Gather Around the Table 

As you all know by now, Pizza is possibly my life, it's turned out that it became a true obsession.  Growing up Italian, there was no escaping that once, twice, maybe three times a week, but mostly on Friday, as what they call it today the Grandma pie.  A scratch made dough that was pressed, not tossed, by my Grandmother into a rectangular cookie sheet lined with a touch of oil, then topped with sauce from the pot that slowly cooked on the stove from early Sunday morning till dinner time that afternoon, fresh mozzarella, and basil from the garden that was either whole leafs or as Grandma liked to do, roll the leaves in a bunch and cut with scissors over the cooked pizza then drizzle with a little olive oil. 

 

Over the years those rectangular pans became darker and darker from the baking and pizza was the only thing made in them.. When I had asked, Grandma how come you don't buy new pans? She turned to me saying, Ohhh but my darling, it is when the pans are dark is what makes the Pizza taste so good. How true that is or it might have been the fact that immigrating from Italy to America, money was scarce, times were hard and raising children through the great depression taught them how to stretch their money, and putting food on the table was the most important rather then replacing pans.  Anyway you look at it, and as my mother used to say, necessity is the mother of invention, the Grandma pie does have a unique flavor and taste like none other, could it have been the pans , the hands that prepared it or both, but it has made it's way across the United States showing up in almost any pizza place you walk into. Bringing it back old school and the tastes of home. 

 

Grandma is long gone now, and whenever I want, can go into any pizza place a for a coupe of slices of the famous Grandma pie, but my favorite still till this day, is making it at home with my kids when they were little and now my grand kids, is the scratch made dough, pressed out, into the oil lined black cookie sheets that were passed down to me.

 

Just recently deciding to do a top 12, which basically steamed from my obsession.  I've been tasting all types of pizza, well not only pizza, but everything from entrees to a fried calzone, from all over. When putting together a list that consists of NY & NJ it just doesn't seem fair to either state, kinda like comparing apples to oranges, both are great having their own style and taste.  The best of the best in New York is quite a list and will stand alone.  So narrowing it down to the Jersey Shore, they are listed in accordance to a route from North to South only, they all bring their own uniqueness..  

 

Weather you live in any of the town's or in close proximity to our top 10 picks along the Jersey Shore, you are truly lucky.  For our travelers that might have left right after work, making their way to the Jersey Shore for a weekend get-a-way with the family and stuck on the Garden State Parkway on a Thursday or Friday evening, there is a place right off each exit, stop on in for a slice or two, better yet a pie or meal, each place unique in it's own way, the common ground and what they all bring to the table, no matter how you slice it, pizza and entree's that are old school delicious! 

 

 

1.  La Strada                            Aberdeen            Exit 117        http://www.lastradapizza.info/ 

2.  Romeo's,                            Hazlet                  Exit 117        https://www.romeospizzahazlet.com/#/

3.  Mr Pizza,                            Red Bank            Exit 109        http://www.mrpizzaslice.com/      

4.  Luigi's,                                Lincroft               Exit 109        http://www.lincroftluigis.com/menu.html       

5.  Maurizio's                         Eatontown          Exit 105        https://www.mauriziosristorante.com/

6.  Del Ponte's Coal Fired    Bradley Beach    Exit 100B     http://www.delpontescoalfiredpizza.com/  

7. Vics                                     Bradley Beach    Exit 100B     https://www.vicspizza.com/ 

8.  Federico's                         Belmar                 Exit 98           http://www.federicospizza.com/

9.  Brooklyn Square             Silverton              Exit 91          http://www.brooklynsquarenj.com/

10.  Federico's                        Brick                     Exit 89           https://federicospizzanj.com/​

11.  Attillio's                           Toms River           Exit 82            http://attiliospizza.org/home.aspx

12. Mangia                            Toms River           Exit 82           https://www.ordermangiabrickovenpizza.com/