Id like to start here because it was the first place I went to eat when I was a starving freshman at the University of Florida, just dying to gain those expected 15 lbs for every entering student. Leonardo's is known in Gainesville for its pizza, soft doughy rolls with garlic sauce, and its Indie feel.
This little joint has more than just your average mafia pizza place with the 3 basic toppings of pepperoni, sausage, and cheese. It lacks the crabby Italian waiter staring your table down from the kitchen. This place offers an odd and different experience. Using 2 large scalding pizza ovens, the topping varieties skyscraper to such selections as: The spin tom ( tomatoes, basil, and white cheese), the Greek, the Florentine ( my personal favorite: a mix of spinach, sun dried tomatoes, feta cheese, mozarella cheese, and fresh tomatoes). They even have pizzas for those that are vegetarian or vegan...although no offense to the proud vegans, but I can't imagine a pizza without real cheese. And of course for the classic pizza diner, they have excellent Pepperoni, sausage, and cheese toppings. Other than pizza, Leonardos offers a variety of pastas and salads with homemade dressing. And may I recommend the organic salad served with raspberry vinaigrette or just the basic garden salad with balsamic vinaigrette. Absolutely delicious and again its fresh tasting and the dressings are made right in the restaurant.
I would have to say though, that my favorite item at Leonardo's..are the rolls. Made fresh daily, these pizza dough rolls are crispy on the outside and hot, moist and doughy on the inside. You can literally tear the roll apart leaving moist strings of dough in the middle. Just like a Pillsbury commercial, where you are ripping apart one of the doughboy's cousins. And the garlic sauce is great to dip the rolls in or even pour on your pizza.
***Warning: garlic sauce is so good that you may find yourself drinking it in shots***
What really makes this place unique is something that is found throughout Gainesville. Gainesville is almost a refuge, at least the downtown area, for those who follow the Indie culture. This can include people who cover themselves in tattoos, wear tight pants, cut their hair purposefully uneven, and listen to that music that you can't exactly put your finger on. But somehow, despite the love for the extreme, these young people have an amazing knack for cooking. Leonardos is one such place that exhibits this in its customers and employees. I like it because when you walk in, you are welcomed by real cooks, not a chain gang of uniforms with chicken hats. You get real people taking your order, and you sit with real people. There is nothing artificial about this place, and what you see is what you get.
With the good, there is always the bad. One of Leonardos best characteristics is its LOCATION. On the corner of 13th street and University Avenue,this location is possibly one of the most crowded intersections and therefore it draws alot attention and drooling customers. Its also less than 100 ft. from campus, so you have the constant waves of undergraduates dragging their feet in and causing a chaotic experience at the ordering counter. I have been known to get hot -headed about the ordering situation because there is no specific organization for a set "line". Generally during the week however, its a pleasant atmosphere. The bottom line, however, is that no matter how long you wait, the food is the pacifier.
As far as price? Just be ready to spend no more than 10 or 15 dollars on everything. By everything I mean a slice of pizza, a drink, 2 rolls (or more), and a salad. A really reasonable price which gives you A LOT of food for A LITTLE cash.
One of the things I always look for in restaurants is the amount of food you get with the price. Are their any sides? Does it come with anything? IF it doesn’t, it had better be pretty damn good by itself! Luckily most of the items on the menu allow you to sample some of the garlic rolls free of charge. If it doesn't however, a couple of rolls don't cost more than 3 dollars.
An adventure in itself when you open the door, Leonardos will leave you crawling back for more. How do they make their rolls so moist, and their dressings lip-smacking and their pizza toppings so fresh? It’s a mystery, and one of the best mysteries I have encountered in Gainesville, FL.
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