Author: Opal_Gardner

Back in the day (i.e.: 7-8 years ago), Gigi’s was my former partner and I’s “go to” for excellent delivery food when it came to pizza and/or pasta. As I recall, the pizzas were always hot, fresh and loaded with toppings; the pastas, while not...outstanding even by my standards back then, were ample and flavourful; the chicken wings were a delight; and the seafood, on the rare occasion we’d order it, was surprisingly good – especially for delivery. Best of all, Gigi’s was open late and always carried with it a fair price point. Now, in the near decade that’s passed, a lot has changed both personally and with regard to my “taste” in food. My (former) partner and I have moved on and my “taste” in food has evolved – gotten a bit more complex. However, there are still times when nostalgia will hit me and I think, “hmmm . . . I wonder how so and so is now.” That’s what happened to me one September evening while I was sitting in my room following a day of meetings. I had a craving for some pizza and, rather than go with the usual suspects, decided I’d give Gigi’s a shot. I looked them up online and, I admit, was rather surprised by the slew of low ratings they’ve received on TripAdvisor as of late. With many reviews talking about a decline in quality, I began to have second thoughts about my nostalgia trip. But then I reviewed Google and things seemed to be a bit more positive there. So, I perused Gigi’s menu online. Gigi’s menu is attractive, well laid out and features a variety of tantalizing items: Pizzas, wings, salads, pastas, Mediterranean specials, ribs, steak and chicken. In short, it’s your typical pizza-pasta-steak menu. I couldn’t help but notice, though, that the menu has changed a bit since when I last ordered: There was no more “prawn add-on” (boo), nor was lobster part of the menu anymore. I suspect the latter item wasn’t a big seller (always seemed out of place), but it was good – at least the one time I dared order it for delivery. Even now that kind of makes me chuckle . . . I mean, who orders lobster for delivery? On the plus side, it was properly done ;) One other point about the menu: Gigi’s website uses the same layout and design as Johnny’s Pizza Factory. All food images are stock photos; however, don’t let this dissuade you. Unlike Johnny’s – who uses stock photos to hide atrocious food (see my earlier review on this site) – Gigi’s actually delivers a good product. On my recent order, I decided to get a small Hot Pepperoni & Capicollo [sic] pizza; an order of buffalo wings and two cans of Pepsi. When I called, I also asked if it was still possible to get a side order of garlic prawns. The answer? Yes! Score! My food arrived in good time – about 40 minutes – and was, to be brief, just as good as I’d remembered it. The pizza had a good ratio of cheese to other toppings, and it wasn’t greasy. Additionally, the crust had a good exterior crunch while the inside remained light and fluffy. I do feel, though, that the presentation of the meat on the pizza would benefit from a little more finesse. The chicken wings were good. They had an even coating of buffalo sauce atop the crisp exterior while the chicken itself was juicy and tender. Finally, my favourite item – the side order of prawns: These brought the nostalgia train practically full circle. The prawns were large, plump and cooked to utter perfection. Their natural flavours worked exceptionally well with the butter sauce provided. Delicious! FOOD: 4/5 SERVICE: 4/5 VALUE: 4/5 RECOMMENDATION: I’m not sure what’s with the fairly recent negative reviews because that wasn’t my experience. On the contrary, my delivery order with Gigi’s was pretty much as I’d remembered it. The food was of good quality and the price more than fair. If you want good pizza but don’t want to order from any of the large chains, give Gigi’s a try! PS: If you found this review helpful in any way please consider hitting the "helpful" button!More