N.J.’s best new pizzerias: 21 terrifically tasty spots around the state - NJ.com

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I’ve long maintained that pizzerias are recession-proof. You could make a case that they’re also “pandemic-proof.”

At least a dozen New Jersey pizzerias have opened since mid-March, when the lockdown started. Maybe that shouldn’t come as a big surprise since most pizzerias, after all, depend largely on takeout, which has been allowed all along. But opening a restaurant — opening any business — requires a considerable act of faith in a still-shaky economy.

In New Jersey, we can never eat enough pizza and never get tired of talking about it. It’s our No. 1 hot-button food topic (yes, even more than Taylor ham/pork roll). I’ve eaten at close to 1,500 pizzerias around the state, so I know my way around mozzarella, mushrooms and meatballs, and have written countless stories on pizza.

But there’s always a hunger for more.

Here’s my annual list of the state’s best new pizzerias — those open three years or less. I did similar lists in 2018 and 2019. As usual, the list takes in the entire state — North, Central and South Jersey.

NJ's best new pizzerias — Back Door Pizza, Cherry Hill

The hardest-to-find pizzeria in New Jersey? Back Door Pizza, without a doubt. It’s behind and part of The Farm & Fisherman Tavern, but don’t go looking for signs out front or in the parking lot. Stop cursing at your phone because it keeps telling you’ve arrived, and drive around back. Look for the black door that says “Please knock here for pizza.” But don’t knock until you’ve ordered, which can only be done online. When it’s ready, someone will bring it out to your car.

The intrigue, and the wait, will be worth it. The tomato pie, seriously saucy, does Trenton proud, and boasts a pleasantly puffy crust. The sausage bar pie (SBP) shames every bar pie you’ve ever had, with that tasty crust and abundant, quality sausage.

Other pizzas include the Swiss Charizard (Swiss chard, mozzarella, roasted garlic crema, Espelette pepper); the Carniza (sausage, pepperoni, sauce, mozzarella) and the CSF, for Current Staff Fave, with hot peppers, hoagie onions, fresh mozzarella and garlic crema.

A pizzeria inside a health clinic? That’s where you’ll find Bakeria 1010, part of a food court inside the AtlantiCare building on Route 9. The pizzeria’s owner is Michael Fitzick, the self-proclaimed “Pizza Jew.” Dough is naturally fermented using a starter culture sourced from Naples, Italy. The long, slow fermentation results in a light yet crispy product, according to Fitzick. Forget the science — the pizzas are terrific. The Salsiccia (photo), with fior di latte (a semi-soft cheese), sweet sausage, fried peppers, Gaeta olives and extra virgin olive oil, is one of the two or three best pizzas I’ve had all year. Many leftover pizzas on this mission ended up with my one of my neighbors, but not this one. Don’t forget to try the panini and stuffed pizza.

Blue Steel Pizza officially opened in early August in the space formerly occupied by the Wooden Spoon. The handsome bar/dining room remains, and there’s a pizza oven toward the back. But if you come here just for pizza, you’re missing out on plenty. Dan dan noodles, tuna tostada, crispy cola wings, lamb bolognese and spicy braised chicken are among the offerings on the small but eclectic menu.

The pizzas? First-rate. They’re Detroit-style: rectangular with a thick, crispy crust. All the pizzas are cooked in 8-by-10 inch blue steel pans. The Classic, with red sauce, mozzarella, brick cheese and fresh oregano, is the best-seller here, but the ricotta and sausage pizza (photo) is messy and marvelous, with a perky red sauce and pleasingly charred crust. It’s one of the half dozen best pizzas I’ve had all year.

Right now, the only way to order pizzas at Brick + Dough is by walking up to the sidewalk window on Walnut Street. No, you can’t call in your order. One more note: pizzas are available Friday, Saturday and Sunday only. The pizzeria has been open for a month, and pizzas are listed on a board outside. Six were available on a recent Saturday — a margherita; a New York style; four cheese white; spicy sausage and onion; sesame and stracciatella; and truffle maitake. The margherita boasted an agreeable little sauce, but the spicy sausage and onion was the winner, with abundant sausage and just enough onions.

“Are you Pete?” asked Filippo Sparacio, owner of Brooklyn Pizza & Grill, as I picked up my two pizzas. I need to work on my disguise, apparently (I never identify myself on missions like this). It’s his first pizzeria, although he’s worked in others. Must-try: The Brooklyn, a thin-crust Sicilian with whole milk and fresh mozzarella, olive oil, basil, imported pecorino cheese and a standout marinara sauce. The Drunken Grandma, a thin square with vodka sauce and fresh mozzarella, is also a delight, proof that the best Grandmas are the drunken kind.

Pizza perfection can be found even in the most ordinary of strip malls. Carmella’s Ristorante & Pizzeria is located in a strip mall that includes Milk n’Stuff (great name for a convenience store). Pastas, heroes, meat and seafood dishes and homemade soups (pasta e fagioli, tortellini in brodo) dot the menu. The pizza choices at first glance seem ordinary — white, margherita, marinara, Grandma. But wait, what’s this — a pan marinara? I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that at any N.J. pizzeria. It’s a Chicago-style pan pizza done marinara style, with loads of sauce. It may remind you of a lighter, saucier, thinner Sicilian — as long as you forget it’s round. In any case, it’s a strip mall wonder.

Bell Market is the food court portion of the Bell Works building. Food options include Honeybell Bakery, Broadfork Greens & Grains, Jozu (sushi, ramen, robata) and Corbo & Sons. Neapolitan-style pizzas come in 12-inch personal or 16-inch large sizes. My pepperoni and sausage pizza contained maybe the biggest slices of pepperoni I’ve seen anywhere, and both meats were quality. The crust is pleasantly charred around the edges. It’s a standout pizza.

You’ve got to love a restaurant whose Instagram feed includes lost dog notices, neighborhood cleanup dates and a post asking folks to vote for the Pizza Party instead of Democrat or Republican. “Freshly made in Jersey City” is the slogan at Delenio, which opened early last year. The menu is stocked with appetizers, sandwiches, salads and pastas. Oh, and pizza. The Sicilian is outrageously thick and cheesy. Try a thin crust with tomatoes and black olives.

“We Are Not Your Normal Pizza Joint,” proclaims The Galley Pizza & Eatery. Yeah, no kidding. Among the offerings: The Crankin’ Hot Meatball Sandwich, which contains a Pat LaFrieda meat blend, roasted long hots, a roasted poblano spread, a house-made arrabiata sauce and melted mozzarella. The Galley Salad is made with slow-smoked prime rib, mozzarella, cherry bomb tomatoes and sweet roasted onion. The North Carolina big-eye tuna sandwich... North Carolina big-eye tuna? I never heard of it either. The dry-rubbed smoked wings, with Mike’s Hot Honey Drizzle, should be on my N.J.’s best wings list. The pizza? Both the round Sicilian and the Station 83 (photo), with ricotta, chili oil, mozzarella, hot salami and the hot honey drizzle, made my pizza day.

For me, Grindstone is easy to find; it’s right across the street from 13th Child Brewery. One interesting thing about Grindstone’s menu, apart from the pizzas: There are no individual servings. All items — the wings, risotto balls, mac & cheese, etc. — are meant to be shared. I wasn’t about to share either of my two pizzas, though. The Tomato Pie is distinguished by healthy chunks of tomato, and the White Pie (photo), with first-rate mozzarella and ricotta and a dash of pesto, ranks among the state’s 10 best white pies.

Add L & L Pizza & Pasta to the list of pizzerias that opened post-lockdown. There should be a ban on restaurants — or anyone, for that matter — using “fuhgeddaboudit.” The word is splashed across the wall here. But we’ll forgive L & L because the pizza is so good. The Grandma is maybe cheesier than it ought to be, but the Brooklyn Style Sicilian (photo) is a saucy success.

Mama’s Balls are on the menu at Mama’s Meatballs, and no, that’s not a misprint. The business started as a meatball-centric food truck, and made my list of N.J.'s best food trucks. The storefront re-opened under new owners in late July.

The half sausage/half mushroom is marked by an admirable, thick, crackly crust, and the margherita is saucier than most — and that sauce is a tart, tomatoey delight.

The balls? Try the Rocky Ball Boa (sweet sausage, sautéed peppers, provolone, onions, topped with arugula, parmesan and marinara) and Mama’s Balls (veal, beef, pork, marinara, arugula, parmesan). Both are Italian grandma-worthy.

Just down the road from Mama’s Meatballs is Back Alley Barbecue, which made my list of the state’s best barbecue joints.

Opened in November 2018 in the former Daniel’s Bistro space, Michael’s is a welcome addition to quiet Avon’s food scene (one of the state’s best pork roll sandwiches can be found at Bing’s Deli, and the Macaroon Shop is a local legend). The mushroom and sausage pizza (photo) boasts excellent kinds of both. Mediocre toppings are the norm at most Jersey pizzerias. Not here.

Osteria Italiana Ristorante Pizzeria, open since May, is squeezed into a strip mall that includes Piast, the legendary Polish market. The menu features not-so-ordinary pizzas: the Sfincione Palermitano, a Sicilian onion pizza with tomato and cheese; and the Trinacria, with mozzarella, tomato, olives, anchovies, capers and oregano. The buffalo mozzarella paired well with the peppy little plum tomatoes on the Bufalini. My favorite here is the Quattro Formaggi, with mozzarella, ricotta, provolone and grated pecorino, a pizza oozing cheesy, oily, greasy goodness.

Pies on Stiles opened in February. OK, maybe the timing could have been better. The pizzeria was busy, in any event, on a recent Saturday mid-afternoon visit. There are plenty of pizza options, from traditional pies (white, Grandma, Sicilian, margherita) to the likes of sweet chili chicken, bacon mac and cheese and a pickle pizza. No, I didn’t try the latter, so don’t ask how it was.

Nothing turns me off more, pizza-wise, than a jungle of arugula on a pie, and the burrata margherita here was topped with so much of the plant that I wondered if there was really was a pizza under there. I’ll tell them to go easy on the green stuff next time.

Fortunately, the half sausage/half mushroom was a standout, with quality meat and ‘shrooms. For me, sausage and mushrooms are a much better gauge of topping quality than pepperoni — there’s more quality variance than with pepperoni, the overwhelming majority of which comes from a few major suppliers like Hormel.

Wings, wraps, panini, subs and entrees (12 kinds of chicken!) are also on the menu.

Arnab Maitra opened Pizza Crimine in August in the space occupied by Le Cafe Creperie, formerly owned by his father. “Tastes so good it should be illegal” is the pizzeria’s slogan. It’s a handsome little space, with subway tiles and an imported Italian wood-fired oven. My nose always perks up when I spot ‘nduja – spicy Italian salami similar to sopressata — on a pizzeria menu. And when it’s paired with burrata, as it is here in the Nduja pizza, it’s an automatic order. Even better is the Pepper-Jawni (photo), with Grande Rossa pepperoni, mozzarella and oregano.

Prima Pizza Kitchen was re-branded, with new owners taking over last year, according to followers on Twitter. Several recommended the eggplant pizza, but I stuck to the classics. The Grandma Sicilian is somewhere in between both styles, and is loaded with tomatoes, with the oil pleasantly pooling on top. Good luck finding burrata pizzas at your neighborhood pizzeria, but the prosciutto parma pizza with burrata and arugula here is highly recommended.

Sapore Di Italia opened in August in the former Emma’s Brick Oven Pizza space. Emma’s was beloved, but you may find room in your pizza heart for its successor after a visit or two. Peppers and onions are an underrated pizza topping (my all-time favorite peppers-and-onions pizza is at Nancy’s Towne House in Rahway). The Supremo here (photo), with San Marzano tomato sauce, mozzarella, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, sausage and pepperoni, is a worthy competitor. The menu is stocked with pastas, salads, and meat and seafood dishes.

Tavolino, open several months, is located in a spare storefront in Wallington, known for having one of the highest per capita populations of Polish Americans in the country. The Smokey Roni pizza is a pepperoni lover’s vision of paradise, with thick-cut pepperoni, fresh mozzarella and a spicy plum tomato sauce. I counted no less than 68 pieces of pepperoni on mine. The Nonna, a thin crust with plum tomatoes, garlic, onion, mozzarella and basil, is good and saucy, with the cheese taking a back seat.

It’s not just pizza here, with salads, paninis, pastas and entrees on the menu. A recent Facebook post displayed Nutella pinwheels with Reese’s peanut butter cups and graham crackers, topped with powdered sugar.

The “Pizza Pope” is back at the Shore. Anthony Mangieri, who opened Una Pizza Napoletana in Point Pleasant Beach nearly 25 years ago and went on to garner serious acclaim with pizzerias in Manhattan and San Francisco, opened his Atlantic Highlands outpost earlier this year. It’s takeout-only for now; order at the walk-up window.

The Neapolitan-style pizzas boast maybe the state’s most extravagantly puffy crusts (see photo), with nice char around the edges (it’s amazing how many people freak out on Twitter when I post similarly charred pizzas; to them, it’s “burnt” and inedible). Both pizzas sampled here were standouts — the Bianca, with buffalo mozzarella, garlic, basil, Sicilian sea salt and extra virgin olive oil; and the Marinara, with San Marzano tomatoes, Amalfi wild oregano, garlic, basil, Sicilian sea salt and extra virgin olive oil.

Just what Hoboken needs — another pizzeria. There are about 35 in the Mile Square City, but Verizza Porta La Pizza, which opened last month, stands out. The owners describe their pizza as “contemporary Italian,” blending “a traditional Neapolitan base, with nods to the crunchier Roman style.” There are traditional marinara and margherita styles, but you’ll want to expand your pizza horizons with the Parmense (sauce, mozzarella, arugula, prosciutto crudo, parmesan shavings); the Mortazza (mozzarella, mortadella, pistacchio pesto, stracciatella, basil) or the Salentina (tomato sauce, stracciatella, ‘nduja, pecorino, romano, basil). Try one of the salads or bruschettas while you’re there.

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Peter Genovese may be reached at pgenovese@njadvancemedia.com.

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N.J.’s best new pizzerias: 21 terrifically tasty spots around the state - NJ.com

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