Opened in 2019 by the same owner as Angeloni’s in Caldwell, NJ which is home of the Thinny Thin pie. In fact, I ordered the Thinny Thin here, the same pie I rated an 8.0 at the original Angeloni’s in 2020; although this version was slightly different, particularly pertaining to the variation in crust. A large bar/tavern pie, this is also a pan pizza, very thin but not quite razor thin. Not much char but a solidly firm undercarriage, cooked well done with a more cracker-like consistency. Despite the “thin crust” style, there’s actually no true crust to speak of; essentially the excess cheese caramelizes against the walls of the pan, crisping & hardening, acting like a crust, similar to Detroit style, only this pizza is circular. Normally I don’t mind the caramelized mozzarella but this version has a sharp, biting, bitter taste with a strange “Cheez-it” flavor. The surface shredded mozz blend is super tight & rigid, not creamy at all and plastered atop the dough & sauce in typical bar pie fashion. With minimal grease & char bubbles abound, the cheese maintains decent flavor despite the harder well done consistency. The sauce pops in pockets of the pie where the flavor really punches through zingy & zesty. The sweetness of the sauce is somewhat subdued but packs plenty of punch & kick from the various spices. A very flavorful & tasty pie overall; but I’m just not feeling the caramelized cheese “crust.” An actual thin & crispy crust, similar to the Thinny Thin at Angeloni’s would launch this pizza into the 8s; but the odd Cheez-it flavor & hardened texture hold this pie back a notch, just missing the cut for a destination pizza. This joint has a great atmosphere, plenty of other outstanding food options & extremely solid bar/tavern pizza; but I prefer the original Thinny Thin at Angeloni’s just a bit more.
