After several tries to “get the band back together,” my old pal Big Frank finally got The Snob Squad back together for another pizza-inspired Tennessee field trip. Big Frank was also the bearer of the exciting news that a drummer friend of his had teamed up with a pizza chef to bring some authentic pie to my hometown of Franklin. These two guys originally from Brooklyn took over the former Brothers Pizza Company and now call the place Brooklyn Brothers Pizza.

Getting right to the crust of the matter, what happened over on New Highway 96 was more than just tinkering with the name of a pizza joint. There is now a genuine New York-style pizza joint in Franklin that seems to serve up as the best pizza that the Best Small Town in Tennessee has to offer.

The Squad set its meeting for “Gary Cooper time” one recent Saturday shortly after the grand re-opening. It was great to see the old gang again, and in true Snob Squad style, everyone had skipped breakfast and was more than ready for some serious eating.

The place has yet to change much from its previous look. A temporary sign hung over the front door, and some New York-themed prints now covered the walls.

It was early, and we were their first customers. The four of us grabbed a booth ordering a large plain cheese pie (“18 inches for 18 smackers”). The guys also showed their feminine side ordering a large white pizza for which the Snob even broke protocol to try and actually like.

I was excited to see on the menu that they will be selling slices a $2.75 a pop. You can also get subs, calzones, Strombolis, salads and Italian deserts. (Our sideline sampling of a meatball sub was as incredible as our closing cannoli.)

But as we had hoped, this place is all about the pizza, and it was outstanding! Our pie was skillfully served up delightfully hot and fresh, ready for us to dive right it. The tomato sauce and Mozzarella were delicious and they sat atop an equally tasteful, gently charred crust. It was a familiar tasting classic pie which made sense when I learned that the chef used to be the manager at West Nashville’s great NY Pie.

In taking with the master afterwards, he spoke of how he has been working on bettering his crust, and we all agreed he has come up with a tasty one.

It was pretty much a four thumbs up from The Snob Squad with the consensus being that a crisper crust would have taken this great pie another step towards perfection. Nonetheless, those two large pies disappeared fast with yours truly putting down five slices of delicious pizza before needing an afternoon nap on the couch!

Doug the IT guy, summed it up pretty well saying “This place is legit!” I couldn’t agree more and hereby dub it as the best pizza in Franklin, or Williamson County for that matter!

Do yourself a favor and help these guys get their great new pizza joint on the map.

PIZZA SNOB RATING **** ½ Nearer Perfection

Brooklyn Brothers’ Pizza
1441 Tennessee 96
Reid Hill Common, Corner of Downs Blvd and Hwy 96 W.
Franklin, TN 37064
615-791-8383
www.bklynbrospizza.com

Original Review: 09/26/13

PIZZA SNOB RATING *** Better Than Dominos

In a February 2^nd message on their Facebook page, the God-loving staff of Franklin’s Brothers’ Pizza Company announced that their Board of Directors has approved the sale of their business to “a couple of guys who know how to make a real New York-style pizza.”

Humbly acknowledging their struggles to make a great pie, these nice folks have turned over their keys (and sign) to the newly-christened Brooklyn Brothers Pizza.

The Pizza Snob wishes everyone at the old place the best, and welcomes these new guys to town.

NEW PIZZA SNOB RATING     R.I.P

Brothers’ Pizza Company
1441 Tennessee 96
Reid Hill Common, Corner of Downs Blvd and Hwy 96 W.
Franklin, TN 37064
615-791-8383
www.brotherspizzacompany.com

One of the thrills of being The Pizza Snob is my quest to discover the art of fine pizza-making in unexpected parts of the country. It happens–whether through the efforts of a daring local upstart, or more likely by a former apprentice migrating from Manhattan or Brooklyn to an underserved lower rent district somewhere deep in America.

It’s a risky exercise, and my exploits more often than not lead to disappointment. In fact, some like my good friend, the NYC Foodie, won’t even try. On a recent rendezvous in East Tennessee, he turned down an invitation from the Snob to explore with a simple “I don’t eat pizza out of New York City.”

Well, early last winter, business took me to uncharted Biloxi, MS. Since there was time for leisure on the weekend, I brought Mrs. Pie along. We each did our own advance prep—me for pizza and her for activities. My investigation turned up no desirable leads, including the uninviting Biloxi bar that named its pizzas after Led Zeppelin songs!  I pretty much decided that this would be a pizza-less journey for the Snob.

Mrs. Pie did discover the Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival in neighboring Ocean Springs which turned out to be one of the biggest of these things I had ever seen! And as chance would have it, while walking through the miles and miles of arts and crafts booths overtaking the main shopping drag, I came across a sidewalk sign for Tom’s Extreme Pizzeria.

I walked over to their free-standing building to find Tom’s not conducive to anything quick—no slices and like everyplace else it was packed. For me to sample, I would have to get a table and order an 8-inch pie since they did not sell slices. Glancing at some of the patron’s pizza, I wasn’t enticed either. It didn’t look worthy of my time, and Mrs. Pie also wasn’t gonna wait just so I could eat some bad pizza to write about.

But, lo and behold, Tom’s had a special booth out front for the Festival that was selling beer and slices. Pizza journalism would not get shut out.

My endeavor commenced rather skeptically since these slices were obviously made some time ago, and there was no reheat apparatus available out there on the sidewalk. Their scant remaining selection of pizza slices was simply sitting covered in a silver buffet style serving dish. Worse yet, all they had left was peperoni, and everyone knows that the Snob doesn’t do ronis!

I decided to get a slice ($3.00) and just pluck the ronis off. Doing this left their greasy trail behind atop a chunky-looking slice that already looked way too juicy with oil. I knew that this wouldn’t be anywhere near a perfect pizza adventure, but quite surprisingly, it wound up being a lot better than I thought it would.

While my lukewarm slice was much too cheesy and oily for my liking, strangely enough, the crust was sturdy and crisp. But the real surprise was how all the sensors in my pizza taste buds managed to be touched. I was able to find some delight and satisfaction from the familiar refreshing tastes of tomato sauce and cheese.

It may be a stretch rating this slice so high, but on the other hand, Tom’s certainly isn’t getting the chance to put their best effort forward in a situation like this.

I guess the NYC Foodie was right, and I shouldn’t have been expecting perfect pizza in Southern Mississippi in the first place. But nothing ventured, nothing gained, and nothing to blog about.

I left Biloxi looking forward to my upcoming trip to New York City.

PIZZA SNOB RATING     *** Better than Dominos

Tom’s Extreme Pizzeria
1006 Robinson Avenue
Ocean Springs, MS 39564
228-872-4340
[no website]

Last winter, on a dark, damp and dreary Friday evening, Mrs. Pie and I found ourselves in the Garden State with no plans whatsoever. Perhaps asking way too much of her for the sake of this Pizza Snob business, I suggested a leisurely drive to visit a place I had bookmarked called Lodi Pizza. This joint got on my dance card a few years ago when it showed up in a Tri-State Area pizza poll.

Lodi Pizza is nothing more than a small shack that sits off the westbound lane of busy US 46 just a few miles west of its intersection with Route 17—undoubtedly one of the most gnarly traffic spots in the USA. Oddly enough, it’s an easy exit off the highway, and there is plenty of free parking out in front.

The place was well-worn and looks to have been around quite a while. I started getting signals from Mrs. Pie that her idea of a night out on the town was more than just visiting to an old rundown pizza joint. Like we used to say, this was not the kind of place you’d take your date to after the prom!

The place has two small rooms and we grabbed one of several booths facing the counter in the main area. There was no mistake about being in Jersey with the walls full of Sopranos and Sinatra. There is also a big fat ATM in the main room since Lodi Pizza is cash-only.

At the counter to order, I noticed that there were plenty of $2.00 slices (regular and Sicilian) available. I summoned up one of each for me and a regular for the Mrs. The plastic menu board above the oven listed some Italian dishes, salads, subs and surprisingly soup. We chose to precede our pizza with a bowl of lentil soup—one of our fave dishes.

I first made a visit to the restroom which turned out to be a strange journey back outside through a fence, around the building and through the kitchen!

Our slices were reheated quickly, and they made a great first impression looking to be rock solid, firm and crunchy like the Snob prefers. They were however unusually in the shape of small equilateral triangles. The first bite instantly brought a smile to my face. The tomato sauce was bright and tangy with a good dosing of oregano. The lush tasty mozzarella held tightly to the crust which turned out to be firm without being overly charred or crunchy. The crust however was dry and tasted a bit pale, possibly lacking salt.

As an aside, the Sicilian was enjoyable although not much different than the regular slice other than the extra dough required to fulfil its traditional thicker construction. While we still lingered around finishing our soup, I ordered a second slice which for whatever reason did not meet the standards of my first. It was quite oily with loose cheese, and was not as tasty as that first slice.

Despite its lack of flair and the surprising letdown in standards for my second slice, Lodi is a neat old Jersey pizza joint that is worthy of a stop if you are in the area. It’s a great slice that I believe you will enjoy.

PIZZA SNOB RATING **** Near Perfection

Lodi Pizza
19 US 46
Lodi, NJ 07644
973-478-3306
[no website]

I seldom if ever will pass on a new pizza experience. Even if I am already stuffed to the gills, there usually is some room to squeeze in a slice in the name of research. Usually, I am not able to always do this when Mrs. Pie is along for the ride—unless of course it involves gelato!

Following our recent Pizza State adventure at Lodi Pizza, a wrong turn led to an amazing discovery—both pizza and gelato at the co-branded Pizza Mania / Gelato Mania complex on the main drag in Garfield, NJ. For Mrs. Pie and I, no retail marriage could better represent a union of our personal food passions.

Honestly, I was a little reluctant to try a Pizza Mania slice after just having three over in Lodi and first savoring some sweet delicious gelato with Mrs. Pie in the adjoining business next store. But, after letting my palate settle, I couldn’t resist the opportunity, so I moseyed over to sample a slice.

The long counter displayed a wide selection of exotic slice varieties (e.g. a chicken Caesar salad slice) up for sale while their broader menu focused on salads and sandwiches. Delivery action was quite busy at this hour. There were no plain cheese slices in view, but when I ordered one ($2.25) it quickly appeared from storage space under the counter. Mrs. Pie opted to close her evening’s meal like the French do with a salad.

After a reheat in the CPO (“conventional pizza oven”), my slice came out looking a bit too hot and steamy to eat right off, so I gave it sometime too cool. Often this is a sign that it is carrying perhaps a bit too much oily cheese which is retaining all that heat.

I quickly realized that this was just a run-of-the-mill attempt at a classic slice. There was nothing special about it, especially one coming from the Pizza State. The crust was rather dry and tasteless, and despite some char on the bottom, it lacked any real crispness. As I expected, the slice was overall too oily and cheesy. Neither the tomato sauce nor cheese was screaming with any real noticeable flavor. It did have the classic construction and long thin look, but while Pizza Mania’s slice looked the part, it was just a bit too plain and dull for the Snob.

As for the other half of the operation, Mrs. Pie was thumbs ups about the gelato. However, there’s just much better pizza to find in Jersey. It was however a nice, classy joint, and I do see the possible potential of launching great pizza/gelato chain.

PIZZA SNOB RATING     *** ½ Working on a Good Thing

Pizza Mania / Gelato Mania
390 Midland Avenue
Garfield, NJ  07026
973-859-0855
www.pizzamaniagarfield.com

The Pizza Snob can only walk by a Manhattan pizza joint so many times without having to pay a visit. Such was the case with Rosa’s Pizza on the busy downtown thoroughfare of 14th Street—especially when there’s a cute little pizza guy statue out front trying to lure me in.

It was a family day in the City, and the entire time I was plotting a quick drop-in at Rosa’s. My set up was perfect when I inconspicuously led our group for a rest and a cup at a nearby Starbucks. I knew that in the time it would take for them to relax, I could make the three-block walk to and from Rosa’s with time to grab a slice in between.

Rosa’s is a pizza, salads and subs joint that also offers a rather full menu of your usual Italian dishes. Inside, a double-layered glass display presented their slices at the counter. Despite their advertisement of “Rated Best Sicilian Pizza” and the rather appealing look of the said square slice, I stuck to the basics and ordered a plain cheese slice ($2.75).

Just as they plopped my slice into the oven for a quick toast-up, a sea of New York City policemen entered the joint—fortunately on break and not on business. After a few such encounters, the Snob is not sure whether the presence of NYC’s Finest means they know where to find the best pizza or if they are simply limited to the confines of their beat.

Sitting at one of the few small tables, I was shortly summoned up to claim my slice which looked much wider than usual and was approaching equilateral triangle status. There was also so much steam coming from it that I knew it would be too hot to eat. This was a disappointment since the Snob is always ready to dive right in on delivery and doesn’t like to wait for a cool-down. Like I have said before, there is an art in knowing how to reheat a slice that’s bite-ready upon delivery.

Rosa’s slice was also a tad on the oily side. When added to the heat issues and some runny cheese, this slice was somewhat of a challenge to eat—especially when I was in a hurry to get back to the family over at S-bux. This execution flaw was a shame since otherwise we would have been dealing with an otherwise spectacular slice of pizza.

Rosa’s crust scored quite high with the Snob. The bottom was covered with a full char that made for a tasty crust with a good solid crunch. The Mozzarella cheese was delightfully seasoned and tasted delicious. It was however a shame to see the loss of some runny cheese to the wax paper after I was finished.

All in all, Rosa’s is a fine example of a New York slice that I would not hesitate to both order again and recommend. I just hope it doesn’t come out so hot next time. Maybe I will even give that Sicilian a try.

PS They also have a joint in Port Washington out on the north shore of Long Island.

PIZZA SNOB RATING     **** Near Perfection

Rosa’s Pizza
2 West 14th Street (between 5th and 6^th) New York, NY 10011
212-898-9898
www.rosapizzanyc.com

The Pizza Snob has mastered the art of turning just about any family outing into a new pizza experience. On a recent trip back home to the Pizza State, after a morning shopping with Mom, Dad and Mrs. Pie at the Jersey City’s Newport Mall, I managed to maneuver everyone to a late lunch at the nearby Delenio Italian Restaurant.

Delenio’s is your classic Jersey neighborhood family Italian restaurant. It sits in the same lovely part of town as the great Carmine’s Pizza Factory. In fact, one internet reviewer made note of the fact that he lived next to Carmine’s, but chose to walk a block instead to Delenio’s for his pies. While the Snob probably wouldn’t do the same, nonetheless, I was more than pleased with the day’s lunch at Delenio’s.

Located on n the corner of 7th and Brunswick, Delenio’s is a small dark cozy place with only a few tables. Even though they are more of a pizza-serving restaurant than a pizzeria, they were offering $2.50 ($3.00 with a topping) slice specials during the lunch hour. Rather than serving from a complete Italian menu from antipasto to cannoli, theirs was more of a boutique selection of many interesting and tempting dishes. Prior to sharing a large cheese pizza ($16.00), we had some very delicious Caesar salads. I topped mine with chicken and Mrs. Pie chose the salmon. Both came with a ton of their respective proteins and were tastefully fresh and delightful.

Our pizza came just at the right time as we were finishing our salads. The pie looked a little heavier and cheesier than a classic NY pie, and as l lifted my first slice, I noticed that the crust was also a bit soggy. But that soon didn’t matter much since Delenio’s pizza started quickly racking up points as I began to discover the dazzling flavors of its fine fresh ingredients.

As I continued to devour slice after slice, the word that came to my mind to describe this pie was “juicy.” While at first I thought it may have been too oily, Mrs. Pie theorized that perhaps there was some extra water in the tomato sauce making it soggy. I then wondered if cooking it just a little longer would have done the trick in both thinning out the sauce and firming up the crust.

Forgetting the miss on my desired crispness, Delenio’s pie was mouthwatering delicious. It’s so rare for a pie to score so well in all the flavor areas (sauce, cheese and crust) like this one did. Even Mom, who is loyal to her home town Bayonne pizzas, said that this was a winner.

While located in a difficult area to find parking, Delenio’s is well worth the adventure. I would go back tomorrow if I could!

PIZZA SNOB RATING **** Near Perfection

Delenio Italian Restaurant
357 7^th Street (corner of Brunswick Street)
Jersey City, NJ
201-798-9539
www.deleniojc.com/

The Pizza Snob doesn’t always get his way when it comes to picking the place for a family meal. But that didn’t stop me from making a quick side trip to Picchi Pacchi Pizza & Pasta which I unexpectedly spotted on our way to a fab lunch at downtown Fort Worth’s Bird Cafe. Seeing the words “New York Pizza by the Slice” stylishly painted on their glass windows was a tempting lure that I could not resist.

After said lunch, the others had a boring mission involving shopping, so I headed over to Picchi Pacchi (a Sicilian phrase meaning fast or quick) to try one of the said slices they were hawking. My internet history lesson taught me that this place received an overhaul after a 2010 change in ownership to the guy who previously operated the former Sammy’s Pizza and Deli around the corner.

This being Texas and they being an unknown entity, I entered their corner storefront in the classy art deco building with low expectations. Inside I found the place to be quite nice, clean and comfortable. There was plenty of room to sit including a surrounding upstairs balcony. The place did its best to look the part of an NY place offering a wide Italian menu and having the traditional walk-up counter with their pizza on display under glass.

It was mid-afternoon and my hopes dimmed even a bit further when all I saw on display were two pie trays hosting a variety of the day’s orphaned slices ranging from plain to peperoni. I requested one of the two plain cheese slices ($3.00) sitting there which they then reheated for about two-minutes in their CPO (conventional pizza oven). On the way in, the slice looked nice and thin and was not overdone with excess ingredients. Out of the oven it came looking good and crisp, and upon eating I found it to have been perfectly toasted throughout.

To my pleasant surprise, this was a great tasty slice that was constructed and cooked very well. My slight complaint was that it tasted a bit dry.  Although there was some oil present, it could have used some more to liven up the crust which tasted a tad pale. Some more tomato sauce would have helped too since what was there was too much in the background lacking any brightness. Perhaps all this was from my slice having sat out awhile and drying up? High marks thought to a great-tasting cheese and a solid toasty execution.

Looking back, my side trip was worthwhile and I certainly wouldn’t pass up a slice at Picchi Pacchi in the future. It was great to see some New York City in Cowtown! Just work on that dryness and perhaps come up with a friendlier name? (See here for some tips.)

PIZZA SNOB RATING ****Near Perfection

Picchi Pacchi Pizza & Pasta
512 Main Street #106 (corner of 5th) Fort Worth, TX  76102
817-870-2222
www.dfwpicchipacchi.com/

If you google me I come up second. First place goes to The Pizza Snob, a build-your-own pizza restaurant in Fort Worth. Normally I would stay far away from something as untraditional as this, but I just could not resist the temptation to visit a place using my nom de plume. So, the last time I was in the Lone Star State, I grabbed my son, The Philosopher, and together we made an afternoon journey into Cow Town.

After stopping at the fabulous (wish they were in Tennessee) Half Price Books, we headed over to the Pizza Snob which is located right across from the main TCU campus. While rocking out to The Clash CD we just bought on the cheap, I pondered why my son is not the best critic to bring along on one of my pizza sojourns. It’s simple—he has never met a pizza he didn’t like! It also makes him nervous and unsettled when I take pictures and ask a lot of questions when I’m visiting a new place. But, he’s still fun to be with and he never says no to some pizza and beer courtesy of Dad.

The purple street sign at the corner of W. Bowie and S. University told us we were in Horned Frog country. We easily found the swanky shop nestled in a row of vintage-looking storefronts. I was surprised to find that the Pizza Snob sits right next to the cool Record Town music store that I had previously visited.

The Pizza Snob is a nicely laid-out restaurant. With school out of session, it was not very crowded on this late weekday afternoon. We made our way to the front of the assembly line where the process to personalize one’s pizza begins. You can get up to four toppings on your personal pie ($7.99). All are in plain view and fall into the categories of Cheeses, Sauces, Veggies & Such and Proteins. They are a foodie’s treat (subject daily to the chef’s whim) and your choice of goodies ranges from the usual (pepperoni and sausage) to the unexpected (potatoes and pulled-pork). There’s even some odd choices for your cheese and sauce foundation. How about a base of Bleu Cheese and Sriracha Mustard?

Anyway, enough said about how this is not a traditional pizza joint. Trying to make mine as normal a pizza experience as I could, I asked them to just make me a plain cheese pizza. This gave mine a base of the Smoked Provolone & Smoked Mozzarella cheese and the California Plum Tomato sauce (squirted from a plastic bottle). Being non-confrontational, The Philosopher followed suit. After giving the pie maker this simple assignment, he placed our rudimentary creations into a space-age oven that looked like R2-D2 from Star Wars.

So how did it taste? Pretty good considering the oddity of the ingredients and how strange it looked. It also was cut into tiny little almost bite-size slices. But I must say that it really tasted delicious. The crust was charred on the bottom and was tasty and chewy although not crisp. The cheese and sauce were both fresh and together they combined to make a delightful although highly non-traditional pizza.

The Philosopher said it looked to him like a pretty good dorm room recipe to make a quick pizza!

All joking aside, The Pizza Snob is a fine food establishment serving a great product with wonderfully fine fixings. (The kale salad that I started with was nothing less than outstanding.) But as far as this Pizza Snob goes, this one is just too far from the traditional pizza that I know and love. This place is more for a foodie than a pizza snob.

I wish the Pizza Snob success in their business model which seems to be a franchise-in-waiting. But for now, I will stick with my classic New York pizza, and the only thing I want to build my own of is a burrito!

PIZZA SNOB RATING     *** ½ Working on a Good Thing

The Pizza Snob
3051 S. University Drive
Fort Worth, TX 76109
817-462-7662
www.pizzasnob.com

Latest Review: 08/14/14

PIZZA SNOB RATING ****1/2 Nearer Perfection

For the past two years, the dining highlight of our weeklong vacation on the Redneck Riviera has been a visit to Enzo’s Italian Restaurant. Not only was their pizza the best on the Panhandle, but Enzo’s was one of the best casual Italian dining experiences you could find anywhere.

The Snob could find no news of the closing, but their phone number is disconnected and my drive by revealed a dark storefront.

We will miss both their food and the friendly ownership and staff.

NEW PIZZA SNOB RATING    R.I.P

Enzo’s Italian Restaurant
Emerald Coast Shopping Plaza 3906 Highway 98 West #5 & #6 Santa Rosa Beach, FL. 32459
850 -267-3003
www.myenzos.com

The Pizza Snob was quite excited when his real job sent him to Miami on a secret mission. I hadn’t been there since Dan Marino quarterbacked the Dolphins. Since then, all I heard about was how the city’s chic factor had increased—hopefully though not to where you couldn’t find a good slice of NY pizza. After all, isn’t Miami just a home for transplanted New Yawkers?

Looking for a pizza joint, I got no good leads from a Miami friend of mine who instead just wishes he lived in New York. Likewise no place was receiving any fanfare on the internet. Running out of options, I simply chose to find the one closest to my hotel, and that resulted in Pucci’s Pizza.

Walking along the strip of tall white high rise buildings, my co-worker and I found Pucci’s on the west side of Biscayne Boulevard at the bottom of a tall condo complex. It was a mega-windy day, and outside the Italian flag-colored pizza banners were flapping big time. This would not be a day for eating al fresco on their small deck.

On the inside there were only a few tables and a small counter area where we sat after ordering our slices. As one would expect for this part of trendy Miami, the walls were lined with photos of celebrity visitors. Pucci’s had a fairly full Italian menu in addition to pizza. They looked like they kept busy delivering pies and meals to the neighboring condo community.

There were plenty of slice types available, but as per my giving calling, I ordered two plain cheese slices at a pricy $3.49 each. After taking what seemed like a long time to reheat in the pizza oven, I got my pair which were very unmatched—one was huge—at least a size and a half as big as the other! At first glance they sure looked good.

In a skeptical snobby mood for some reason or another, I kept chomping away at my slices to find something that I didn’t like about them—but I just couldn’t. First off, they were perfectly reheated to a pleasant eating temperature throughout. With great construction they were easily foldable. They had a nice touch of oil and oregano for flavoring with neither being overdone. The crust had a nice char on the bottom and both the cheese and sauce were delish!

This pair of slices sure was a tasty treat. So what kept this slice from a perfect score? I’m not really sure, but I felt that I need to give Pucci’s a second visit before giving them legendary status.

With all of the Yankees that move to sunny Florida, it was no surprise to find such good pizza in Miami. However, Pucci’s claim of being “A Real Slice of Brooklyn” was a twist since, not being of the “coal” variety, their slice was much more Manhattan to me. It’s still a fab slice that I wouldn’t pass up.

PIZZA SNOB RATING **** ½ Nearer Perfection

Pucci’s Pizza
888 Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 102
Miami, FL  33132
305-358-8881
www.puccispizzaonline.com

The Pizza Snob’s Mom and Dad are both 87. Praise God they are both so happy and healthy. I very much look forward to my frequent visits back home to the Pizza State to see them. However, it’s not always easy to get them out to do things. In this regard however, I have learned one thing—the longer ahead of time you ask, the more likely they are to say no. Hitting them up to do something at the last minute gives them less time to worry and usually does the trick.

On a recent trip home, I was itching to get out and try some new pizza. So just after lunch time, I caught Mom in the right moment with an offer to go to Barnes & Noble—a place she just loves. Well, she happened to have a book on her wish list. After they suggested we go to the one out on Route 22, I located a suitable pizza joint for an impromptu visit—Saporito Pizza in Springfield Township.

During my college days at Seton Hall, I drove the dreaded ancient Route 22 every day. It was a horrible highway then and still is now: congested and dangerous. After finishing at the book store, we located Saporito close by on this unusual part of the highway (west of Union) where there are miles of road with businesses (including Saporito) in the middle of the highway! While it is a maneuver to slow down in time to meet the entrance of your destination, at least you can access it from both sides of the highway.

Saporito is a big busy place with plenty of seating and features a wide range of foods, including hamburgers and steak sandwiches—not usual staples for a pizza joint. Ordering at the counter, I was blown away by the most different varieties of pizza slices I have ever before seen. I counted 23 in total although their website advertises 22! Between the four of us (my brother also came along for the ride), I stayed normal with a plain cheese ($2.35) while Mom had a Sicilian (a thick square) and Dad and my brother had thin squares.

Our slices only took about two minutes to reheat in the giant ovens. Observing mine, I’d describe it as a little wider and heavier on the cheese than usual. They cooked it well with some noticeable char on the bottom. It folded easily, but seemed to look a little on the juicy side. Taste wise it turned out to be mighty fine: crisp and delicious with a pleasant oregano seasoning.

But the extra oil and cheese gave it an overall “swimmy” kind of feel. When I chewed into it, the oil and tomato sauce blend was pretty heavy and got a little slushy in my mouth. There was also a slight cheese slippage casualty.

All was said and done, this was a tasty and delicious slice—one though that could be a little better if it were just trimmed down a bit. I’d visit Saporito again if I had the chance, and I must say that I enjoyed sampling Mom and Dad’s different slices as well.

Give it a try—just be careful on that stinking Route 22!

PIZZA SNOB RATING **** Near Perfection

Saporito Pizza
100 US-22
Springfield Township, NJ 07081
973-379-7191
www.saporito-pizza.com

Latest Review: 06/05/13

PIZZA SNOB RATING *** Better than Dominos

After surviving two seasons on the Florida Panhandle, Pizza Nona has closed shop for 2015. This unique space set up half-pizzeria and half-ice cream shop didn’t stay closed for long and has reopened this season under new ownership as Peppinos Pizzeria & Ice Cream Shop.

While the Pizza Snob hates to see any business close, Nona’s departure has made room for the place serving the best New York-style pizza on 30-A.

NEW PIZZA SNOB RATING    R.I.P

Pizza Nona
4141 E. County Hwy 30-A
Seagrove Beach, FL 32459
850-231-0037
[no website]

It was once again time for the Pizza Snob’s annual vacation to the Florida Gulf Coast—a beautiful and relaxing place where I could never spend too much time. It also meant that it was time to update the state of the heretofore mediocre pizza pickings on the Panhandle. Well sunshine and pizza lovers, after first passing along the sad news of Enzo’s closure, I am now excited to report that things have gotten considerably better.

My cyber re-exploration of the area discovered one new place: Bronzinni Pizzeria. Heading out to find it one night, as I got closer to their address, I wondered if they might have taken over the former location of Pizza Nona. Well, they didn’t but someone else did: Peppinos Pizzeria & Ice Cream Shop that was closed for inventory but reopening the next day. A peek in the window at the new Bronzinni spot showed no slices up on the counter while they were quite busy with nighttime deliveries. I decided that I would hit both new spots for lunch tomorrow.

I made Peppinos my first stop and walked in to find the same setup as Pizza Nona: pizza to the left and ice cream to the right. On top of the pizza counter under glass was a freshly made plain cheese pie with just one slice missing—assumed sold to the day’s first customer sitting out on the deck. I ordered one of these very promising-looking slices for myself ($3.50) and waited inside at a table during its brief reheat.

The slice looked as classic as one could be—slim, trim and crisp. It was served a bit hotter than I prefer and I also drained off some excess oil. But it was love at first bite, and I knew I was eating the real deal. The crust had a good char on the bottom and was firm and crisp making for a perfect Fold & Rip. Overall, everything was right about its fine tasty ingredients. One thing I liked in particular was the slightly roasted flavor of the tomato sauce. Peppinos slice is a true classic and delicious New York-style slice—a first for 30-A!

I couldn’t contain myself, and after finishing I complimented the proprietor and asked if he was from up north. He warmly introduced himself as Luigi from Connecticut. In short, he just opened a week ago, makes his own dough, cooks in a real pizza oven, and is very excited to be making pizzas on 30-A.

I want to get this news out fast so everyone can enjoy some great NY-style pizza on 30-A this season. He still needs to get a big sign up so help spread the word around until he does. Peppinos Pizzeria is the real deal and by far now claims the title of the Best Pizza on 30-A!

PS My next stop at Bronzinni turned out to be a big disappointment.

PPS I surprised Luigi and went right back to Peppinos to bring home a white sauce pizza for Mrs. Pie She loved it!

PIZZA SNOB RATING   **** 1/2 Nearer Perfection

Peppinos Pizzeria & Ice Cream Shop
4141 E. County Hwy 30-A
Seagrove Beach, FL 32459
850-213-0037
[no website]

I couldn’t believe that I had gotten too busy to have mapped out any pizza plans for a recent trip back home. But as fate would have it, my phone rang right as I got off the plane at Newark Airport. It was my biz associate Richard from the Left Coast. Leaving the true nature of his call for last, he immediately followed my “Hello” with “I heard you are The Pizza Snob.” After fessing up and then mentioning I was in New York, he asked if I had ever been to Stromboli Pizza in the Village. I replied “No, but I will go there tomorrow!” which I did.

Although it was a chilly night, the Snob was in the need of some exercise. After driving into the City, I parked Dad’s car in Soho and then proceeded on a long brisk walk over to Stromboli on the northwest corner of St. Marks Place and First Avenue. St. Marks Place is a street with a history of having been quite seedy back in the day. It’s cleaned up a bit, but it still isn’t a place where you will see a lot of limos passing through.

Stromboli’s small room was old, dark and dungy, somehow fitting the mood of the block. There was a counter in the rear at which I ordered my plain cheese slice ($2.75) and several wooden tables in the front where I sat waiting for it to toast up. There was a small chalkboard advertising what was for sale (mostly pizza, but also rolls, heroes and calzones) and an assortment of slice-ready pies under glass. It was cash-only with an ATM in the room.

My slice only took about a minute and it was ready. My first observation was that it looked quite colorful from its seasoning and reheating.  Boy, the bottom crust on this baby was brilliantly charred and made for a firm and delightfully crisp foundation. Perhaps it carried a bit more cheese by Snob standards, but it was not too much to cause any slippage or create excess oil. Nonetheless, it was a good solid tasting Mozzarella that was brilliantly seasoned. The tomato sauce on the other hand had a slight sweetness which I found a bit distracting and was perhaps the only thing in my book keeping Stromboli’s slice from perfection.

All in all, I had a great late-in-the-planning Manhattan pizza excursion and am happy to add Stromboli Pizza to the Snob’s list of places to recommend. It’s a contagiously-delicious one that I will find hard to pass up if I am in the area.

Thanks Richard for helping fill my dance card!

PIZZA SNOB RATING     ****1/2 Nearer Perfection

Stromboli Pizza
83 St. Marks Place New York, New York 10003
212-673-3691
www.strombolipizzanewyorkcity.com

After scoring at Stromboli Pizza, the Pizza Snob continued his evening walk through the City with no particular place to go. Walking back to the Village, I overheard a young man asking a stranger where he could get a slice of New York pizza. I immediately got nosy, interrupted and took the Californian to Joe’s Pizza, telling him he would be getting the best there is. While there, I joined in for a slice and wasn’t the least bit disappointed. But, it may have prejudiced me for the next pizza stop of my evening.

(Note—I know that this is not my line of business, but I did have to first follow Joe’s with a visit to the place next store where I had one of my favorite all time sweet treats.)

I took back to walking and started wondering where there might be another pizza place that I had seen before, but had not yet tried. With Dad’s car in Soho, I started walking down Lafayette when I recalled seeing a place nearby that was across from a small triangular park. Getting closer, I then spotted Champion Pizza Soho which was still serving slices at this late hour.

Before I entered the small comfy shotgun-style room with a wooden floor and bare brick walls, I came upon their sandwich board sign advertising that slices were only $2.00. While not as brazenly cheap as the dollar-slice joints, it still was a caution for the Snob. I’m just not one who is looking for discounted pizza.

At the counter in the rear were many slices on display with an obvious slant towards a variety of specialty square slices. Sticking to the basics, my usual plain cheese slice took only a mere 45 seconds for its reheat. Taking it to a table in the front, I was gobsmacked as to how perfectly-assembled and expertly-cooked this slice was. It could not have been toasted and charred any better.

But, it hit me right away—the tomato sauce had a sweet taste which just wasn’t going over well with me. But man, what a wonderfully crisp and crunchy crust—it even cracked when I folded it. The cheese was fine, but as I got to the end, I really tired of that sweet-tasting sauce.

Perhaps a bit prejudiced by both my previous slice at Joe’s and Champion’s discounted price, this slice that had so much going for it turned out to be somewhat of a letdown. Still, it’s a decent slice by anyone’s standards and certainly a great bargain for the price. But this is Manhattan, and there are so many better places that I prefer.

PIZZA SNOB RATING     ****Near Perfection
Champion Pizza Soho
17 Cleveland Place (near Kenmare and Centre Streets)
New York, NY 10012
212-226-3777
www.1achampionpizza.net

With my plans to attend a concert at Monmouth University complete, I began searching for a pizza joint for the Snob to invade in this virgin territory. Googling “best pizza in Monmouth County” led me to a place in Neptune with a rather long name: Pete & Elda’s Bar / Carmen’s Pizzeria. Oddly enough, it was already on my list of recommended places, albeit erroneously as two separate entries.

Heading to the Shore on a Friday afternoon, I learned that both the Bayonne Bridge and Pulaski Skyway were closed and the Turnpike Bridge was under construction (When is it never?). Trapped on the Bayonne Peninsula, it took dealing with a lot of traffic before I finally reached the wide open road of the Garden State Parkway.

Finding Pete & Elda’s, I first came upon its large overflowing parking lot. Finally gabbing a spot as someone pulled out, I made my way to the entrance of the long narrow free-standing building. With cars everywhere outside, it was no surprise that there was a wait. Being in somewhat of a rush, I asked the hostess if I could simply get a pizza at the bar. Her reply in the positive however only led me to the disappointment of circling the bar and not finding a single empty seat. But it was my lucky day. After completing my lap, the same conscientious hostess offered me a seat at a small table that just opened up.

As soon as I was seated, I was quickly greeted by my waitress and ordered a “large” (their middle size) plain cheese pizza for $12.25. I also inquired about the two names. Story goes they were once separate businesses, and the pizza people bought out the bar people when they retired. The building is now one long stretch, but the former separation point is still apparent.

For as busy as they were, my pie came in about only ten minutes. There were eight thin shiny-looking slices on the silver pie platform. The end crust showed some char, and there were some pizza bubbles resting on top. The slices were firm and crisp and the tomato sauce and Mozzarella cheese were cooked and blended together just right.

I certainly had no problem putting away those eight slices in record time, and I now see why they were lining up to get in here. Not perfect by Snob standards, but this pie was pretty darn good and tasty. The two minor setbacks for the Snob were my preference for less oil and the fact that the crust had a dry saltine cracker-like taste. There were even some empty air pockets in the ends.

There is no denying though that Pete & Elda’s serves up a unique, classy-looking and tasty pie. Its execution was brilliant, but the dry brittle taste of the crust just didn’t quite fully satisfy the Snob. Still, this is a legendary pizza place that every budding pizza snob needs to visit if they get the chance.

PIZZA SNOB RATING ****Near Perfection

Pete & Elda’s Bar / Carmen’s Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant
96 Woodland Avenue Neptune City, NJ  07753
732-774-6010
www.peteandeldas.com

It had been a long evening in Monmouth County starting with my visit to Pete & Elda’s Bar / Carmen’s Pizzeria and then a concert. But the night was still young, and the Pizza Snob was hungry and looking for further adventure. Using my IPhone, I summoned up the whereabouts of a place I had noted just in case time would allow. The good news was that I was fairly close, and their 11:00 pm closing time would allow time for a visit to Scala’s Pizzeria in downtown Long Branch.

At this hour, the walk-up storefront pizza joint seemed to be the only place still hopping on the main drag of the commerce district. Fortune had it that I was able to find a parking spot right at the front door, and I still had enough Jersey in me to execute a perfect parallel park. Inside I would fine a busy pizza joint bustling with serious late night slice activity. The few outside tables were empty on this chilly evening, but the inside ones were full. Only some empty counter seating remained for the Snob.

After requesting and paying for a plain cheese slice ($1.75), I first made a quick visit to the Men’s Room. I then returned to the counter area to wait for my slice that I had seen them load into their CPO (“conventional pizza oven”). After waiting way too long, I followed up in hopes of saving my poor slice from burning to a crisp. But alas, it did not die a fiery death, it was simply mistakenly given to another customer while I was doing my business. Laughs and apologies later, they quickly reheated me another, and it was time for to get to my pizza business.

My first glance at my slice noted that it was more of an equilateral triangle than the usual longer more classic-looking shape. Perhaps a little too shiny-looking on the top, the bottom however had an awesome-looking consistent char (one of the best the Snob has ever seen) that made the crust enticingly crack when I folded it. It was heated to a perfect eating temperature, and I can safely say that Scala’s slice was delicious and very satisfying.

I do have to knock some points off though in analyzing it for perfection. Taste-wise there was a slight mustiness to the Mozzarella and an unsavory tang to the tomato sauce—slight blemishes though on an otherwise masterfully-manufactured slice of pizza. The slight bit of extra oil didn’t interfere, and the crispy tasteful crust really made this slice stand out.

I really loved the warm and friendly vibe at Scala’s and would come back for their pizza any time. I am sure that this must be a happening joint when the nearby beach is in full summer swing. I say if you are in town to certainly give it a try!

PIZZA SNOB RATING ****Near Perfection

Scala’s Pizzeria
88 Brighton Avenue Long Branch, NJ  07740
732-222-8728
www.scalaspizzeria.com

It had been several months since the Mario’s Pizza location on Broadway went dark. Word was that a new joint called Old Fashion Brooklyn Pizza would take its place. Well on my last trip home, a walk by the location revealed that they either abandoned that name or someone else had slipped into the space. Whatever happened, on the spot now sits Lorenzo’s Pizza and Pasta serving up pies and slices along with some other Italian dishes.

I paid Lorenzo’s a visit to learn that they have been open for only four weeks. They were still in grand opening celebratory mode hosting an American flag flanked by two Italian flags on their front curb. It was still early on this Saturday afternoon, and I was the day’s first customer. I got the first cut of the day from a waiting plain cheese slice pie on the counter.

If you recall, Mario’s abandoned his joint offering any prospective new owner the opportunity to take over his existing equipment at the site. Lorenzo’s looks to have taken up Mario up on his offer, possibly garnering his pizza prescription as well. (Lorenzo’s slices seemed quite similar to Mario’s according to the Snob’s senses.) It also was the same small room on the inside, but perhaps white-washed over with a new coat of paint.

Gratuitously, the apparent new owner/operator (Lorenzo, I presume) asked me how I’d like my slice to which I replied “hot and crispy.” Like I said, it came out great matching what I though was a previously fine slice made by Mario.

It was served hot, and since it was not overdone with cheese, was quite comfortable to eat. About all I can say about a slice like this is that if you got it anywhere else in the world you would be raving about it. Up here in the Pizza State, standards are a little higher, and I just really couldn’t say that this one went over the top in the flavor department. While nothing was missing, it just didn’t have anything out-of-the-ordinary extra special about it—and that’s not necessarily a bad thing!

Lorenzo’s pizza seems to follow that same local Bayonne formula for a good slice. While it’s nothing you’d want to travel a great distance for, if you want a good-tasting basic New York slice of pizza, it’s there waiting for you! I wish the new owner success.

PIZZA SNOB RATING   **** Near Perfection

Lorenzo’s Pizza and Pasta
330 Broadway (between 15^th and 16^th Streets) Bayonne, NJ 07002
201-339-0191
[no website]

When I am back home in the Pizza State of New Jersey, there is nothing better I like doing on a pretty Sunday afternoon than taking a journey into some new strange unexplored area of the island of Manhattan. It was a perfect day for doing just that, and I grabbed my brother and we headed out for one of the many places on my pizza referral list. This latest destination came courtesy of none other than famous singer and former Columbia student Art Garfunkel who in an interview with Forbes claimed V&T Pizzeria to be the maker of his favorite pizza.

After crossing the Hudson River on the Path Train, we mistakenly grabbed the express version of the uptown A Train and severely overshot our destination by a good ten blocks. It didn’t matter since we thoroughly enjoyed our walk on this beautiful day south alongside the eastside of Morningside Park. At park’s end, we took a right turn on 110th Street which led us to V&T which sits on Amsterdam Avenue right across from the spectacular Cathedral Church of St. John the Devine.

V&T is a classy joint, more of a nice Italian restaurant than just a pizza place, and has been around since 1945. They serve an enticing menu to two indoor dining rooms and a row of tables outside on the avenue right across from the Cathedral. I’ll let you figure out where we sat on this lovely day.

We didn’t even give our waitress time to say hello before we ordered a large plain cheese pizza (an eight slice 18-incher for $15.50) and a health-minded grilled chicken Caesar salad (it was wonderful) to share as a starter.

Our pie came out at a perfect eating temperature, and right off the bat I agreed with Artie that this was one tasty and delicious pizza. However, it would not even be in contention to call my favorite since in terms of composition, it is quite a bit off tradition from a classic New York-style pizza–a fact and not necessarily a complaint.

Now this may sound strange, but it terms of its shape, size and consistency, it reminded me of a Papa John’s pizza. (Please don’t ask me how I know that.) It’s just thicker in the dough and cheese department than one normally finds on a classic NY pie. (BTW I didn’t see any slices offered despite what Artie said about eating them there.)

Plain and simple, what made this pizza so tasty was the use of top-rate ingredients all the way through. I loved the taste of the tomato sauce and Mozzarella cheese and the overall unique flavoring that tied them together. The combination of oregano and garlic tasted outstanding. I also noticed that some of the cheese on top was slightly toasted. It was not burnt and actually tasted quite good—somewhat of a new twist for the Snob. But there was a noticeable lack of char on the bottom which made for a much chewy but tasty crust.

The heavier pie and the big delicious salad did fill us up, and we wound up leaving two slices that by now had gotten a little too cold to eat.

After eating, Alex the owner came to deliver our check, and I could not resist asking him about Artie. He said that it was true that this is the only pizza that Art Garfunkel ever eats, and he still comes in. In fact, since V&T doesn’t deliver, they sometimes send one over to his apartment on 79th by cab that runs Artie a total of $40 to cover the pie, fare and tips.

While I am far from calling this my favorite pizza, Artie did pick a good one that with its great location makes for a pleasant pizza journey for anyone up for such a thing.

For the record, although I could not squeeze a comment out of my brother, he did agree with my Snob rating on this one.

PIZZA SNOB RATING     ****Near Perfection

V&T Pizzeria
1024 Amsterdam Avenue (between 110th and 111th Streets)
New York, NY 10025
212-663-1708
[no website]