Ask and Ye shall Receive (Pizza)

Just after I was bellyaching in my last post about the lack of gourmet Italian, what happens? The appearance of some really good, contemporary Italian in Troy. It almost makes me believe that wishes come true if you whine long and hard enough.
Enter: Bacchus, a brick-oven pizza joint downstairs from Daisy Baker's at 33 Second Street in Troy. It's operated by the same folks who do Daisy Baker's. We've been to Bacchus already twice. This is just the kind of spot Troy needs-- casual dining with a little gourmet flair. Somewhere to have a glass of wine with your dinner on a weeknight. There are so many nights when we don't have anything planned for dinner at home, don't want to do take-out, but don't want to go anywhere fancy: and for those nights, Bacchus is the perfect solution.

The menu itself is small-ish: there is basically pizza, or pasta. On the pizza, you can go with their suggested toppings, or create your own. Toppings included artichokes, broccoli, shrimp, some meat toppings, and garlic. We've done our own pizza, both times using ricotta and extra garlic with spinach. I ordered a salad; and the second time there I tried the roasted garlic with foccaccia, which I can't say enough good things about.

The salad is simple but good, made with fresh mixed greens and a lovely oil and vinegar type dressing. It's the perfect foil for the pizza. You can order wine or beer, and the service has been friendly and helpful. They've done a great job renovating the space; it's warm and cozy with authentic brick walls (good old Troy bricks). There are little nook-like spaces with booths, or you can dine in a larger area all the way inside to the left.

I love DeFazio's, but I am a sucker for a good thin-crust pizza. If I could pick only one food to eat day in and day out, it would probably be pizza. What, actually, is there to food besides pizza? It's got all the four food groups: dough, cheese, oil, and tomato.

This pizza is thin-crust, which is great because in Troy we already have DeFazio's, where the crust is more substantial. DeFazio's crust is not deep dish, but it's certainly not thin-crust. You can never really have too much pizza in one town. As they grow, which Bacchus most certainly will because it's already proving a popular spot, I hope they add maybe more dinner-type salads along with more pizza and pasta toppings: for example, things a little more 'upscale' like goat cheese or basil. The ricotta and spinach are great, though.

Until then, though, cheers: we finally have a casual, contemporary Italian joint to call our own.