of low quality, and as I’ve stated before, constant reaching for another napkin is distracting, but hey, this pizza is worth a bit of reaching!
Enjoy your pizza!
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