Tag Archives: The Best Pizza in New Jersey

The Best Pizza in New Jersey Interview

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Undici from Legendsofpizza.com

The following interview is with Victor of Undici Taverna Rustica in New Jersey.

Victor claims to make the best pizza in New Jersey.

After listening to some of Victor’s responses, you will understand this is no idle claim.

Undici Taverna Rustica, has no equal in New Jersey or anywhere else. Their pizza is in a word: simply outstanding.

Honestly I was amazed at some of the information shared in this interview. Victor talks about his early influences of pizza, how he got into the business, his collaboration with Anthony Mangieri and more.
Albert:  Victor, thanks for taking the time to speak with me.
Do you have a memory of your first pizza? Please  describe it.

Victor: I made my first pizza as a child I was 3 or 4 years old at my father’s pizza parlor Rallo’s Pizzeria in Newark, New Jersey. They tell me it was pretty good maybe I had a knack early on.

Albert: Where did you grow up? How was the pizza?

Victor: I grew up as a child in Newark and then in My school days in Franklin Lakes New Jersey. The pizza was standard pizza parlor pizza. I ate the pizza but it never really impressed my as something delicious or gourmet.

Albert: How did you get interested in making pizza?

Victor: My dad was in the restaurant business his entire life so I was always around Italian food and pizza. My dad made a great pie in a conventional Bakers Pride oven. But he always used great ingredients his pizza’s were better than anyone else at the time.

Albert: Anthony Mangieri of Una Pizza Napoletana, is a legendary pizzaiolo. And I
believe he is from New Jersey. He is from what I understand, actually quite a purist when it comes to pizza.
You mention him as endorsing your pizza. Any endorsement from him holds a lot of weight in the World of Pizza.

How did you meet him?

Victor: I met Anthony riding bicycles; he and I share a passion for cycling. He rides more mountain bike then I do, I ride and race more on the road. But we used to ride together often. So we met on our bikes.

Albert: What is your relationship to Anthony?

Victor: He is a good fiend and my pizza mentor I believe he is the best pizza maker in America!

We made pizzas together at Undici my restaurant in Rumson New Jersey, for almost three months. We made so many pizzas together. He is a purest and that’s what I love about him.

Albert: Can you  give us an Anthony Mangieri anecdote or pizza story?

Victor: Sure as we were making pizzas I asked Anthony if the staff could eat them and he said no not until the pizzas are perfect.  About a week later we they tasted the pizza, a purest with a passion that is lost in most American kitchens.

Albert: How did you learn to make pizza? Did you struggle with anything in learning how to make great pizza?

Victor: I always knew how to make good dough, I learned that from my father but getting it all right at very high temperatures is very difficult. This is what sets the great pizzaiolas apart. They understand the balance of heat, texture of the dough, the cheese it’s a true art. So it took me quite a while to get the wood burning oven down, every day is a challenge.

Albert: I understand you make Neapolitan pizza. And your pizzeria is in New Jersey. New Jersey is famous for their tomato pies.

How is your style of pizza different or similar to the Tomato Pie?

Victor: This is a great pizza, classic Napoletana pizza, san Marzano tomato, Bufala Mozzarella, Caputo “oo” flour, fresh basil and really good extra virgin olive oil. Plus we use a three day dough so the dough has great character and life.

Albert: What makes your pizza the “best in New Jersey”?

Victor: Passion, precision and purity.  I have a deep passion for Italian history and culture, so I try every day to put on the table the closest possible thing top Pizza Vera Napoletana. If you taste my pizza and you have been to Naples you will taste, see and smell Naples in every bite. Very few people in New Jersey are doing this the authentic way.

Albert: What kind of oven do you have and why do you use it?

Victor: We use a Woodstone oven that burns only wood.

Albert: What kind of flour do you use?

Victor: Always Caputo it is the best.

Albert: Do you think water makes any difference when making pizza?

Victor: Absolutely only a master like Anthony could figure it out in California, because the water is not great there. In New Jersey the water has a perfect balance of minerrality to make great pizza. Yes it makes a difference.

Albert: Can you give the home pizza maker some pizza tips?

Victor: First buy a pizza stone, get your oven as hot as you can , use the ingredients I have described above and you can make a darn good pizza at home

Albert: Can you share a pizza recipe with us?

Victor: One of my favorites is making a traditional pizza Napoletana and when it comes out of the oven tossing some fresh garden arugula in olive oil and laying it on top of the pizza and then slicing some Prosciutto di Parma and laying a beautiful thin piece on each slice. BRAVO!!!!!

Albert: Do you make your dough the day before? Do you ferment your dough?

Victor: We start our dough with a mother on day one, some people call it a starter. On day two we add the remaining ingredients into the mother and mix the dough. We then let the dough set for 15- 30 minutes depending on the temperature of the kitchen. After it settles we ball the day and refrigerate it for use the third day. So the long and short answer is yes we ferment the dough.

Albert: Tell us a bit about your restaurant,  Undici Taverna Rustica? Do you have
a specialty house pizza?

Victor: The restaurant was built to recreate a Tuscan farmhouse, my partners the Diaco family had a major influence on the design it is absolutely a beautiful recreation. Besides pizza we make all of our own pasta homemade including ravioli and gnocchi.

Albert: How do you stay in touch with your customers?

Victor: We have a great staff that touches every customer that walks in our door. And we also monitor and use the internet and social media to touch our customers.

Tell us your website address: www.undicirestaurant.com
I love your video. You tell the whole  Undici Taverna Rustica pizza story.

Victor: I think my videos tell the whole story search Da Michele in Naples the best pizza place in the world I shot a great video from there.

Albert: Have your videos been a successful way to market  Undici Taverna Rustica?

Victor: Absolutely we have thousands of hits and views on our videos.

Albert: What is in the future for  Undici Taverna Rustica?

Victor: Undici will continue to serve the freshest seasonal interpretations of Italian cuisine in New Jersey and continue to make perfect Pizza Vera Napoletana for many years to come.

Albert: Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions. Pizza on Earth, to you.

And Pizza All Over:

Undici Taverna Rustica

11  West River Road
Rumson , NJ 07760

732-842-3880

www.undicirestaurant.com

Victor from Undici

And for more great New Jersey Pizza:

Discover The Best Pizza in New Jersey at Pizza Therapy

Maruca’s Tomato Pies on the Boardwalk at Seaside Park, NJ, Part 2

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I can tell you that your first bite of Tomato Pie is a Pizza Altering Experience! It’s not ‘like’ a NY Slice, it’s not anywhere near a Neopolitan Slice, it’s not similiar to any pizza type you’ve ever had in my experience, it’s it’s own unique style of Pizza and rightfully so. There are now 4 types of Pizza in my Universe, NY Slice, Neopolitan, Brick Oven, and Drum Roll PLEASE……Tomato Pie!

Do Not mislabel Tomato Pie as ‘Pizza’ my friends, no, it’s as distinct as a Ferrari is from a Porsche, both are great examples of great cars. Such are Maruca’s Tomato Pies on the Boardwalk at Seaside Park, NJ where they have been serving up the Ferrari’s of Tomato Pies since 1950. Now, you have to understand that quality ingredients do not come cheap, and Tomato Pies at Maruca’s come in large 18″ for $16, and extra large 24″ for $25.
They offer a standard fare of toppings, but I insist that you try your first Tomato Pie ‘Au Natural’, or ‘Margherita’ to get the whole experience I have described above for you!

Since Maruca’s only has their one location at Boardwalk and Porter Ave in Seaside Park, NJ the Owners are always there making the pies and available to answer your questions on it’s history. Hailing from the birthplace of Tomato Pies, Trenton, they are masters of their craft and know it well. All the way home I kept chastising myself for not ordering an extra large to go….but then again none of it would’ve made it home!!

Now that the Summer beach crowds have gone home, street parking is FREE, the boardwalk is OPEN, and most of the stores are too, and it’s easy to walk the length of it contemplating your very own Maruca’s Tomato Pie. I suggest you park and start walking down the boardwalk from the North end. It’s a test to see how strong your Pizza willpower is as you will continue to pass one after another of typical NY style pizza shops trying to entice
you with their wares. Don’t be fooled! KEEP WALKING! Not only is it good for your health, but by the time you arrive at the South end where Maruca’s Tomato Pie’s is located the salt air will have given you the stamina needed to polish off an extra large 24″ Tomato Pie!

If you are looking for great Italain products, here is a resource for you. For example you can find Italian Cheese, Italian Pasta and Italian Truffle Products

You will have conquered the Everest of Pizza challenges, not only did you have to endure all those slice shops along the way, but you sought out, and found, in my opinion, the Best Tomato Pie in NJ this side of Trenton!! If this were 1778 then General George Washington would have stationed his troops around Seaside Park to keep the British from being able to obtain any Maruca’s Tomato Pies!! Yes, they have a website, but don’t take the surprise and enjoyment of the ‘hunt’ out of this expedition…load up your pizza loving friends and drive the whole carload of you down to see for yourselves!!

It’s a COMPLETELY different Pizza Experience then you’ve ever had on the East Coast! I
already crave another Maruca’s Tomato Pie and I was only there YESTERDAY!!

Eugene
in Sandy Hook, NJ

You can find the more Best Pizza in New Jersey at Pizza Therapy

Discover incredible Italian Tomato Sauces, right here.

Maruca's Tomato Pies from Legends of Pizza

Maruca's a legendary pizza on the New Jersey Shore

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Maruca’s Tomato Pies: Amazing Pizza in New Jersey

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Maruca's Tomato Pies from Legends of Pizza

Maruca's a legendary pizza on the New Jersey Shore

When you stumble upon your first Tomato Pie it’s like getting that first ripe Jersey tomato of the season! So elusive for the first few months of the growing season and then WHAM! You pick one and it’s THE ONE!

Same goes for Maruca’s Tomato Pies, or pizza, if that’s the only vernacular you use to describe this type of delicous food.

It’s a genre in pizza all it’s own, and rightfully so. You’ve heard of ‘Tomato Pie’, maybe, maybe not; certainly if you live in NJ you have.

On the other hand the Tomato Pie purveyours are a cult unto themselves as great as the Neopolitan Brick Oven cult’s are to it’s fans. Tucked away in places in the State like Trenton, Belmar, and Seaside Heights amongst others.

The fact that the places that are exclusively places that sell only Tomato Pies are few and far between is part of the allure of hunting one down. Worth seeking out is an understatement, once you’ve aquired a taste for great Tomato Pie there is only your conscience from keeping you from getting in a car and heading to one every chance you can
sneek away to one.

It’s the ‘Fight Club’ of pizzeria’s to me, elusive, but available for anyone who knows where the places are.

One thing you’ll immediately notice amongst most of the Tomato Pie shop Pizzaiolas is that they are pie purists (for the most part). They respect the ingredients as much as any other Pizzaiola worth their dough. The crust is hand formed then adorned with cheese in copious amounts, sauced with perfectly seasoned tomato sauce and slid into their oven for the bake.

When the Tomato Pie is extracted from the oven the magic begins to grasp your attention because it smells like the best pizza you’ll ever eat (it may ver,well be!). Something about the way the sauce gets cooked on top of the cheese, yet the sauce doesn’t overpower your taste buds.

Rather, the sauce enhances your pizza experience by highlighting the crisp crust underneath, and accents the cheese, which in it’s own right has pockets of crispy cheese and stretchy cheese all on the same pie!

The timid order a ‘trial slice’, unaware that they’ll soon be
wishing they had ordered a whole pie, as had happened to me.

Having been raised on a NY slice from venerable places like Joe’s on 6th Ave and pies from all of the classics like Totonno’s, Lombardi’s, Grimaldi’s, etc I can tell you that your first bite of Tomato Pie is a Pizza Altering Experience! It’s not ‘like’ a NY Slice, it’s not anywhere near a Neopolitan Slice, it’s not similiar to any pizza type you’ve ever had in my experience, it’s it’s own unique style of Pizza and rightfully so.

Maruca’s Tomato Pies
1927 Promenade
Seaside Park, NJ 08752
(732) 793-0707

Albert’s side note: Maruca’s offers franchise opportunities as well.

If you are looking for the Best Pizza in New Jersey, go to Pizza Therapy.

End of Part 1

Submitted Eugene in Sandy Hook, NJ exclusively for Pizza Therapy and Legends of Pizza Readers