Italians are notorious sauce snobs. If it isn't like Grandma used to make, the nose turns up. And don't even mention the words "sauce" and "jar" in the same sentence.

So though some might associate the name Cozzoli's with the generic mall food-court offerings -- hence, "sauce" and "jar" -- don't let the chain tag deter you.

Though Cozzoli's franchise partner, Villa Pizza, has several Richmond locations, the lone Cozzoli's in the state, at Short

Pump Crossing, is family run. That means the sauces and dough are homemade, the mozzarella is grated fresh, and the vegetables are hand cut.

Pizza, naturally, is the fundamental food here, and Cozzoli's crafts a traditional New York style slice ($2.89 for cheese) that is significant in size and well-balanced in texture.

The crust is thin, but not translucent, and the Cozzoli's crew will always heed the simple request to make it extra crispy to turn the mozzarella a light, bubbly brown as it sits atop the subtly sweet red sauce.

Toppings (59 cents each) span the usual list of pepperoni, ground beef, sausage, peppers, onion, mushrooms and a couple of other blasphemous extras (sorry, but ham and pineapple do not belong on pizza).

But even the traditionalists will understand the allure of the Mediterranean pizza ($3.99 a slice) after one bite. Its white sauce is a fusion of olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, basil and other Italian spices, and the liberally sprinkled feta cheese mingles with snippets of spinach and chopped tomato.

If you aren't a pizza fan, Cozzoli's also makes a mean meatball sub ($6.59). Though the meatballs, which are also difficult to emulate from the family recipe book, are firm and mild, it's the bread that elevates this from standard sub category.

The roll that cradles the meat, sauce and cheese is oven baked to a crunchy consistency on the outside, while the inside remains soft enough to absorb just the right amount of sauce.

Cozzoli's also offers a handful of salads. The small Antipasto for $4.59 with the traditional combination of ham, cheese, salami and pepperoncini is a worthy snack, but hardly the type of meal that Grandma would approve.

Contact Melissa Ruggieri at (804) 262-8100 or mruggieri@timesdispatch.com.