Review: Riccardo's Pizza and Italian Restaurant - Browns Mills, NJ

Many who grew up Trenton tomato pie are fiercely loyal to this take on pizza. So loyal, in fact, that they bristle when you call it pizza. If you're new to the concept of a Trenton tomato pie, click HERE for a primer on what "tomato pie" means in Philly, in Trenton, or in Charleston SC. It's a different baked delicacy in all three areas, and one isn't even a pizza!

Tomato pie at Riccardo's

Back in the 1980s, the only place you could get a true Trenton tomato pie was ( ... drum roll ... ) in Trenton, NJ. Trenton was full of fine Italian pizzerias (ahem, tomato pie joints) and restaurants, many of the true mom and pop variety. At the top of my list was DeLorenzo's Tomato Pies on Hudson Street (not to be confused with DeLorenzo's Pizza on Hamilton Avenue) and Joe's Tomato Pies (closed in 1999). There were many others, including my current favorite, Papa's Tomato Pies. DeLorenzo's and Papa's have both relocated to the Robbinsville suburb.

Riccardo's exterior

Even though Trenton itself no longer has any tomato pie joints or legacy Italian restaurants, the Trenton Tomato Pie is thriving in the suburbs. It has spread northward to Titusville at It's Nutt's, southward to Burlington County at Mateo's and Lillo's, and eastward to Browns Mills at Riccardo's. You can get a Trenton tomato pie at the wonderful pizza trailer Pedroso's in Austin, Texas. You can find it on the menu at Tony’s Pizzeria Napoletana in San Francisco and at Pizza Rock in Las Vegas. But let's talk about Riccardo's, the booming restaurant in Browns Mills.

Riccardo's interior

Browns Mills is a sleepy unincorporated burg in Burlington County on the edge of the Pine Barrens, and historically it was a source for modest housing for families of military folks stationed nearby at Fort Dix and McGuire Air Force Base. But now it is home to the tomato pie restaurant generating the most buzz on social media.

The real Pine Barrens

Note: if your knowledge of the Pine Barrens comes from the Sopranos episode bearing that name, you should know that the show did a great injustice by filming in a hilly area with tall trees, so obviously NOT the Pine Barrens, which are Kansas-style flat with short scrubby pine trees.

My God, these aren't even pine trees!

The Facebook Group New Jersey Pizza Joints is a high-activity forum on pizza, and Riccardo's is in heavy rotation there, garnering praise from just about all who visit. I had a long list of pizzerias for a recent trip to New Jersey (staying in Ewing, a Trenton suburb), and Riccardo's was high on that list.

Our party of four arrived just before 5pm on a weekday, so we faced no wait to get a table. The inside is big with about 30 tables, not the smaller layout you might find in a pizzeria. We decided to go big with our order - we chose a House Salad ($10.95) to share, the Browns Mills Tomato Pie ($23.95 plus $4.95 for pinched sausage topping), and the "Skinny Minnie Thinnie" which the menu describes as a pizza with a "cracker crust, super thin, baked in a rectangular pan, topped with mozzarella and San Marzano tomatoes, baked crispy" ($23.95 plus $4.95 for "roni cups" pepperoni and hot honey).

The House Salad

A word about the salad - made with iceberg lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, red onions, green olives, cucumbers and croutons, it was big enough to serve four. But the downside of arriving before 5pm is that our salad was probably prepared for the day before, because there was a bit of brown lettuce. It was a little dried out, not an ideal tone setter, but not a big deal either.

The Skinny Minnie Thinnie with "Roni Cups"

Both pies came to our table about the same time, and they were gloriously beautiful creations. We came for the Browns Mills Tomato Pie, but let's talk first about the other pie. Ordinarily, I steer clear of gimmicky menu items, especially in a pizzeria. This is not the time or place to be vegan, gluten-free, counting calories, etc. Those are all legitimate dietary concerns, but any such twists will (for me) diminish the essence of a great pizza. Don't go putting buffalo chicken (or even fresh mozzarella) on my tomato pie! 

A slice of the Skinny Minnie Thinnie

Hence, the idea of a "Skinny Minnie Thinnie" pizza seems like a pie to skip right over. But one thoughtful reviewer (again, on the Jersey Pizza Joints group) had mentioned it and shared pics. We took a gamble on it and I'm glad we did. 

Beautiful char under the Skinny Minnie Thinnie

This pizza was  indeed cracker-thin, but its crust was sturdy enough to give proper support to its substantial cheese payload on top. Even though the menu says that the cheese is whole milk mozzarella, we detected a flavor that reminded us of the pizza at JoJo's Tavern in Hamilton Square NJ, where the cheese blend includes cheddar (according to some reviewers).

"Skinny" may decribe the thickness of this pan baked delight, but it surely cannot refer to the calories, because this pie was dense with cheese and the lovely oil from cup-and-char style of pepperoni. That pepperoni was absolutely top grade. The hot honey (which we asked for on the side) was a lovely complement for this pie, which already had an overload of umami burst.

Some edges sported a beautifully caramelized cheese border. One member of our party noted that this Skinny pie tasted like the pizza at Quincy Hall (Arlington, VA) even though the crust at Quincy is more of a New York - Neapolitan hybrid style. At any rate, don't sleep on this one. It's not a gimmick, despite the name suggesting that it's some kind of "diet pizza."

The Browns Mills Tomato Pie

The main feature, the purpose for making the drive out to Browns Mills, was of course the tomato pie. Just one glance and we knew that this was legitimate Trenton tomato pie despite its Browns Mills moniker. The crust was perfectly rigid, not even a hint of tip droop here. The pie was well-done, right up to (but not over) the edge of being burnt. I accept - even embrace - that many of the best pies are going to have some char spots.

Underneath the tomato pie

We observed some corn meal under the crust. I am among those who enjoy the slight textural changes that corn meal introduces. And when making pizza at home, I surely appreciate how it keeps the pie from sticking to the peel on the way into the oven.

No tip droop!

This pie was hitting all the right notes. The thin-yet-crisp crust with a flavor of its own, the slightly sweet sauce (less chunky than DeLorenzo's), the ideal balance of the sauce-to-cheese-to-crust ratio, and even the lovely fresh basil on top. The pinched sausage was indeed the ideal topping, and it was top quality stuff.

This is spectacular tomato pie. All the elements were in perfect harmony. Full legit in every aspect, and it's better than my old standby, Joe's Tomato Pie. This was flawless. Riccardo's deserves every bit of the praise it's getting online. 

How does it compare to the Robbinsville pies of DeLorenzo's and Papa's? It deserves to be in the conversation, but based on eating all three over two days, I rank them Papa's, DeLo's, then Riccardo's. But the quality differences are tiny. Yes, each tomato pie maker has its distinct character, but you can easily defend putting any one of these three at the top of your list.

Beyond superlative pies, we had excellent service. This is not bargain tomato pie; $29 for a pie with meat toppings is surely on the high end, but it's still a great value. The tomato pie and the Skinny were both so good that by now I'd have been back to try the Grandma and Detroit style pies if I lived nearby. 

 

Trenton Tomato Pie Showdown: DeLorenzo's vs Papa's

Backstory: I grew up eating pizza from the only pizzeria in a tiny town in South Jersey. It was spectacular pizza, and when it closed in the 1970s, I was cast into a pizza desert. All the other nearby pizza places made cheesy greasy floppy pies that tasted fine, but were a mere shadow of the crisp and balanced pizza I had know at Rose's in Riverside NJ.

Papa's Tomato Pie

Fast forward to 1983, when I was working in Princeton NJ and a Trenton-born colleague heard my tale of pizza woe and took me to DeLorenzo's Tomato Pies in "The Burg" -- the Chambersburg section of Trenton that was chockablock with mom and pop Italian restaurants and pizzerias.

The former home of Rose's Pizza, Riverside NJ

Was it as good as Rose's? To my shock and delight, it was better! It became my favorite pizza ("tomato pie" to purists and Trenton natives) for 40+ years counting. I bought pizza there for a few decades before I could ever coax a smile out of Eileen Amico, who usually worked the register while Gary Amico slung the pies. 

Eileen and Gary Amico, DeLo's on Hudson Street in 2012

I figured out exactly when to call to order the pie -- a few minutes before they opened, which was a few minutes after they would answer and say "we're not open yet" and a few minutes before they would take the phone off the hook because they already had more orders than they could handle. I learned to get a tomato pie every Thurday during Lent, when demand slackened because all the regulars wanted a meatless pizza on Friday.

DeLorenzo's Tomato Pie

When I couldn't get an order in at DeLorenzo's, my backup was Joe's Tomato Pies, which closed early in the 2000s. I shamefully didn't get Papa's Tomato Pies on my radar; I tried it for the first time in 2012 (at the former Trenton location on Chambers Street) and said in my review:

"On the Very First Bite, I knew that this pie was something special. Its crust did not look distinctive, and it had only a mild char underneath. But it was about perfectly thin, crisp, and sturdy. The cheese was good if a tad unremarkable, and the sauce had a nice savory zing. I really can't say precisely what sensory memory was triggered, but I was instantly transported to Riverside NJ and Rosa's Tomato Pie circa 1972. "

Papa's old Trenton location on Chambers Street

A few years ago, we visited Papa's at their new location in Robbinsville, and the pie was spectacular. So good, in fact, that for the first time I wondered if DeLorenzo's (also relocated to Robbinsville) had a legitimate challenger. But if you are familiar with recency theory (a psychological phenomenon where people tend to remember information presented most recently better than information presented earlier), then you may accept my Pizza Recency Theory, that the slice in your mouth is a strong candidate for "best pizza ever." 

The Hudson Street sign now inside at Robbinsville

What any pizza scientist needs is to eat different slices back-to-back to get a fully informed conclusion.

So three of us who love both Papa's and DeLorenzo's set off to visit both places consecutively for the definitive answer. DeLorenzo's seems to get more traffic than Papa's, so we arrived there at the 4pm opening time on a Wednesday in May.

Papa's in Robbinsville

We indulged in an Italian Tuna Salad for an appetizer - arugula, Italian tuna, tomatoes, onions, cured olives. We all loved it - in my notes I described it as "banging." 

Because we still had Papa's ahead, we ordered just one single pie, half sausage and half garlic There were no surprises with the tomato pie; it had the signature ultra thin and crisp crust, loads of chunky tomato sauce, and modest amounts of cheese. As with my prior Robbinsville visits, the pie seemed to lack the drizzle of olive oil that was common on Hudson Street. 

The sausage was superb, and the garlic hit all the right notes. Many folks say that the pies are not quite the same as they were in the Chambersburg location, and I agree. I suspect that the reduced/eliminated drizzle of oil is a key reason why. 

They are making many more pies with a bigger staff, so some variation is expected. Still awesome, but next time I'm asking for that olive oil! We each ate just two slices so that we could give Papa's a fair evaluation with not-yet-full stomachs.

Underside of the DeLorenzo's tomato pie

After the restraint we showed at DeLo's, we went all in and ordered two tomato pies at Papa's when we arrived just before 5:00pm (plenty of open tables). So many folks in the Facebook Jersey Pizza Joints group have been praising the mustard pie that we decided to get a regular tomato pie and the mustard variety. I have had the mustard pie and enjoyed it, so I wanted my dining companions to experience it.

Papa's interior

For the purpose of even comparison, the regular pie was the same as we had ordered at DeLo's - half garlic, half sausage. For the mustard pie we went with half pepperoni, half sausage. Let's begin with the mustard pie before we get to the main event!

Our regular pie at Papa's

We'll start with the bottom line: at best, the mustard was a distraction. For us, it made a great pizza taste like Philly pretzels or hot dogs or other things where mustard belongs. When I had a mustard pie at Papa's on Chambers Street  in 2012, I felt that the mustard was subdued, lending mostly an extra layer of salt that I enjoyed. Perhaps it was applied too thickly this time, but we uniformly agreed that the mustard pie came in last. Your mileage may vary! I get it that some folks love it. 

The mustard pie at Papa's

For both pies, the crust was wonderful. I felt that the Papa's crust was 95% as great as DeLorenzo's for most of each slice, but then even better at the cornicione. Papa's had a better sauce/cheese ratio and flavor; this was a perfectly balanced pie. The sausage, like the sausage at DeLorenzo's, was impeccable. It reaffirmed my preference for pinched sausage as the best topping.

Papa's terrific crust and cornicione

Just a few years ago at Papa's, I thought the garlic pie almost eclipsed the sausage pie; it was ethereal. On this visit, the sausage half was superior, and I think it's because the garlic came out of a jar. That's a no-no for any reason, but especially so on pizza this great.

Underside of a Papa's slice

Final verdict? There's a new sherriff in town! I cannot believe that after 40 years someone has dethroned DeLorenzo's, but here is how we ranked the three tomato pies we ate that day:

1. Papa's regular tomato pie

2. DeLorenzo's tomato pie

3. Papa's mustard pie

We ate pizza from JoJo's Tavern and Riccardo's Tomato Pies during the same week. All of these were wonderful and any of them could justifiably be your favorite.  

Even before I could drive, I loved the Reedman ads. This one from 1964 is on the wall at Papa's

DeLorenzo's was my oasis when I stumbled out of the pizza desert in 1983. It has filled my belly and it fills my pizza memories. I discovered Papa's decades too late, but I can reach one very easy conclusion: people within driving distance of Robbinsville NJ have extraordinary choices with these best-of-class pizzerias.

Review: JoJo's Tavern, Hamilton (Trenton) NJ

JoJo's Tavern was launched in 1962 as a workingman's watering hole, located on Nottingham Way in the heart of Hamilton Township, NJ. I first visited there after a company softball game about 20 years later in the early 1980's. I remember a very casual tavern that had cheap beer and pretty good bar pizza, but not pizza that could compare to DeLorenzo's Tomato Pies, nearby in Trenton proper. 

I lived in nearby Ewing for four years and rarely considered JoJo's to be in the upper echelon of pizza joints; Joe's Tomato Pies (long closed, sadly) was my backup when DeLorenzo's took the phone off the hook, typically about 5 minutes after opening.

Decades later and living in Austin, I now follow "Jersey Pizza Joints" on Facebook. That group has alerted me to some truly exceptional pizza being made all over NJ; for my recent visit, the focus was Central Jersey. JoJo's was getting a lot of love, and therefore our group of three arrived for an early dinner on a rainy Tuesday in May.

Escarole and beans

The hostess seemed annoyed that we didn't have a reservation when we showed up a few minutes before 6pm, but she found us a high-top table near the bar. For the record, the service tone changed immediately with our server, who was cheerful and polite and attenetive without being overly solicitous. 

The overall vibe of JoJo's was much more upscale than my hazy memory of the early 80s' version. But man oh man, the crowd defined "Trenton/Hamilton" as well as possible. It's hard for me to articulate what makes the Trenton environs unique beyond the ability of locals to pronounce "Trenton" as one syllable, but this places feels just like Trenton always did to me decades ago.

We were happy to see both cider on tap and a good selection of draft beers, like my Allagash White ($6.50). We began our dinner by sharing the escarole & beans appetizer; this $14 platter of sauteed escarole and cannellini beans in garlic and oil was plenty for four people, but the three of us scarfed it down easily. It was brilliant creamy delicious perfection, served with soft warm seeded Italian bread. It looked and tasted and felt like the golden days of Chambersburg, the section of Trenton that once hosted many wonderful Italian restaurants.

A quick aside: If you are old enough to remember Diamond's, La Gondola, Crecco's, Sal DeForte's, and Marsilio's -- you can still get that feeling at The Blue Danube. Yes, it began as a Hungarian/Eastern European restaurant, but it now features a smattering of old school Italian dishes. Everyone working there looks like a lifetime Trenton local. The food is great, it is IN the heart of Trenton on Adeline Street, prices are modest, and you ought to go to this wonderful time warp before it's gone.

On to the pizza! We chose a large pie ($17) and added sausage (pinched raw onto the pie before baking, the ONLY proper way) for $3 more. The crust was lovely - crispy and crunchy, very thin but perfectly sturdy. In the very center it was a bit soft from the substantial payload of cheese, so the first bite was less crisp.

The sauce had the iconic Jersey flavor. It's hard to describe but it's true that top notch Jersey pizza tastes different than pizza in other places, even many Philly and NYC pizzerias. Not better or worse, just Jersey! That signature sauce mingled with the generous amount of conventional mozzarella and some damn fine sausage.

Unlike the tomato pies we had the next day at Papa's and DeLorenzo's, this bar pizza was very cheese forward. Almost (almost!) too much cheese, but it had a wonderful flavor. Again, a flavor you don't find in many places outside Jersey. This pie was nearly perfectly balanced, and the sausage delivered the umami bang that brought it all home.

Would I change anything? Maybe a little more sauce and a little less cheese, but we all loved it exactly as it was served. In my notes I wrote that "no pizza outside the Philly-NJ-NYC corridor has this flavor." It's not a tomato pie, but it's sooooo Trenton. Beyond the pizza, we had a nice side dish of broccoli rabe ($9) that was perfectly rendered but still took a back seat to the escarole and beans.

Where does JoJo's rank? It can't quite displace DeLorenzo's or Papa's, but I get it that some prefer it. It's as good as "pizza" or "bar pie" can get. It's great pizza, world class stuff, and no wonder this place was jamming on a rainy Tuesday evening.