Franceco's Pizza in Huntington, LI  goes into my pizza rolodex as one of the nicest places I have been to.  Not nice because of the decor, but nice because of the attitude of the owner.

Let's go back to New Years Eve...For some odd reason my plans to go to Blackstone Steakhouse got changed at the last minute and I ended up going to meet my wife and in-laws at some grade d but edible chinese buffet in Huntington.  There was absolutely no chance of me eating anything at this dive, so I patiently sat there and told everyone I wasn't hungry.

Once they were finally done eating their buffet food we left to go back to their house.  Since I drove alone, I made a detour and went into the next shopping center where Franceso's Pizza was.  Although the lights were on, it didn't seem like they were open.  The sign on the door made mention to closing about 10 minutes prior to my arrival, which was totally understandable since everyone should be with their friends and family to celebrate the New Year.  I pulled at the door, only to find it was locked.  This guy came out of the kitchen and told me they were closed, and inquired if I was there to pick up the order.  Since I obviously hadn't placed an order, I told him "no, I just want a slice or two."

This incredibly nice owner of Francesco's unlocked the door and brought me in, explaining his last order never showed up, and the wife called 15 minutes ago saying her husband was across the street.  Unless his girlfriends house was across the street, there was no chance it would take 15 minutes to get from Walt Whitman mall to Francesco's Pizza.  He asked me what I wanted, and I said could I get two slices?  He only had one left, and threw it in the oven.  After heating a few minutes, he served it to me.  I took out my wallet, and he told me it is on him and to have a Happy New Year!

Not only did they open for me, but he didn't even charge me.  This is the type of family run establishment that makes me miss living in Long Island.  You just don't get this type of mentality down here in Florida.  Everyone seems to try to rip you off every chance they get down here.  Not at Francesco's though! Here they appreciate your business and realize how you can build loyalty by showing your customers you care once in a while.

Francesco's has completely won me over as a customer, and I would go out of my way to frequent this pizza place when in Long Island.  He deserves to succeed and we should all let him know that we appreciate him caring about his customers.

As for the pizza, it was pretty good.  The crust was tasty and crisp, the cheese was average, and the sauce was smooth and sweet.  But it honestly didn't matter how it tasted on this night, since his attitude could have made any slice taste good.

Francesco's Pizza in Huntington gets 6 out of 8 slices.