By Adam Zak
Staff Writer
Lou-Bea’s Pizza had been a staple in Albany since 1980, but since its closure in 2015, Delaware Ave has been awaiting a successor. With Pizzeria Michelina, we may have found just that. Although it may have replaced the old pizza place with another, the fact that the pies are made in a wood fired oven differentiate it from its predecessor, and in all the best ways.Â
When you first walk into the small shop, the brick oven is very apparent right behind the counter to order and placed in the middle. Despite a lack of variety in specials for the pizzas with cheese, margherita, veggie, and gregorio, there is not a lack in quality with the ingredients and end product. They also have a variety of toppings available; however, you would have to ask as it is not shown anywhere in the shop.
I had a typical margherita and gregorio, (which has prosciutto, arugula, and mozzarella), and was pleasantly surprised by both. The dough, comparing it to the wood fired pizza made from Restaurant Navona over on New Scotland Ave, was much better as it was somewhat thicker in general but with thinner crust. It tasted very fresh, and even though it was made in a wood fired oven, there was not much char on it, which the thicker crusts at Restaurant Navona tend to be pretty charred and not worth eating. On top of that, with the fresh ingredients and high quality dough, the pizza was filling, yet pretty light on the stomach. Both pies had a good ratio of sauce to mozzarella, and with the in-house mozzarella, it honestly made me wish I had asked for extra cheese.
The sizes offered were personal, 16 inch, as well as by the slice; however, I did not see any ready pies or slices for them, so I cannot state the size of the slices themselves. I would imagine smaller than a typical pizza place that does by the slice.
There is some seating to eat, but the place is rather small. Take-out is certainly an option which seemed quite popular as we saw a fair amount of customers getting orders to-go. The interior is pretty and subtle, with some Italian classic portraits and other art, as well as the handful of tables and chairs with windows peering out to Delaware Ave. Not only was the food a stand out, but so was the service as the small staff who made it fresh and in a timely manner, as well as being personable by asking how we were doing and if we needed any more grated parmesan.
Another thing to note is that their hours of operation are a little different and may conflict with one’s hunger, being open from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and closed on Sundays and Tuesdays. Pizzeria Michelina is a great local pizza joint that cares about the quality of their pies as well as their customers, making it an easy pick over any pizza chains in Albany.
