Having some "early evening" pizza at Basile's in Hoboken! |
-
Dozzino
(Hoboken, N.J; http://www.dozzino.com/) –
When restaurants pride themselves on “fresh and local” ingredients it can often
mean a limited and boring menu – but fortunately Dozzino’s delivers. The small pies – with several toppings from
red pepper and calabrese salami to pecorino romano, fontina and basil – cooked
by a wood fire, make this one of the hottest new pizza places in town. And they have a bocce court too!
-
Carmine’s
Pizzeria (Brooklyn, N.Y.; http://www.carminespizzeria.com/)
– This may look and feel like your typical Italian restaurant, but Carmine’s
offers so much more. Not to be confused
with the tourist trap in the city, this Carmine’s is a local legend that keeps patrons
coming back – from the Chicken Parm to the Yankees Pie, this place is as
Brooklyn as you can get.
-
Rosario’s
(Hoboken, N.J.; http://www.allmenus.com/nj/hoboken/17083-rosarios-at-willow/menu/)
– The debate between thin/crispy versus thick/doughy pizza has been around for ages
(or at least since 1889, according to Wikipedia). If you’re of the doughy camp, Rosario’s is
the place for you. It’s a friendly, neighborhood
joint with five tables and a small TV that will always be playing some local sports
team’s game. The food is reliable, but
nothing to write home about, especially if you live around the corner!
(Full disclosure: I do…)
-
Gennaro’s
(Hamilton, N.J.; http://www.gennarospizzeria.com/)
– Run by an Italian family in Hamilton that your “mother’s sister’s cousin
probably went to middle school with,” Gennaro’s is the place you go when you
want home cooking but don’t feel like doing the dishes. The Italiano Pie – topped with fig,
prosciutto, arugula, red onion and goat cheese – is famous in Hamilton and one
of the best topping combinations I’ve ever had.
-
7 Stars
(Hoboken, N.J.; http://www.7starspizza.com/)
– Following a friendly discussion on the characteristics that make a good pie,
the term “late night pizza” (© BA) surfaced.
7 Stars may hit the spot after a long day or night spent at the bar, but
it’s not the type of place you’d go without your beer goggles securely on first.
-
Napoli’s
(Hoboken, N.J.; http://www.allmenus.com/nj/hoboken/243834-napolis/menu/)
– Unexpectedly one of the best pizza places in Hoboken - and with more than 20
to choose from, that’s saying a lot. The
Margarita Pie was not too doughy or too crispy and the combination of the sweet
marinara sauce and salty fresh mozzarella made it the Goldilocks of pizza!
With only eight check-ins to go, I’m at a crucial turning
point where I have to choose whether to continue stumbling into whichever
pizza “joint” I come across in my ‘hoods or be a tad pickier and rightfully earn the badge that rewards only the “true pizza connoisseur.”
This badge has been my most recent foodie adventure – I’m so
close I can taste it. I just need to
ponder where my finals check-ins should be, taking me one step closer to
this lifetime achievement. What are your
most/least favorite pizza shops? How
would you spend your 20 check-ins?