Delorenzo's Tomato Pies - Robbinsville, NJ

A great night for some tomato pies with Zelda's family! Zelda's parents and her uncle picked us up, and off to Delorenzo's we went. Upon arrival, you could see about 15 people waiting outside for a table, and another 10 or so inside waiting. It was absolutely packed tonight, but that was expected. If it weren't, then we'd be worried! That just goes to show just how right Sammy and his crew are doing it over there! We were told the wait would be an hour to hour and 15 minutes, but we were seated in about 50. As I always say, it's worth the wait! There is nothing like Delo's, and it cannot be beat! . With 5 of us, they say us in one of the nice, cushy booths, and we had plenty of room! We opted for 2 salads as appetizers, and this was the first time that we have had these. Very good appetizer that hit the spot, with the fancy lettuce, candied walnuts, and the slightest drizzle of dressing that did not overpower the salad at all. Nice slices of fresh green apple topped this salad off nicely. It was the perfect starter! . For pies tonight, we ordered 3 larges. Uncle B opted for the broccoli and mushroom, Zelda and her Mom went for the sweet pepper and mushroom, and her dad had 1/2 pepperoni, while I opted for 1/2 sausage and sweet peppers. Uncle B's pie came out first, and he and Zelda dug right in. The cheese was still bubbling when it arrived, and our mouths started watering! Next came the 1/2 sausage and sweet pepper, and 1/2 pepperoni. In we dug, and this one too was hot, bubbling, and covered in sausage and sweet peppers! The last pie came out, and we were all some happy campers. Even Uncle B was commenting on how good the pie was, and he lives near a great pizza place up North. But as he stated, this is a lot different than a pizza, it's a tomato pie! That said, it was another tasty meal, with great service, and you have to love the fact that it is BYOB. See the review of the Chalone Cabernet Sauvignon that we brought along as well. Kudos to same and the staff at Delo's! Look forward to seeing you guys again soon!

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!