A Short History of Pizza in New Jersey
No matter where you go in the US, from the smallest of one stoplight towns, to the biggest metropolitan cities, you can pretty much guarantee you’ll see a few different things, and one of those is definitely a pizzeria! Pizza, despite being invented in Italy, has become a staple of the American diet, and its not uncommon to find it as the preferred takeout option for families and individuals no matter their race, creed, ethnicity or status! And nowhere is this more prevalent than the great state of New Jersey! Famous for its relatively high Italian-American population, New Jersey and pizza have always gone hand in hand. According to the team at Bella Pizza, home of the best pizza Wood-Ridge, NJ has to offer, if you live in New Jersey, good pizza is an absolute must! And with so many options for the best pizza New Jersey residents have been spoiled for years now, and subpar pizza restaurants simply cannot compete amongst the crowd. While it’s a big part of New Jersey culture today, pizza has been a staple of New Jersey for years and at least if things continue the way they have been all these years, it always will be! In this article’s e will be going over a short and condensed history of pizza in New Jersey. The full version could certainly require an entire book or magazine of its own.
Pizza in the US
When you ask some Italians, they will tell you that what we as New York and New Jersey residents isn’t what they know as Italian pizza. The fact is that there have grown to be different styles of the best pizza New Jersey residents know this for the most part as well. There is a big difference between Italian style pizza, and NY/NJ style pizza. But before we delve into New Jersey specifically, its important to understand pizza in the US. The first pizzeria was known as Lombardi’s, created by the famous Gennaro Lombardi, located in the heart of Lower Manhattan. From that point on pizza became a staple amongst the working class in the New York and New Jersey area – as it offered cheap option for Italian immigrants and others to get something delicious to eat, at little cost to them. According to the team at Bella Pizza, known for the best pizza Wood-Ridge, NJ has to offer, since that first introduction in NYC years ago, pizzerias began to spring up all across the northeast US, and more and more individuals were introduced to its amazing taste and cheap prices. The first pizzerias to become popular in New Jersey opened in the 1920s and 1930s, and did a lot to spread the popularity of the dish to others on the East Coast of the US as individuals tried the best pizzeria New Jersey had to offer, and would go back to towns in Rhode Island, Connecticut, even rural areas, and many other places, bringing their newfound pizza making knowledge with them. This actually did a lot to spread Italian culture and even Italian people as a race, to other parts of states like Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and beyond.
Pizza in New Jersey
The first pizzeria in Trenton, NJ, and all of NJ as a whole, was known as Papa’s TOmato Pies. This location is considered to be the father of pizza in New Jersey. And according to the team at Bella Pizza, the best pizzeria Wood-Ridge, NJ has to offer, it is still in existence today! The restaurant moved to Robbinsville in 2013 but still will be known as the oldest pizza shop in the U.S. You will be amazed to know that the shop is running by the third generation and still you will not see any difference in taste. And it all goes back to a recipe that is still a family secret to this day! This is where the Trenton Tomato Pie was birthed, a famous form of pizza that New Jersey is known for. Similarly to Chicago, in years past the Trenton Tomato Pie was thought of as the official pizza of New Jersey. And while some still consider it to be so today, the modern pizza restaurants like Bella Pizza, considered to be the best pizzeria New Jersey has to offer, have evolved flavors and tastes to match what the modern customer in the tai-state expects from a traditional, NY/NJ slice.
Modern Pizza Styles
While the Trenton Tomato Pie is still a favorite of many to this day, it is a topic for another article down the line. For many younger, modern pizzeria customers, they know NY/NJ style pizza to be what most of us would consider New York Style pizza slices. And by evolving the use of flavors and the love of toppings, and multiple cheese varieties, modern establishments like Bella Pizza, the Wood-Ridge, NJ has to offer, now offer tons of different options for pizza. From different toppings, to different style crusts like thick or thin crust pizzas, and even different shapes like both circular or square pizzas. The modern New Jersey pizza customer has evolved too. In years past we might have taken a scene from the Sopranos, where an overweight mobster would scarf down slice after slice, or a lazy unemployed gamer, who hasn’t touched a piece of fruit in years, to be your average customer. But in this day and age, the average pizza customer is a lot more health conscious and thinks more about nutrition. Of course there is still time for an old fashioned pizza night, but with so many establishments having options like gluten-free pizza, thin-crust options, veggie lovers pizzas, and much more – its clear that pizza in New Jersey has come such a long way! If you’re in the mood for the best pizza in New Jersey, to dine-in or get delivery, be sure to checkout Bella Pizza today!