Note to Star Ledger: If you're going to declare a winner of the Nutley Pizza Wars, it helps to choose an establishment that actually sells pizza. After reading how the Munchmobile pizza posse descended on Nutley, we decided to see whether the town that raised Martha actually served pizza that was worth the hype. When we arrived at the newly crowned Regina Margherita Trattoria, we immediately got nervous. First, the hostess sized up our group (OK -- we were in T-shirts and shorts because we thought we were going out for pizza). Then she asked if we had "reservations." When we replied that we didn't, she looked over at our two unkempt children and gestured for a gentleman who appeared to be the owner. He looked at us, looked at the three empty tables, and then back at us, and said, very nicely, albeit transparently, "so sorry, we're booked up tonight."
"That's OK," I assured him (the fish eyes we were getting from the primarily adult crowd -- who looked at my children as if aliens had entered the restaurant -- already had me thinking of bolting). "We'll just get something to go. Can we order a large pie?" I ask. The gentlemen then says, "I'm so sorry, but we ran out of pizza."
How exactly do you run out of pizza? At 7:30 on a Saturday night no less! Especially when you have a takeout menu with the "History of Pizza" printed on the back cover. And how did the Munchmobile folks compare "pizza Margherita" against other traditional pizzerias. It's like comparing ricotta and mozzarella.
My trust in the Munchmobile folks considerably shaken, we drove around Nutley, more hungry for pizza than ever. We made it over to Bell Paese. Now this is what a pizzeria should look like. No frills, no atmosphere, just lots of loud Italians cranking out pies. We saw a takeout order go out with a egg and potato pie. An all white pie, topped with scrambled eggs and home fries, it's a favorite with regulars at Bell Paese -- intriguing. We ordered a small pie with sausage and peppers. In the front half of Bell Paese is a salumeria/deli, and the sausage was flavorful, the cheese and sauce, mingled together divinely. The crust was thin and crackly, a great vehicle for the ingredients, but not outstanding. Oddly, the Munchmobile folks had the opposite reaction. Go figure. When it comes to pizza, it's completely subjective, we know. But if you're going to crown pizza royalty, make sure the emperor has clothes, or at least a pizza apron. -- Liz George
Belle Paese, 196 Franklin Ave., Nutley, 973-667-8232
Regina Margherita, 246 Washington Ave., Nutley, 973-662-0007
July 5, 2005
Very interesting tale, Liz. I look forward to learning if you hear from the Ledger's Pete Genovese on this one. my suspicion, however, is that those Munchmobile stories are more interested in conveying the bloated camaraderie of temporary gluttony than anything else.
As for your party being in t-shirts and shorts, that shouldn't have been a bar to entry. This is Jersey, this is summer and Nutley isn't exactly the Rumson Country Club. Now you really should go sometime to the Park Tavern in East Rutherford and try the thin-crusted pizza there.
Posted by: cathar | Jul 5, 2005 11:04:21 AM
Same exact thing happened to us on the same exact day. The reason we figured is that they wanted to sell more expensive dinners, not just pizza, too bad, I will never give them a second chance, it is all about money with them.
Posted by: FreeIsForMe | Jul 5, 2005 12:12:51 PM
Same exact thing happened to us on the same exact day. The reason we figured is that they wanted to sell more expensive dinners, not just pizza, too bad, I will never give them a second chance, it is all about money with them.
Posted by: FreeIsForMe | Jul 5, 2005 12:16:10 PM
Well-known-but-little-talked-about-fact: people who are overdressed never get turned away from anywhere.
So why do you feel the need to have any establishment accept underdressed people? 7-Elevens can post "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service" signs to the un-informed, but should classy restaurants have to spell it out to you, too?
Posted by: Dress For Success | Jul 5, 2005 12:25:15 PM
The Munchmobile is a joke. The Ledger should spend more time on improving their business section and editorials, rather than having a bunch of slobs stuffing their faces in the garden state.
Posted by: Fonzie | Jul 5, 2005 12:45:46 PM
Dress for Success, restaurants that style themselves "classy" generally have no class. There's a reason Donald Trump throws the word "classy" around a lot, too.
Posted by: cathar | Jul 5, 2005 2:29:30 PM
Dress for Success, restaurants that style themselves "classy" generally have no class. There's a reason Donald Trump throws the word "classy" around a lot, too.
Posted by: cathar | Jul 5, 2005 2:29:59 PM
There's a time and a place for everything. Why should you have to get dressed up for a pizza joint?
I never heard of a pizza joint running out of pizza, either. I would write a letter to the owner of this "classy" establishment, expressing what you've expressed so well here.
Posted by: Miss Martta | Jul 5, 2005 2:48:47 PM
There are plenty of restaurants that serve great pizza and are not pizza-only joints. From the restaurant point of view, owning a greasy counter pizza joint is not the pinnacle of your career and capital investment ... many "pizza joints" are expanding to full-service italian fine dining restaurants, and also happen to serve great pizza pies ... but the dress code is more upscale than the previous "wife beater" shirts and flip flops.
Posted by: Dress for Success | Jul 5, 2005 7:14:34 PM
There are plenty of restaurants that serve great pizza and are not pizza-only joints.
Dress For Success -- the operative word here is serve. I was offered pasta, salads, basically anything I wanted from the aforementioned takeout menu, but they didn't have any pizza. For a place that is supposedly the "best pizza in Nutley" it's pretty ludicrous. And yes, there are plenty of places that do great pizza that aren't solely pizzerias. Usually you can only purchase pies, not slices, and that's fine. I used to live two blocks from Nick's Pizzeria in Forest Hills (related to Angelo's and Patsy's of Manhattan fame)written up often in the NYTimes as the best pizza. They served lots of other great food, but of course, they never ran out of pizza. That would truly be lame, as would the Star Ledger dubbing them the best without really ascertaining their commitment to pizza. And yes, I take pizza very seriously.
Posted by: Liz | Jul 5, 2005 8:01:51 PM
That's like IHOP running out of pancakes, Peter Luger running out of steak or Applegate's running out of ice cream. Only in a strange universe.
Posted by: Miss Martta | Jul 6, 2005 3:14:30 PM
That's like IHOP running out of pancakes, Peter Luger running out of steak or Applegate's running out of ice cream. Only in a strange universe.
Posted by: Miss Martta | Jul 6, 2005 3:18:07 PM
This is not a fancy place and you should not have to dress up. I agree with Liz and how can they deny her take-out pizza? Running out of pizza is unexcusible and I don't blame people for boycotting establishment
Posted by: Harley | Jul 7, 2005 9:20:43 AM
I don't know...I've tried every pizzeria in Nutley, Lyndhurst, Belleville and Rutherford and Regina Margherita beats them all...hands down. Truly the best pizza in this area after Brooklyn Pizza in Hackensack/Ridgewood and Grimaldi's in Hoboken. I can understand being sensitive towards being turned down at an establishment, but get over it, go back and get some good pizza...or let your pride have you settle for second best.
Posted by: Will | Jul 8, 2005 4:41:04 PM
Best pizza in the area? Star Tavern. Just the right amount of grease to slide right down. Bet you can't eat just one...and they never run out!
Posted by: Jim | Aug 27, 2005 1:56:38 PM
Nutley? I beg to differ. The very best pizza on the east coast happens to be in Old Forge, PA. It was even mentioned in a movie many years ago: "That Championship Season".
Now, out of all the great pizzas in Old Forge, the very best was at Bruttico's. The Bruttico family did not operate a pizza place, but a very fine restaurant with pizza service in a separate rear entrance.
Every Friday night, my friends and I would go to a movie at the Holland theater and then walk down to have pizza at Bruttico's. We would always sneak a look to see whose parents were all dressed up dining in the front restaurant and the waitresses would shoo us away. Mary Bruttico was sometimes in the kitchen and was forever smiling.
Yes, pizza - even the very best pizza can come from a fine restaurant.
Posted by: tumpa | Sep 24, 2005 2:59:08 PM