Right about this time a year ago, I had plans to host a reception and plaque presentation ceremony for the winners of the 2019 Foodster Awards for Independent Restaurants.

That, of course, never happened. And with closings, openings, readjusting of schedules and everything else that occurred with local restaurants, the plaques sat waiting for an opportunity to be delivered to the recipients.

So I’ve been making the delivery rounds lately. And last week I dropped off the platinum award for Best Pizza to Vinzo’s Italian Grill & Pizzeria in Casselberry. And since I hadn’t been before, I decided to stop in for a quick lunch to see why the readers voted it their favorite.

I of course had to have a slice of pie and I found the the cheese slice, to which I had sausage added, to have a very nice thin crust with a minimum of saucing and enough cheese to make a presence without being overwhelming. The edge of the crust was unpuffed and more like an extension of the base. It was easy to pick up and fold for easier mouthal insertion. The seasonings were light but easily detectable.

I also had a bowl of pasta e fagioli, which featured a tomatoey broth, plenty of whole beans and lots of ditalini pasta. I’m usually not a fan of P-e-Fs that have a tomato base, but I liked this one. The soup was served with garlic knots that were hot and doughy.

Service was friendly and swift, and all staff members were masked. At lunch, diners were told to “sit wherever you like” and could choose a table away from others.

Vinzo’s is owned by Vinny Essa, who sent the picture of himself at top with his Foodster Award.

Vinzo’s Italian Grill & PizzeriaItalian Grill & Pizzeria is at 1006 State Road 436 (at Red Bug Lake Road, Casselberry (map). It is open for lunch and dinner daily. The phone number is 407-331-9090.