Chef Gigi's Place — Restaurant in Town of Hempstead

When you think of a Long Island pizzeria, you think of a place where you can take out a pie or two to feed a large group of people, and maybe once in a while do a dine-in to see what else they have. That's not Naples Street Food, so check your assumptions at the door. This is a pizza RESTAURANT. And even though they user a high-powered oven that cooks pizza in 5 minutes, it would be a clear mistake to call this "fast food". The slightly bad news is that this is reflected in the prices, but again, you just have to adjust your expectations. You're paying what you would pay for a meal at a restaurant, and you're getting exactly that. The ingredients are as fresh as you can get, and it's evident in the taste. Every bite is wonderful. This isn't "maybe I'll have another slice because it's there" pizza. (Not to knock that by any means; there's a different kind of value in that.) The best part is, even if you have 3 slices, you won't feel sick afterward -- just very satisfied. The atmosphere is also extremely charming. It's a tiny, very well-decorated place. I do personally hope they're eventually able to take over one of the store fronts next door -- perhaps the corner shop that used to be a travel agency, for example. They deserve a corner. If nothing else, I hope they survive. A lot of places in the area don't, and it would be a true shame if this ended up like them. But they are across the street from Frankly Thai, and they're at the same level of quality, so perhaps...

We tried several different pasta dishes the other day. The take-out containers were not marked and identified. Flavors were unremarkable and the portions are really small, especially considering the substantial price. Let's be real: pasta (and pizza) is peasant food and there's nothing expensive about making it. We haven't tried their pizza (which may be great for all I know), but if you want good pasta and decent-sized servings . . . call your nonna. Quando niente va bene, chiama la Nonna. The food will taste better, she'll be happy to see you, and you'll need a nap afterwards because you'll be so full. ADDENDUM: The owner was kind enough to reply. I understand these are hard times for restaurants (and everyone else) and food is definitely not cheap. But a 6 ounce portion? There have been other complaints, even on these reviews. Perhaps the problem is that in America pasta isn't often treated simply as the primi piatti, one of many courses in a traditional dinner. Here diners frequently expect the pasta to be the meal itself, thus a 6 ounce portion is enough to feed, perhaps, a sparrow. LOL. I'm not saying that this restaurant is a "bad place": it is not. But it is...

My husband ordered from Chef GiGi's in Franklin Square for the very first and last time for my birthday. He ordered the buy one get one chicken parm spaghetti meals. The bill with tax and tip came to $41.00. First, the meal didn't look good at all. The spaghetti was covering the chicken Parm and the chicken was paper thin with very little Parm cheese on it. My husband couldn't find one bit of cheese on his chicken. Plus, they didn't even bother to include any bread at all. What Italian meal doesn't come with bread? What an insult. The meal didn't come with much spaghetti either. The sauce was the only thing that was good in the meal. The meal still left you hungry and not satisfied. I wouldn't waste money on any other of their meals. This was a total disappointment. Maybe the pizza pies are good, but I'm afraid to try it. The restaurant replied telling me that I forgot to mention the rest of my order. There wasn't anything else in my order but the two chicken parm meals for buy one get one $24 that's $12 each. I don't know what else they are talking about. But I have to say that it's nice that they replied and offered...