Bruno Brothers - Geneva On The Lake Pizza

If you are heading up to Geneva on the Lake there are a number of good to great food options; among them are at least 3 places on the strip where you can grab a slice of pizza.  I have been intrigued by the Bruno Brothers trailer at  5560 Lake Road East (map is here) so I figured I would give them a try.  This is just a small trailer with a pizza oven and a number of slices available in the glass counter.  What I liked was that they seem to have more variety and more authentic pizza.  I ended up getting a cheese slice and it was suburb.  Many places claim they have New York style pizza, but it falls far short of what I expect, Bruno Brothers comes closer then anything else I have had around here.

To me New York style pizza is huge pizzas, with very thin crust cut into large slices and topped with tangy sauce and a nice uniform cheese layer.  Bruno Brothers hits all the points, I would guess the pizza is 18" and the slice was overflowing the paper plate.  The crust was very thin, but with just the right amount of crispness on the bottom.  The sauce was a little lighter then I would prefer, but still gave good flavor and contrast.  Nice tangy cheese covered the whole slice and was cooked to the point where everything merged into a oily cheesy whole. 

If you are in Geneva on the Lake and feel like getting some Za, I would recommend heading to the middle of the strip (East of Madsen Donuts) and giving Bruno Brothers a try.

Madsen Donuts - Yummy

After having one of the best meals in a long time at Piero's (see the previous entry) I needed something sweet so I headed down and across the street to Madsen Donuts at 5428 Lake Road. The sign says that it has been there since 1938 and I believe them. This is genuine scratch donuts made the old fashion way. The shop is small and you can watch the donuts in various stages of being made so you know these are fresh. A small glass counter has the donuts; you may be disappointed in the variety, I counted 8 different kinds, but you will not be disappointed in the flavor. I had the creme stick and the cinnamon stick and they were delicious. Flavorful and fresh with rich real flavors and good texture. If you watch Alton Brown's Feasting on Asphalt on the Food Network, this is the kind of place he would love. So if you need a sugar fix and are in the Geneva area, head to the strip and grab some donuts, you will not be dissapointed.

Piero's Pasta House - Geneva Gem

Over the years I have heard rumors about this amazing pasta place in Geneva on the Lake that was only open during the summer season. Well the rumors are true. I rode up on a Thursday night and was very impressed. Located at 5367 Lake Rd E, Geneva, Ohio on the East end of the commercial strip, Piero's doesn't look like much from the outside. The inside is another story. The room is relatively small with tables packed close together, so I would guess the place seats less then 50. The decor is faux Mediterranean, with with the ceiling decorated to look like a vineyard and a mural on the back wall. But overall it feels like someone had a vision and has followed through. Of course the thing that will really strike you about the room is the open kitchen with the large menu board above it that runs across one side of the small room. You get to watch and even better smell the dinners being prepared. The menu board gives you the full menu. A couple of appetizers and salads are available, but everything else on the menu is pastas ranging in price from $9 to $17. The selections sound yummy and include plenty of seafood, vegetable and meat dishes. I tried the seafood combination pasta and it proved a winner. A generous portion of Shrimp, Mussels and Squid were perfectly cooked and served in a perfectly seasoned sauce with wine, capers and red peppers over al dente pasta. I do want to let you know that the chef takes such pride in his dishes that when I requested grated cheese for the pasta he came out of the kitchen to ask me to try it first. I will admit that the dish was so perfectly seasoned, that I passed on the cheese, the way it was prepared it needed nothing. The portion size was good and based on the flavor and the quality this was a good value at $16.95 (and the most expensive thing on the menu). My only regret about the meal was that I ate one of the pieces of crusty italian bread before the pasta came; take my advise and save all the bread to use to sop up the sauce, it is good enough that you will not want to leave a drop on the plate. This is some seriously good authentic Italian food. About the only downsides are that there is no airconditioning and Piero's is only open for dinner Wednesdays to Sundays from May through October. I would highly recommend that you head to Geneva on the Lake and give Piero's a try.