Restaurant review: Pizza Gallery in Viera is more than pizza; it now serves Sunday brunch
Because the word “pizza” comes first in Pizza Gallery and Grill, people go there for the pizza, rather, one of its endless varieties of pizzas.
Those who are more familiar, however, know the place has fine sandwiches, entrees and, more than anything, salads. It also has a spacious indoor-outdoor bar area with worthy cocktails, various low-cost “specials” (“Boomer Buffet,” fellow superannuates?) and all sorts of cool promotions.
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But did you know the Avenue Viera standby also now serves Sunday brunch weekly for only $16.99 per bruncher, and that said brunch includes either a Bloody Mary or mimosa, not to mention a choice of foods that extends from the main dining room to the bar area? It does, and it’s not half bad.
Not station- but self-service, it begins with a well-done introduction by the server, who will inform you that omelets and eggs benedict are available by order and made in the kitchen; everything from Caribbean mango slaw to beef stroganoff is on the buffet tables.
The star there was the smoked salmon with cream cheese, red onions, capers and a variety of bagels. Cool, fresh and mild, it probably would have been enough, though perhaps not atop one of the aforementioned bagels, which were not exactly the stuff of midtown Manhattan.
No, wait. The real star was that mimosa, which, though not fancy, was a dandy one, with no shortage of the bubbly stuff. I know people who can use a good mimosa or three; PGG’s will be recommended.
Meanwhile, back at the buffet, the scrambled eggs were well-prepared, though neither appropriately hot nor unbearably cold, and the sausage and (crisp) bacon were perfect. Fresh melon was chilled and quite sweet, and seasoned potatoes were available for the side. So were biscuits, but they were a touch overbaked, meant to stand up to sausage gravy. Bread products loom large in the lives of people who write about food because they clean the palate, and so butter wasn’t really necessary, though it would have been nice to have seen some.
It also would have been nice had the grouper possessed any trace of the advertised Cajun style, though, because even to two people who are not especially fond of things spicy, it was bland.
All of that brings us to the omelet, and if you thought something awful was coming, aha! Tricked you. It was outstanding: stuffed with cheddar as well as fresh mushrooms and sautéed red onions, and served so hot that it had to wait.
We regretted having gone to the buffet so early because we would have liked to have tried the eggs Benedict too, but learned the trick of the Pizza Gallery brunch: Order the egg dishes and go to the tables for accompaniments.
Let’s see, what else? House-made muffins and pastries would have been nice, but skip the desserts, the sampling of which was payback for diet-breaking. We weren’t offered coffee.
Brunch goes on until 2 p.m., and one more thing about that: If you’re not inclined to have breakfast fare or a buffet lunch, why not give Chef Kyle Hash’s Just Peachy concoction a chance? It’s his (gigantic) entry in the James Beard Blended Burger Project, which this year boasts four Brevard chefs (Brandon Basista, the Bearded Chef; Toni Elkhouri, Cedar’s; Justin Medina of Playalinda Brix and Hash) who are determined to stake out a place for us on the culinary map this month. Then vote at www.jamesbeard.org/blendedburgerproject/vote.
Want to know more? Join FLORIDA TODAY’s Facebook group, 321 Flavor: Where Brevard Eats. We look forward to seeing you there, and at Pizza Gallery, maybe this Sunday.
Pizza Gallery and Grill
Three and a half stars
Address: 2250 Town Center Ave., the Avenue Viera
Hours: Brunch is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday; otherwise, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday; 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday
Call: 321-633-0397
Online: pizzagalleryandgrill.com
WiFi: Yes
Other: Brunch menu changes weekly; special requests honored
About our reviews
Restaurants are rated on a five-star system by FLORIDA TODAY’s reviewer. The reviews are the opinion of the reviewer and take into account quality of the restaurant’s food, ambiance and service. Ratings reflect the quality of what a diner can reasonably expect to find. To receive a rating of less than three stars, a restaurant must be tried twice and prove unimpressive on each visit. Each reviewer visit is unannounced and paid for by FLORIDA TODAY.
Five stars: Excellent. A rare establishment to which you’d be proud to take the most discerning diner.
Four stars: Very good. Worth going out of your way for. Food, atmosphere and service are routinely top notch.
Three stars: Good. A reasonably good place with food and service that satisfy.
Two stars: Fair. While there’s nothing special about this establishment, it will do in a pinch.
One star: Not recommended. Don’t bother.
Tweet @lyn_dowling or email 321foodreviews@gmail.com, or join our group on Facebook, facebook.com/321FlavorWhereBrevardEats.
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