Otto Enoteca Pizzeria - New York City

It has been quite a few trips to the city since we have ventured over to Chelsea, so today was the perfect day to make a visit to Mario Batali's Otto

Enoteca. Today, as expected, the restaurant was pretty dead, and we walked in only to see 6 or 7 other tables seated, but it was also 3PM in the afternoon as well.

For whatever reason we were seated in the back of the restaurant all to ourselves with the exception of 1 other table next to us. What I really love about Otto is the fact that the entire menu is just one page, while the wine list is the 3 pages following the menu, in small print. LOL! You have to love it, and Mario has picked out some stellar Italian wines at good prices.

We started with cocktails and wine. Zelda ordered something called The Ruiz that was extremely floral and a bit offensive in my book, while I ordered a Pio Cesare Barbaresco that was young, but drinking very nicely as the bottle opened.

For appetizers this afternoon, we went the 5 cheese route as we always do,
and they were all delicious. We had a nice selection of Parmigiano Reggiano, Provolone Mandorone, Fontina, Percorini di Fossa, and a Taleggio.

These went nicely with the fresh bread, and the breadsticks that they brought to the table. They also brought out a peach or mango in a chili sauce of sort that was interesting, some cherries, and a delicious truffled honey that was awesome.

On the pie front, I think we ordered the same pizza's as the last time we were here. Zelda went the Margherita D.O.P. route with tomato, bufala mozzarella, and basil, and as always, this was great. I really liked the sauce on this pie, as well as the cheese. The sauce has a nice freshness to it, while the cheese was creamy melted goodness.

I ordered the pepperoni with tomato, spicy salami, cacio, and mozzarella, and just like last time, it was delicious. While I am not a huge fan of salt, the salt that this pizza has from the salami is perfect, to the point where you almost crave it as crazy as that sounds. There is just something about it, and something about the flavors.

Both pies are absolutely thin, and I have to imagine that they use a machine to get these crusts as this as they do. Whatever it is, it works for them, and I enjoy it.

All in all, it was a very special day to visit New York City, and I am glad we made the trek! The dservice was good as usual, and the atmosphere is nice. While there are many restaurants in NY we love, Otto is always nice when we don't have a reservation and just want some comfort food! I hope it
doesn't take us a year (or 3) to get back again.  Cheers!

Otto Enotecca
1 Fifth Avenue at 8th Street
New York, NY 10003
Phone: (212)995-9559
http://www.ottopizzeria.com/

Nomad Pizza - Hopewell, NJ

I’ve been reading about all the hype at Nomad pizza for years now, and tonight seemed as good as any to go check it out!  That said we loaded up the wine bag with stems and wine, and trekked on over to Hopewell to see for ourselves.
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From everything that I have read on Chowhound, Nomad turns their tables very fast, but there can be waits to up to an hour.  Fortunately for us, we found a parking spot right in front on the street, and we walked in and grabbed the last 2 top that was open.  We had arrived around 6:45PM, and the rest of the restaurant was jam packed.  They definitely pack them in!
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As you walk in the restaurant, the first thing you notice is the giant brick oven in the back left hand corner of the restaurant.  Prior to that, they have their prep line, where there were 4-6 people working, and this overlooks the dining room.  Right in front of this is a giant, long table, where it seems that they seat people, one next to another.  We were seated on the right hand side of the restaurant, where it looks as though the doors open during the nice weather months to the outside.  I can only imagine this being very nice on an evening with gorgeous weather.  There were also a couple tables at either end of the restaurant. 
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Another element that I think adds to the interior is the tongue and groove, white ceiling in the restaurant.  This looks nice, and gives the place a clean, finished look.  But at the end of the day, what is important here is the large brick oven!  ;-)  After all, this is what continues to make Nomad a thriving success!
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I grabbed our wine glasses, as well as a ½ bottle that I had poured last night’s remnants of a 2006 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Koplen vineyard into before I put it in the fridge over night.  If you’re wondering why I pour it into a half bottle, it is because this takes away the air space, and in my opinion, keeps the wine better overnight.  I also grabbed a bottle of 2007 Roots Run Deep Winery Cabernet Sauvignon “Educated Guess.”  There is a lot of debate on this wine right now on Wine Berserkers at: http://wineberserkers.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=28208  , so I really wanted to see for ourselves.  Check out the review below in the next day or so!
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Our server came over, and I think his name was Bill.  He ran through the 3 additions to the menu tonight, and also let us know that there was no clam pie on the menu tonight.  Meanwhile, one of the bus girls came over and brought us a chilled bottle of water and two glasses.  This was actually a very nice tough, as it is a blue/aqua colored bottle, and kind of that old school bottle with the plastic cap that you can snap shut.  I am assuming that afterwards, they wash these and refill them, but it adds a nice little element of sophistication, and also places some nice color on the table around the restaurant.  Our server also asked if we had been here before, and we said that we had not.
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He then explained that the pies were 12 inches, and what a lot of people do is order a salad to split, and then a pie to split.  He did however tell us that eating an entire pie by yourself is very possible.  Come on, 12 inches?  Seems like I could polish that off with no problem right?  Well, we’ll see!  So he took our order, and I kid you not, it couldn’t have been more than 4 minutes and our pies came to the table bubbling hot out of the brick oven.  How is this possible?
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Well, it is entirely possible as Nomad keeps their brick oven at temperatures from 750 to 1000 degrees, letting each pizza cook to perfection in less than 2 minutes.  The oven is fueled by wood, and they use only cherry or apple.  As you can see from the pictures, these pies are gorgeous.  The bubbly crust is cooked very nicely, and has a good airiness to it.  In just a few places, the heat has given it a nice char, but overall it is a great crust!  This is definitely different from your normal pie, and this is some of the best brick oven crust around.  Much better than any of the chains that boast their brick oven.
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Both our pies were cooked nicely, with a good crunchy crust, yet the inner crust was soft and chewy.  Nomad definitely has taken the time to perfect their crust over the years, and it shows.  They make their dough in small batches, and let it rise overnight for a full 24 hours before serving.

The toppings were also nice, and the sauce was flavorful, while not overpowering the nice flavors of the crust.  Zelda’s ordered the Margherita, which had the San Marzano tomato inspired sauce, fresh mozzarella, aged parmesan cheese, fresh organic basil, organic olive oil, and salt.  She said that the flavors were nice, and I am sure that they were similar to mine.

I opted for the spicy sausage, which had the same San Marzano sauce, fresh mozz, and parm!  It was then kicked up a notch topped with “Simply Grazin’ Sausage, caramelized onion, and then the same organic basil and olive oil, and sea salt.  The sausage had some great spice and flavor, and not in a hot way by any means.  It was just good and flavorful, and the caramelized onions added to the deliciousness!  All in all, great brick oven pies!

Nomad also boasts their truck, and this is what made Nomad famous from what I understand!  The truck, a restored ’49 REO Speedwagon,  is the full operation in one.  It has the wood fired brick oven, refrigerator, sinks, hot water heater, generator, awning, lights, tables, etc all in one, and you can actually rent this to come to your events.  This truck can also be found in Princeton on weekend nights, sometimes parked in front of your local bar or establishment!  Needless to say, it is gorgeous!  The attached picture was actually taken from Nomad’s website, and we do not claim that this picture belongs to us or our website.  It was purely borrowed for dramatic effect! ;-)

So at the end of the day, Nomad makes a heck of a great pie, and we’ll be back in the future!  Cheese!  I mean, CHEERS!
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Nomad Pizza

10 East Broad Street

Hopewell, NJ 

Phone:  (609)466-6623

http://www.nomadpizzaco.com/

Marcello's Restaurant - Bordentown, NJ

I can't believe that in all the years we have been going to Marcello's in Bordentown, we have never taken the time to write about there here on the blog.  If there is one place to go in Bordentown to sit outsde and dine under the starts, Marcello's is that place!  With a gorgeous night upon us, Marcello's fit the bill, so we took a ride over for some dining on the deck.

Upon arriving, it was good to see both the deck and the bar packed.  Not a signle table was open outside, and not a single stool not occupied at the bar.  Seems like we weren't the only ones who wanted to dine outside tonight!

Much more to come shortly!

206 Farnsworth Avenue
Bordentown, NJ
Phone:  609.298.8360
http://www.ilovemarcellos.com/

Pizza Show Down CONTINUED - Columbus Market - Kate and Al's - vs - Pete's - Columbus, J

This thread was originally started on March 19th, and the link to the first part of this "battle" can be found HERE.

With it being a beautiful 60 degree plus day, what better reason to get out of the office for a little while and head back to Columbus to put the Pete's-vs-Kate and Al's showdown to rest! Grabbed my hat, and headed over to Columbus, and it was a mob scene today! Actually had to sit through 3 stop lights to get into the parking lot, but thankfully, found a spot immediately as a car was pulling out.

Headed over toe Kate and Al's, and there was a bit of a line. At the time, all they had was plain cheese slices available, but this was actually good, as I tried a piece of plain at Pete's. Waited a few minutes, and got my two slices. Kate and Al's unfortunately does not have any seating, and the 3 tables near there where full, so I stood at the opposite end of their counter, in an area that they do not use to serve.

The first thing I noticed was that they were about the same size, but to me, the thing that was really obvious was the fact that the slices were much thinner, and more condensed. The first bite revealed a firmer, crunchier crust. I looked at the bottom, and it was cooked just right, with a nice golden color to it, but was definitely a bit thinner. It just didn't have that airiness to it that Pete's had.

As for the sauce and the cheese, I thought that the two were very similar, and they were both good. The sauces had a similar flavor in my opinion, and they use about the same amount of cheese. Flavor wise, I think it would be hard to pick who has the better sauce.

So to me, what it comes down to is the crust, and I thought that Pete's had the advantage. Being right here however, why not head over to Pete's and try another slice, just to make sure that my mind was made up.

Pete's too was packed, so I walked up and ordered at the counter. As I went to pay, a really nice lady at the end of the counter said that the slice was on her, and she said "Thanks for serving." What a nice gesture, so ma'am, if you are reading, thank you again! I guess that is the beauty of being in uniform, and I couldn't be any more thankful.

First bite revealed a thicker, less crunchy crust, that was very light. The sauce, again, very similar, with good cheese, etc. That said, against the opinions of most others, I have to say that I liked Pete's better because of the crust.

All in all, both make a good pie, and who knows, maybe the slices I was served from Kate and Al's were a bit overcooked compared to others. I don't know, but I stand by my palate, and I enjoyed Pete's the most. I'll definitely try slices from both in the future, and I look forward to it. It may not be Chicago style, and definitely isn't the original Pizzeria Uno in downtown Chicago, but it isn't bad for New Jersey! Cheers! –F. Scott

The Cool Cricket - Fieldsboro, NJ

It's not often that I put a bar review on the BLOG, and this might even be a first, but I think that The Cool Cricket deserves a spot based on the single fact that it's a great family owns the place, and it's a fun place to hang out. Technically speaking, it's really not just a bar, as they have a full menu, and a heck of a great pizza!

Prior to The Cool Cricket coming to 4th Street in Fieldsboro, NJ this location was home to a couple different establishments. The current owners of the Cool Cricket bought the place just over a year ago now, and have turned it into a great local spot, with good live music, and some of the best karaoke around on Friday nights, hosted by Championship Sound Productions, and usually hosted by Robert Cooper.

We stopped in for a few cocktails after dinner on Friday night, and being of Filipino decent, you know how we like to sing, so I busted out a selection of tunes from The Goo Goo Dolls, Rob Thomas, Fuel, Matchbox 20, and Bon Jovi. Yes, Bon Jovi! LOL! But hey, the Bon Jovi was for Captain Phil Harris of The Cornelia Marie. R.I.P. Captain Phil! I will raise a crab leg to you every time I eat crabs legs from now on. One of the great things about The Cool Cricket is the acoustics. Whether your there for karaoke, or to see a live band on a Saturday night, the place sounds awesome, and the acoustics are second to none! Enough about me, let's talk about this entertainment mecca! .

First and foremost, this is a great family owned and operated establishment. Bob is the owner and father, and his daughter Kristen and her husband Steve are also owners. They do a great job keeping the drinks coming, the beers cold, and making sure that their customers are happy! They truly are a nice family, and it's nice to find a good family run establishment in the area. They also employ a nice staff to help out behind the bar, and in the kitchen, and from a service standpoint, it's second to none. Brenna and Bill do a great job in the kitchen!

We we stopped in The Cool Cricket for the first time about a year ago, and the first thing that we noticed was that the interior had been remodeled from when we visited years ago when it was under a different name and ownership. The dark, dirtiness of the old bar is gone, and they have added vibrant colors, cleaned up the bar, and added some great flat screen TVs, that might just be the best picture quality TVs of any bar in the area. Or maybe it is just the dim lighting inside that makes the picture look so darn good! Regardless, the TVs were perfect a few weeks ago for The Super Bowl, and the free buffet they featured was a treat, as well as the many raffles and giveaways!

As for the bar, they have all the good high end alcohol you are looking for at some of the best prices of the bars in the area. We've visited many different establishments in this area, and their prices on drinks are better than competitive! Unlike some of our local bars in this area, you won't be paying Manhattan prices for your martini's here, and that is a good thing. As for the beers, The Cool Cricket Offers 10 different beers on tap, ranging from Blue Moon to Guiness to Yuengling, with your Buds, Coors, Sam Adams, and Molsen in between. They also have dozen of bottled beers, as well as the Mike's Hard drinks, Twisted Tea, etc. Great drinks, at great prices! What more could you ask for?

As for the menu, I can't say that we have had a ton of food off of their menu, but the items we have had have been good. This is not your typical bar food folks, and I have to say, that their pizza is an absolute treat. We actually ordered a bar pie late Friday night, and it hit the spot!

So here it is Sunday, and we were going to go out to Delorenzo's tonight, but instead our plans changed, so we opted to order pies from The Cool Cricket, and once again, they didn't let us down! Not only are the pies massive, they are also delicious! For a snack, the bar pie is the perfect size, but the large pie will easily feed 3 people with no problem.

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Tonight, we opted for two of the regular sized pies, and we'll be eating lunch and dinner for the next week! These things are big! I opted for the sausage, and Zelda went for the cheese. Again, nice crisp crust, with good cheese, a great sauce, and really nice spices. There is something about the sauce that gives it such a nice flavor, and I would love to have the recipe! YUM! All in all, I have a happy belly, and the pies were tasty! And there's plenty leftover for lunch and dinner tomorrow!

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So in short, The Cool Cricket is worth a trip on a Friday night if you are looking to bust out a few tunes at karaoke to the masses, and they also get some great bands in there on Saturday nights. If nothing else, stop in for a beer one day after around of golf, and sit down to a pizza or a cheese steak. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised, and Bob and his family are just nice people to sit down and chat with, so make sure you tell them that we sent ya! They may not recognize us as F. Scott and Zelda, but tell them John and Kate sent you and they'll know who you are talking about! Yes, that picture is from Halloween 2009 as we played "The Gosselin's!" And yes, I am sportin' the Ed Hardy T!

Kudos again to The Cool Cricket for giving their locals a nice place to hang out at, with good affordable food and drinks. Cheers gang! -F. Scott

The Cool Cricket

216 4th Street

Fieldsboro, NJ 08505

http://www.thecoolcricket.com/

Phone: (609)291-9110

Also be sure to check out their Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fieldsboro-NJ/The-Cool-Cricket/37627477601

Conte's Pizza - Princeton, NJ

So after hearing about Conte's Pizza in Princeton for the last year and a half or so from friends, as well as reading about Conte's on a thread on Chowhound for "Best Pizza in N.J.," tonight was the night that we finally gave it a whirl.

As Conte's website states, "During the snow season, we recommend that you call ahead to confirm that we are open." That I did, and was told that the kitchen was open until 8:30PM sharp.

So we arrived at Conte's around 7:45PM, and there was parking out front, which kind of surprised me given the mystique of this establishment. Regardless, we walked in, and grabbed two seats at the bar.

If it is ambiance that you are looking for, then I suggest looking elsewhere. Like Delorenzo's on both Hudson Street and Hamilton Avenue in Trenton, you are going for the pie, not for the ambiance and decor. It's all about the experience. In all honesty, this place could easily be converted into an Elk's or VFW lodge with no modifications other than changing the name on the sign, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

We ordered a couple of Bass Ale's as the magnums of vino behind the bar didn't look all that interesting, but after ordering our beers, we did notice that they do have a full bar. Not a bad thing at all, and good to know for the next time we visit.

We ordered our pie, and waited for the Olympics to come on one of the 3 large flat screens hanging on the wall behind the bar. We opted for a large pie, half plain, and half sausage. About 20 minutes later, the pie came out piping hot, and looked really nice.

After hearing all the hype about how Conte's has a better pie than Delorenzo's, the first thing I noticed was the simple fact that the crust didn't even compare, and was much thicker than that of Delorenzo's. To me, this is not a tomato pie, and more in the style of a true pizza than Delorenzo's. The next thing I noticed was the sausage, with the nice fennel seeds in the sausage that looked ridiculously tasty. Finally, I noticed all of the cheese on the pie, which was quite a bit more than you get on a tomato pie in Trenton. This is not a bad thing in the least.

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After giving the pie a minute or so to cool, I cut into my first piece, and noticed that the crust didn't have the crunch to it that a tomato pie has, which proves the fact that this is more of a pizza, than a tomato pie. Maybe some of you will disagree, as many people have said on the different boards when talking about Conte's. Call me crazy, but this is a thin crust pizza, not tomato pie. Even the Conte's website calls it "thin crust," so now that that is established, let's get down to the nitty gritty.

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For a pizza, this had a nice flavor. The crust was good and airy, and the sauce has nice Italian spices to it. The sausage was good, but definitely not as tasty as my favorite sausage from City Beef in Trenton. The cheese was also good, and piled on, and overall, it was a good pie. All in, 2 Bass Ale's and a large pie with sausage on one half came to just over $25. Not bad.

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Now, would I go out of my way for this pizza? Probably not. But I would definitely go back there in the future. It didn't knock my socks off or blow my hair back, but it was a good pizza for what it was. The flavors were nice, and it was just an all around good pie. But that being said, Delorenzo's on Hudson Street or on Route 33 in Robbinsville still has my heart for the best pie in New Jersey. Cheers! -F. Scott

. Conte's Pizza

339 Witherspoon Street

Princeton, NJ 08540

Phone: (609)921-8041

http://contespizzaandbar.com/

Delorenzo's Tomato Pies - Route 33 Robbinsville

Ended up here tonight on a whim after we went to hit a bucket of balls in Hamilton. Unfortunately we didn't think of bringing any wine tonight, but Delo's does serve a mean birch beer!

We were very lucky to get seated right away tonight. Upon walking in, Sammy was on the customer side of the counter, and greeted us with a handshake.

You gotta absolutely love the antipasti here. If only the Hudson Street location offered it as well. It is great to keep you occupied as you sit and drool, waiting and watching others eat their pies. Great roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella, another type of cheese, an Italian salami, olives, and sesame bread sticks. They give you so much food! It is perfect for 4 people!

The pie came, and was absolutely cooked to perfection. We ordered the usual, sweet peppers on the whole pie, with sausage on my half. The crust was perfect, but not as crunchy and crispy as Hudson Street. It also seemed to have a little more dough to it than Hudson Street. Maybe this is because of the water in Robbinsville...or maybe the are just making the crust a little different. Doubtful, but there has to be some kind of explanation. They also use bit more cheese than the original, but that is not a bad thing at all.

The ambiance is definitely nicer than Hudson Street, but I really do appreciate the Hudson Street location, and look past all of that. The biggest bonus today however was being able to wash my hands after going to the driving range. You just can't do that at the Hudson Street location.

In short, another killer pie from the best tomato pie family in New Jersey. Keep up the great work guys!

Delorenzo's Tomato Pies - Hudson Street - Trenton, NJ

I'm sure some of you have heard me talk about "Delo's" a million and one times, so what can I say? This place is the best of the best!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Trenton, all I can tell you is that if you are ever in the area, and you are a connoisseur of greatness in the land of tomato pies, then this is the place for you!

First off, let me state that there are two Delorenzo's in Trenton, the best being on Hudson Street, but another being located on Hamilton Avenue, which we have only tried once. Maybe this tells you something? They have also added a third location at the Washington Town Center on Route 33 in Robbinsville, NJ. Gary Amico's son Sam is running this location, and you can check it out at: http://www.delorenzostomatopies.com/

So back to the original, located at 530 Hudson Street. We've been going there for years now, and it is one of those places that I could just never get tired of. They were actually established in 1947, and are located in the old part of town, across from an old abandoned steel mill or something. The building is an old row home, and is run by Gary and his wife. Note that now they are only open Thursday through Sunday, from 4PM-10PM now that the new store is open.

Don't go to Delo's looking for ambiance....don't even go there looking for a bathroom. Yes folks, that is correct, you will not find a bathroom there. How can this be? Well, they have been there for that long, that they were grandfathered in.

There have been many times that we have waited for close to an hour outside on the street, in lines with many others. The last few times we have gone however, we have gotten right in. Unfortunately, this was not the case last night, but we only waited outside for 15 minutes or so, then stood inside for another 5 minutes until a table opened up.

Once seated, we opened our wine case, pulled out two Riedel's, and popped open our wine, which you can read about in the previous post. Yes, Delorenzo's is BYOB friendly. The bus boy came over with our mint green plates and some silverware, and we ordered our two birch beer, which is a staple for us.

Just a few moments later, Gary's wife came over and we placed an order for a large pie, all sweet peppers, and 1/2 sausage for me. Meanwhile, Gary and another gentleman who I can't ever remember seeing before were busy making the pies, running back to the kitchen for more dough, cheese, etc, and pulling pies out of the oven. Some of the pies went from oven, to tray, then were cut, and sent to tables, while others were put into boxes for carry out. They did have the phone on the hook last night, so they were taking phone orders. There are times when they are extremely packed, and they will take the phone off the hook, preventing people from ordering over the phone. How can they afford to do this you ask? Well, they just can! They do that much business.

Our pie came out later, and I have no idea how long it took. Realistically, I could really careless how long it took, because it's Delorenzo's, on Hudson Street no less. Upon arriving at the table, I saw yet another gorgeous pie, cooked to perfection. The crust had nice golden brown edges, with traces of black from where some edges cooked faster than others. My sausage prevailed on my half of the pie, peaking through the most wonderful sauce, accompanied by sweet peppers, with slight amounts of cheese scattered all over the pie.

I wish I could explain just how good these pies are, but it is just so hard to put into words. Say what you will, but their sauce is one of a kind. It has such a great taste, and there are no traces of seasoning in the sauce whatsoever! The tomatoes are crushed for the most part, but you will find chunks of tomato on occasion as well. The crust is nice and crispy, and extremely thin, and usually a nice golden brown color. The cheese is scarce, but it is still good, I would say perfect, but some of you might consider ordering them with extra cheese if you are a lover of a pie covered in cheese. I can't say enough about the sausage they have, purchased from City Beef in Trenton from what Sam has told me. And the sweet peppers! WOW! I would love to get a bottle of these to eat right out of the jar! They are the best!

All in all, another great pie from Delo's, and just one of thousands to come in the next many years from us! Keep up the great work over there guys, and keep those awesome pies coming!