Russo’s New York Coal-Fired Pizzeria

• Food:

  4/5

• Vibe:

  3/5

• Service:

  2/5

• Value:

  3/5

• Overall:

  3/5

I stopped by Russo's on the way home from work last week. It's in the new development at the southwest corner of Campbell and 75. This is the center with the second branch of Twisted Root, which seems to have quite a following. There's also a Panera here which does a pretty good lunch.

Russo's has an odd layout. You walk into the middle of the place, it's wide open so you can't tell where to go, and there's no hostess greeting people when they walk in. If you're lucky, you'll catch the eye of one of the teenage girls who work here, however, they're awfully distracted. You occasionally have to ask for things a couple of times before they remember to bring it.

The menu has pasta, sandwiches, salads, calzones, and pizzas -- they push the coal-burning oven. Bags of coal are stacked up by the entrance.

I started with a Greek salad, which was a strange version. The dressing had Balsamic vinegar. Basically this was a Romaine salad with Balsamic vinegar and feta cheese -- not bad, just not what you expect when you order a Greek salad.

We split a vegetarian pizza with spinach, artichoke hearts, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes. It wasn't loaded with toppings but that was OK - it was just enough to give the flavor without overwhelming the pizza. Crust was thin in the center, and puffy and crusty on the edges. The menu says the small is good for 1-2 people and costs $14.95 -- more expensive than the chains but I suppose you get what you pay for.

Desserts are in a glass case at the cashier and include some good-looking cakes and cannoli that's filled to order.

okme2 Anonymous

4 months, 2 weeks ago
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