Thin Crust Pizza from Chimney Rock Inn, Bridgewater, NJ

Chimney Rock Inn is a place high on the list of local favorites in the Somerset County area of New Jersey. For one, they have been in business for over 200 years- and is probably one of the oldest businesses in the state. The inn has a reputation for serving classic Italian fare, and has a reputation for great thin-crust pizza. By a quirk of the local Postal system, the Inn is located in the town of Bridgewater, but has an address in neighboring Bound Brook- this quirk has obviously not made it difficult for customers to find- it is always busy.  The area was the focal point of a conflict between two native american tribes, and the restaurant is named for a lanmark where, according to local legend, star-crossed lovers from opposite sides of the conflict met with their untimely end in a murder-suicide scenario that plays out like the ending of Romeo and Juliet. So with a quirky location, a long and storied local hostroy, and an association with a fascinating local legend certianly makes for lively conversation, and an interesting place- but does the food live up to the setting?

Three Brothers from Italy, Boardwalk Pizza from Seaside Heights, New Jersey

Pizza is probably the most common food item found on the Boardwalks all along the New Jersey Shore. If you have to walk more than the length of a block along one without runnign into a pizza joint, you should wonder if you've made a wrong turn and ended up somewhere other than the New Jersey shore... In Seaside Heights, probably the most iconic of the Jersey Shore towns, Three Brothers From Italy is probably the pizza that should be considered the gold standard- so much so, that they actually have several locations spanning the entire baordwalk from end-to-end (I counted at least three, there are probably more), and there is good reason for their success...

The Power of First Impressions

Advertising Fail

Never underestimate the power of a first impression... A small "greasy spoon" style lunch counter near my day job recently changed names (the original actually had pretty decent burgers)- I, however, will probably not eat there or ever give any real review- simply because- well, you can see the photo above... I can understand that the sign company maybe made a mistake, or the owner scribbled the text on the order form in a rush, but when the sign comes back from the printer like this, and you still put it up in the window, I have to wonder if this is the type of establishment I'm willing to trust handling my food! Sorry to stadium pizza in Carlstadt, New Jersey- but I won't be reviewing your establishment.

"Mommy" Pizza

Once a week, my wife makes home made pizza for the kids, so she can solve the problem of entertaining them while she cooks dinner on days when I'm away at work. Her recipe relies on common store-bought ingredients, but somehow manages to get just about the best results you can get without buying a much more expensive specialty oven. This is "Mommy's" Pizza. She won't let me take over and make it often, so this time, I had to make sure to document it!

Zio's Trattoria Pizzeria - Hillsborough, New Jersey

Zio's Brooklyn Style Pizza

It's been raining here in New Jersey for about a week straight- almost non-stop. So while today wasn't exactly the most pleasant day, it is the first time in a long time when there were not buckets of rain falling from the sky, so we took the kids to the park to play for a while, then stopped off for a little lunch.

Zio's Trattoria Pizzeria is a place we've been to a few times, and it's quickly become a favorite. Today we tried something we didn't notice the last few times we were there- the Brooklyn style pizza. And it was well worth the trip!