Gallina's Pizza

Ended up on the east side of town again on a Friday for the much anticipated showdown between the Lincoln Railsplitters and the Southeast Spartans for a piece of the Central State 8 crown. Needing another pizza on the east side of town I found my way into Gallina Pizza at the Capital City Shopping Center. Glad I wondered in...

Where they're located:
3133 South Dirksen Parkway
Springfield, IL 62703-4501

Call 'Em:
(217) 529-0649

The Pizza:
Spinach and Bacon

The Crust: Hand Tossed

The Dish: You don't see many pizza parlors in the Springfield area where you make your order at a counter or window and then go sit down and wait for a slice or entire pie to delivered to your table.
Now I had heard some people say they had a long wait for their pizza after they made their order, even for just a slice. It appears to me those may have been exagerations. It took me about 12 minutes to get my pizza and while I waited I enjoyed an excellent salad topped with the Gallina house Italian dressing and a fat green olive on top. The salad was enjoyable and the dressing was especially good.
One of the interesting aspects of Gallina's is the decor. There are Italian flags, posters of Italian landmarks, Serie A soccer club paraphernalia and other photographs of family and friends who frequest this restaurant. It's an eclectic mix of adornments but it works. Cold Peroni beer kept me satisfied after I finished my salad and waited for my pie to be delivered.

How'd it eat? My pizza arrived in a timely manner and was served with shakers of parm and crushed red pepper. The pizza was served piping hot straight from the oven and it looked and smelled wonderful. I burned the roof of my mouth with hot cheese because I couldn't wait long enough for it to cool a little.

This pizza featured an excellent fusion of toppings and cheese. The bubbly hot mozzarella blanketed the crispy bacon and tasty green spinach. I think the bacon/spinach topping combo is one of the better choices for a good pizza.

The crust could have been a tad bit better. It was slightly overcooked on one of the quadrants . The top of the pizza was cooked just about as good as it could have been though. The edge of the crust that was overcooked could have been due to the extremely hot oven. Sometimes these ovens over time don't heat evenly causing the pies to need to be turned and shifted more often.

The sauce was not anything special but it was rendered in appropriate amounts. Not too much, not too little, but just enough.

Gallina Pizza was very good and really... a pleasant surprise. This is a true mom and pop pizza joint and is nice place to enjoy some pie with friend or family.

SPP Ranking: 7.9