Garden State Slice [This is the debut entry of Amanda G., our New Jersey bureau chief. She'll be checking out pizzerias west of the Hudson for Slice. — Ed.]
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The Grimaldi's in Hoboken is on the corner of Clinton and Second streets, a short walk from the Hoboken PATH station. Like its namesake east of the Hudson, this Grimaldi's has a coal-fired oven. Our New Jersey bureau chief's half-pepperoni–half-mushroom-olive pie. | Photographs by Amanda G.
I had high hopes for our trip to the Hoboken branch of Grimaldi's. My husband, Steve, and I had eaten there a couple of times when we lived down the street. We had ordered take-out on occasion, and I remembered the pizza having a chewy crust that was perfectly charred; a bright sauce; and mild, melty cheese.
So when Steve, my sister, and I headed over there for dinner recently, I was expecting, more or less, pizza perfection. What we got was anything but, despite a pleasant atmosphere (I do love the red-and-white tablecloths) and a well-dressed salad to start things off. We ordered a large pie, half pepperoni and half mushroom and olive. It was delivered to our table with a flourish, and looked delicious. But when we prodded it gently with the provided spatula to remove the first slice, a soupy center came to light. There was a small puddle of liquid pooled on top of the pie and underneath the crust. I attempted the Fold Hold, to no avail, and had to eat the pizza with a knife and fork.
The slice, to its credit, tasted good, despite the mushy foundation. All the toppings were fresh (well, apart from the olives, which seemed canned) and the sauce had the perfect balance of ripe sweetness and bright tang. The pepperoni was meaty and spicy and didn't require major effort to chew, which was good. I particularly enjoyed the cheese, which cooled quickly and made for easier eating.
But that sorry, soggy, soupy crust ruined it for me. I missed taking that first bite of the slice, where your teeth push through the cheese and it just burns the roof of your mouth a little before you pierce the crust with a satisfying crunch. I tried to simulate the experience by piling some of the sauce, cheese, and toppings onto a bit of the handle-crust that remained crisp, but it wasn't the same.
Of course, this beautiful state of ours has plenty of other fine pizza parlors to visit, including local favorites right in town (East Brunswick) like American Pie and Stefano's. This Pizza Patrol is on the move. ... Till next time.
AG: Nice report. It's too bad to hear the crust was soggy. I wonder, though, if ordering olive and mushroom was detrimental to the dough. As one reader commented when we visited the Brooklyn Grimaldi's, water-bearing toppings often adversely affect crust. I'd like to do a trip where we go to Grimaldi's Brooklyn and Hoboken in the same day to do a comparison—this time eating just plain pies as benchmarks.
One idea for NJ story: Let's go to PIZZALAND, the pizzeria shown during the opening credits of the Sopranos.
If you haven't arlready, I would recommend you check out the legendary Benny Tudino's on Washington street in Hoboken. They are the "home of the big slice" and tasty also. You might want to hop on the train and get off at Rutherford Station and walk one block up Park Ave into East Rutherford, NJ and try a pie at The New Park Tavern. They have a super-thin crust and its popular with us locals. Just don't order peppers or onions. The crust is too thin to handle the moisture.
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I had high hopes for our trip to the Hoboken branch of Grimaldi's. My husband, Steve, and I had eaten there a couple of times when we lived down the street. We had ordered take-out on occasion, and I remembered the pizza having a chewy crust that was perfectly charred; a bright sauce; and mild, melty cheese.
So when Steve, my sister, and I headed over there for dinner recently, I was expecting, more or less, pizza perfection. What we got was anything but, despite a pleasant atmosphere (I do love the red-and-white tablecloths) and a well-dressed salad to start things off. We ordered a large pie, half pepperoni and half mushroom and olive. It was delivered to our table with a flourish, and looked delicious. But when we prodded it gently with the provided spatula to remove the first slice, a soupy center came to light. There was a small puddle of liquid pooled on top of the pie and underneath the crust. I attempted the Fold Hold, to no avail, and had to eat the pizza with a knife and fork.
The slice, to its credit, tasted good, despite the mushy foundation. All the toppings were fresh (well, apart from the olives, which seemed canned) and the sauce had the perfect balance of ripe sweetness and bright tang. The pepperoni was meaty and spicy and didn't require major effort to chew, which was good. I particularly enjoyed the cheese, which cooled quickly and made for easier eating.
5 Comments:
AG: Nice report. It's too bad to hear the crust was soggy. I wonder, though, if ordering olive and mushroom was detrimental to the dough. As one reader commented when we visited the Brooklyn Grimaldi's, water-bearing toppings often adversely affect crust. I'd like to do a trip where we go to Grimaldi's Brooklyn and Hoboken in the same day to do a comparison—this time eating just plain pies as benchmarks.
One idea for NJ story: Let's go to PIZZALAND, the pizzeria shown during the opening credits of the Sopranos.
Adam Kuban at 12:09AM on 06/04/04
field trip!
Slice janelle at 9:53AM on 06/04/04
Hi,
If you haven't arlready, I would recommend you check out the legendary Benny Tudino's on Washington street in Hoboken. They are the "home of the big slice" and tasty also. You might want to hop on the train and get off at Rutherford Station and walk one block up Park Ave into East Rutherford, NJ and try a pie at The New Park Tavern. They have a super-thin crust and its popular with us locals. Just don't order peppers or onions. The crust is too thin to handle the moisture.
Cheers,
Jack
Slice Jack M. at 8:20PM on 06/30/04
the vegetable topping made it soggy! next time try the plain pizza.
Slice hobokenpizza at 4:45PM on 07/08/06
they knew you were from out of town!
Slice bob at 2:00AM on 10/06/06