As the Pizza Tour draws to a close, we find ourselves with few "original" restaurants (that is, restaurants that have been in the pool of Pizzas to be Toured from the very beginning) to choose from. Aside from special requests, bars, bagelries, and the like, Amore is the very last true pizzeria on the Stamford Pizza Tour. Located in Springdale, the family-owned Amore Restaurant has been a quiet staple of classic Italian cuisine in Stamford for over 30 years.
Establishment. Amore is a tastefully decorated Italian eatery complete with dark hardwood furniture, a black marble bar top, ceramic tiled floors, fancy arched doorways, and unmistakably classy low, ambient lighting. Amore's seating is comfortable and spacious, spread out across two large dining rooms and a fully stocked bar. The service was highly attentive and courteous, checking on us multiple times during our visit to deliver copious amounts of phenomenally tasty spicy garlic bread baskets and to assure us confidently that we were going to like their pizza (and possibly to snoop out their scores as well). Their menu consists exclusively of authentic Italian fare, including classic antipastos, soups, salads, and house made pastas, as well as both traditional (meat, seafood) and exotic (boar, ostrich, venison) entree offerings in addition to gourmet pizza.
Pizza. In a word, this pizza is extraordinary. In many words, the crust was thin, chewy, and yeasty with a crisp, crunchy bite and the perfect amount of char. The cheese was also far above average with a moist, stringy texture and moderately salty taste, cooked to golden brown perfection. The sauce was an absolute highlight, as it had the unmistakable taste of fresh, crushed tomatoes, was perfectly seasoned, and was overwhelmingly flavorful. This pie came to the table hot and likely would have stayed hot for many days had we not housed the entire thing in a matter of minutes. Each slice held together very nicely both mechanically and otherwise, presenting extremely well balanced proportions and flavors and that played well off of each other and caused little to no ingredient slip. The sausage, our topping of choice, wasn't nearly as stellar as the rest of the pie, but it was still very, very good despite being the "weak" link of this pizza. We were very surprised at the relative emptiness of this restaurant when we Toured on a Saturday night, because Amore could very well be serving the best pizza in Stamford and should be packed to the rafters.
The bottom line. Amore is a traditional, authentic Italian restaurant with all that it entails, from a warm, inviting atmosphere to an absolutely phenomenal "big pizza pie." That's Amore.
Establishment: 23/30
Pizza: 25/30
Hits the Spot: 9.0/10
Large Cheese: $13.50
AWARDS WON:
2009 – Best Pizza
2009 – Tournament Champion
2009 – Best of Springdale/Glenbrook/Belltown
I'm also surprised how empty Amore is every time I eat there. I haven't tried their pizza yet, but their pasta is great, and I LOVE that spicy garlic bread!
ReplyDeleteTell me about it, we couldn't get enough of that wonderful concoction.
ReplyDeleteAmore is a legend! Superb pizza, super friendly waitstaff, easy parking and great family run business.
ReplyDeleteIM SORRY TO REPORT GUYS,BUT I HAVE TO DISAGREE WITH YOU GUYS ON NUMBER 1,IT WAS A DECENT PIE BUT NOT NUMBER 1,I TRYED IT THE OTHER DAY,MAYBE ITS ME,BUT FROM WHAT I HEAR CUSTOMERS ARE GOING DOWN THE LIST FROM NUMBER 1 DOWN ,AND TRYING OUT THE PIZZA,AND FROM WHAT I HEAR FROM NICK AT RIDGEWAY,ALOT OF CUSTOMERS ARE STOPPING AT RIDGEWAY AS THERE PIZZA OF CHOICE,HE GOT QUITE A FEW NEW CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE BEEN CALLING HIM EVERY WEEK,AND THESE ARE CUSTOMERS THAT ALSO TRYED AMORES,BUT I GUESS ANYONE CAN HAVE A BAD DAY,ILL GIVE AMORES ANOTHER TRY NEXT WEEK,THANKS -JOE
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this review and some of the comments, I think there's a simple reason why Amore is always empty. The service is terrible!
ReplyDeleteI went there on the advice of this review and was really disappointed. We waited fifteen minutes for the waitress to even approach our table. She apologized, dropped some water down, and explained they were short staffed. There were two waitresses including her for the entire restaurant and it wasn't even halfway full. I told her I understood and said I was ready to order, but she just walked away!
I was dining with my mother and three year old son. She wanted to leave but I assured her that this was the best pizza in Stamford and they were just having a bad night.
Anyway, five minutes later our waitress returned and took our order. Five minutes after that our drinks came, and after another long wait, our appetizers. The ceasar salad was over-dressed and the lettuce was wilted. The anti-pasto appetizer was very oily, somewhat inedible. A basket of bread made it to the table at some point. It took a lot of will power not to gorge myself on it because by this point I was starving.
We were seated near the rear door and caught a very cold draft every time someone came in. I noticed the host spending a lot of time greeting customers and heaping complements on his female regulars but I didn't see him lift a finger to help while waitresses struggling to catch up.
Finally, after a long wait, the award winner for Best Pizza of Stamford, 2009 came to the table, the big moment we had been waiting for... and it was COLD!
We were so disappointed. Total bill with tip, $46. What a waste.