Slices at Jolly's Pizza

With its nine mauve and silver tables and pebble-facade walls, the dining room at Jolly's Restaurant and Pizzeria in downtown Springfield looks as if it has not changed in decades—usually a good sign when you're looking for authentic Italian food. Some of the best pizza places I know of, in New Jersey, Staten Island and Brooklyn, look straight out of the 1970s, if not older. Their outdated décor lends charm and establishes authenticity.

But Jolly's is not charming, just a little outdated and plain. The dining room, however, is of little importance to the many who order takeout and delivery from this Morris Avenue establishment.

And even for those eating in, more important than anything in the dining room is the food behind the counter. I went to Jolly's for pizza a few weeks ago. Several varieties sat under glass, waiting for me to make my selection. I ordered a slice of sausage and a slice of ricotta ($2.50 each), both of which were promptly put in the oven and then served to me warm.

Burning the roof of your mouth is not pleasant, but a good slice is one that is so hot, you know you should wait to eat it, but smells so good, you cannot resist and you burn your mouth anyway. Jolly's slices are not that hot. As for the flavor, well, I guess it depends on which slice you order.

The ricotta slice was quite good. Clumps of thick, creamy and slightly salty ricotta were scattered throughout the slice, atop a generous amount of mozzarella. As much cheese as there was on this slice, it did not make a mess. Each bite separated neatly from the rest of the slice. I would order this again, especially if it were kept in the oven a little longer.

The sausage slice—the slice I was looking forward to—was a letdown. The sausage was sliced, similar to pepperoni. Small clumps of ground sausage are always fresher and more flavorful than the sliced sausage. Looking closely at it, I could see fennel seeds. But I couldn't taste them. Nor could I taste much else in the sausage besides salt. I have no complaints about the quantity: Twelve slices of sausage on a single slice meant that each bite included some sausage. Nor any complaints about the sauce, which tasted fresh and a little sweet.

Two slices were more than enough to fill me up at lunchtime. And a small bottle of Stewarts black cherry soda ($2) was a good, sweet accompaniment to this meal.

Perhaps if it were served elsewhere in the country, the pizza at Jolly's would be a hit. But with so much good Italian food in this part of the country, Jolly's slices need a little help.