Ciccino's occupies a slightly improbable position in the Finger Lakes dining landscape: it is a small-town pizzeria in Waterloo that has won FLX Finest Gold for Best Italian Restaurant, Best Pizza, and Best Chicken Wings across four consecutive years. The "Paninoteca" in the name is a tell — this is a kitchen that takes Italian sandwich-making as seriously as its pies, with pressed panini built on recipes rooted in Italian tradition rather than the standard American sub shop approach.

The pizza is the anchor. Ciccino's has earned Gold for Best Pizza three years running (2022, 2023, 2024), which in a region with no shortage of pizza joints is a meaningful distinction. The crust, the sauce, the balance of toppings — regulars will tell you it is the details that separate Ciccino's from the dozen other places in Seneca County where you can get a slice. The chicken wings, an unexpected specialty for a pizzeria, have developed a devoted following of their own, earning both Gold and Silver across multiple years. They are char-broiled rather than deep-fried, which gives them a different character than typical bar wings.

Located at 22 East Main Street in Waterloo, Ciccino's is a takeout-and-dine-in operation that does not try to be anything it is not. There are no white tablecloths, no wine pairings, no tasting menus. It is an Italian-American kitchen run by people who care about doing a few things very well, and the award record reflects that. For a quick dinner, a Friday night pizza, or a pile of wings after a day on the wine trail, this is the reliable choice.