Brother Bruno Pizza Restaurant

Although I do not live in Monticello, or even near it,  I make a point to stop there when I am on the road heading past them.  Their food is delicious!  I have never been disappointed.  I will even bring home a pizza to my friend (who is Italian) when I get there and she can't.  You'd think it was Christmas when I surprise her with a Brother Bruno's pie!

The decor is simple, but I don't go to a restaurant to look at the walls.  I go there to enjoy good food.

Families come here to blow off steam. Young people come here for cheap eats. Old friends come here to hang out. Older couples come here to remember their early days. More than that happens here, I'm sure. Service is good.

Brother Bruno is located in a large strip mall. They've made the place about as charming as sucha location allows. The pizza is typical slice joint style, not brick oven or anything fancy. It's as good a slice as you're likely to get in a strip mall above the City. But you can get an inexpensive glass of ordinary wine to go with your slice. There are pasta dishes available as well.

This is not a place for the critical food observer; it's a place for those able to find the romance unironically carved out of a location way too close to a Staples and a Home Depot. Deduct a star if you're unable to do that.

I got my hopes up when coming here because it's been awhile since I've had authentic NY style pizza, and was fairly unimpressed.

PROS:
1. Lots of options. A huge menu with subs, sandwiches, entrees, pies, etc.

2. Relatively inexpensive. A slice is usually $1.50, unless you get something special like the white broccoli.

CONS:
1. Bland. Pagliacchi's or Zeek's in Seattle is more tasty than this NY stuff.

2. Garlic knots. $1.50 for six small ones. Not very garlic-y. Not very herb-y. Tiny little bite sized things.