There Is Now A New Jersey Pizza Trail To Get All The Best Slices
In honor of both national pizza month and the state's well-earned reputation for tomato production, the NJ Division of Travel and Tourism published an official pizza trail that showcases some of the state's best pizzerias.
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According to Food & Wine Magazine, New Jersey is America’s number one state for pizza. Now the NJ Division of Travel and Tourism has created the New Jersey Pizza Trail, a winding path that leads people to the state’s top 10 pizzerias. Released just in time to celebrate Pizza.com’s National Pizza Month this October, this amazing trail is a must-take journey for pizza lovers in the Tri-State area.
The New Jersey Pizza Trail features 10 stops at beloved pizza restaurants. The list includes both traditional pizzerias and innovative, new-wave pizza restaurants. Complete the trail and you’ll find delicious options ranging from a classic pepperoni thin crust to a modern vegetarian pie topped with butternut squash and arugula.
Jeff Vasser, the executive director of the NJ Division of Travel and Tourism told Food & Wine that New Jersey’s tomatoes are an important part of the state’s produce harvest every June through October. “As the third largest producer of tomatoes in the entire country, this key pizza-making ingredient not only sets New Jersey’s classic ‘tomato pies’ apart from any ordinary pizza but also sets our restaurants apart too,” he said. “The trail is a quick and easy guide for any pizza enthusiast to find the best slice anywhere they may roam in New Jersey.”
The New Jersey Pizza Trail starts at Benny Tudino’s, a 50-year mainstay in Hoboken that advertises having the area’s biggest slices. It specializes in classic-style pizza, including a Margarita topped with fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, and fresh tomatoes. After enjoying Benny Tudino’s Italian cuisine, hop on I-95 south.
Your next stop will be in East Brunswick at The Original Thin Crust Pizza Company. As its name indicates, thin crust is the favored pie that’s been perfected over 60 years in business. If you love hot and spicy pizza, order “Jump the Fire” for its toppings of jalapeno, banana, and hot peppers.
The third stop on the New Jersey Pizza Trail will have you driving further south to Robbinsville and De Lorenzo’s Tomato Pies, another long-standing pizza favorite. Founded in 1947 by southern Italian immigrants, the third generation of the De Lorenzo family is creating and serving its famous charred crust tomato pizzas.
From Robbinsville, head east on 195 to Asbury Park and stop at Talula’s. This modern pizzeria uses a signature sourdough crust and has extensive vegan options, including house-made cashew cheese substitutes. Don’t fear if you aren’t vegan—there are plenty of real dairy and meat topping options, too.
Brooklyn Square Pizza is the fifth pizzeria on NJ’s Pizza Trail, and you get to choose where you try them out: Jackson Township, Manalapan Township, or Toms River. Owner Pietro “Peter” Grippo treats patrons to his mother’s recipes, including unique square pizzas topped with the family’s homemade tomato and vodka sauces.
Between Newark and Hackensack, you’ll find two locations of the New Jersey Pizza Trail’s sixth restaurant, Ferazzoli’s Italian Kitchen. As the name indicates, you’ll enjoy pizzas inspired by the fresh ingredients of real Italian cuisine. The Speciale is a fan favorite, featuring homemade sauce, chicken cutlets, fresh basil, mozzarella and a honey drizzle.
Calabria’s crunchy thin-crust pizza awaits you in Livingston on your seventh stop on the New Jersey Pizza Trail. In addition to its famous crunchy thin, Calabria offers brick oven pies, an 18” extra-large pie, and the huge 28” Boardwalk pizza. After enjoying Calabria’s unique pies, it’s a 2-hour drive down the coast to Ocean City to reach your eighth NJ Pizza Trail location.
Manco & Manco opened on the boardwalk in 1956 and now there are two additional locations where you can watch their pizza chefs build your favorite pie. Plain, Sicilian, white, and gluten-free are your choices and toppings include broccoli and cheese steak in addition to the classics. To get to the ninth stop on the New Jersey Pizza Trail, you’ll hop on the Garden State Parkway and head north to the charming town of Freehold.
Federici’s is Freehold’s quaint café-style pizzeria that offers al fresco dining in front of its Main Street location. This restaurant’s award-winning family recipes have kept this establishment in business for over 100 years. In addition to traditional toppings, Federici has more trendy pizza offerings, including its popular buffalo chicken pie.
You decide where to land on your last pizza trail stop: Jersey City, Montclair, or back to Asbury Park. Porta is the 10th amazing pizzeria on the New Jersey Pizza Trail, famous for its wide assortment of creative toppings. Naturally, they offer all the classic pizza options but embellish the menu with duck sausage, Swiss chard, truffle oil, fried capers and guanciale.
