Julian Rocha/The Hofstra Chronicle
Oftentimes, the best restaurants are the ones you don’t plan on going to. On my roommate’s birthday, we drove around in search of a place to eat dinner, to no avail. As a last resort, we searched around on Google Maps, which led us to Gino’s Pizza.
From the outside, the restaurant is rather unassuming, tucked away next to a massive grocery store in a quiet neighborhood. At first, we were unsure if the restaurant was even open, because the interior cannot be seen from the street. However, when we walked in, it became clear that the restaurant was open and eager to serve customers.
The interior of the restaurant looks like a classic East Coast pizza joint, with sports playing on the television in the corner and hard chairs crowded around the tables.
At the counter, a long glass window displays the various slices, some of which are even topped with lettuce and salad dressing. Of course, they also offer the standard cheese and pepperoni slices, but it is nice to see a more traditional pizza restaurant step out a bit with their offerings. Further down the counter, an industrial sized bowl of garlic knots tempts customers as they order from the menu, which is very extensive itself.
Behind the counter, you can see other positive reviews left in newspapers, dating back many years. The quality of the restaurant has remained consistent and the employees give patrons many reasons to keep coming back.
As with most other counter-service Italian restaurants, the menu is long enough that I found myself debating a handful of entrees.
If someone wanted to order an appetizer, they could choose from an assortment of carbs, soups and salads, with customization available for many items. For the main dish, options include the typical pizza, pasta and sandwiches, as well as various forms of meat and seafood.
Although the menu was very long, and my eyes were bouncing around it like pinballs, I decided on the classic baked ziti. Most of my friends ordered slices of pizza, so the employees put them all in the oven at once, ensuring we would not have to wait too long for our food.
The laid-back atmosphere of the restaurant was conducive for conversation, so we literally and metaphorically broke bread around the table. The bread was piping hot, and it was all I needed to hold me over for the time being.
When our food arrived, we dug right into it, with the presentation of the food making my mouth water. The ziti had the perfect concentration of noodles, cheese and sauce, making each bite just as satisfying as the last.
Throughout the hour or so that my friends and I were in the restaurant, the employees went above and beyond to ensure we were satisfied, repeatedly filling our bread basket and bringing our food out very quickly.
Given that there were very few other patrons in the restaurant, the service was faster than any other Italian restaurant I have been to. Even on a busier night, I would imagine that the service would be top tier.
From the counter, customers can see right into the kitchen, where the cooks have a very efficient manner of communicating with each other and plating the food.
One criticism I do have for Gino’s Pizza is that the food is somewhat expensive. The portion sizes are by no means skimpy, but for the price point, I’ve had more substantial meals. However, the food is very tasty, and the service is great, so I left feeling satisfied.
Gino’s Pizza is a great restaurant with friendly staff and ample portion sizes. Its menu offers some exciting options, but it still has many of the classics that people love from Italian restaurants.
Although not super close to campus, if you find yourself in West Hempstead, definitely give it a try if you are in search of quality Italian food in a laid-back space.
