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High-end mozzarella seems to be the common thread for many of the Garden State's greatest pies, according to the website.
Here are the New Jersey spots on the list:
55. Bread and Salt, Jersey City
"Rick Easton is one of the country’s most meticulous and renowned bakers, and he first gained recognition back in 2015 for a stone-milled, high-extraction wheat flour 'local bread' sold at his shop in Pittsburgh. So it goes without saying that the pizza dough he’s turning out at the Jersey City location of Bread and Salt is going to be equally fussed-over. The end result? Roman-style pizza al taglio sliced to order, with a crisp, airy and chewy crust topped with a changing selection of fresh ingredients from New York’s Union Square Greenmarket. The Rossa (simply topped with tomato sauce) and the Margherita (with high-end mozzarella) are always available, though, and both are must-orders. And if there’s a doughnut on the menu, get that for dessert.
52. Papa’s Tomato Pies, Robbinsville
47. Santillo's Brick Oven Pizza, Elizabeth
"Al Santillo’s grandfather opened Santillo’s in 1950, and the massive, cathedral-like brick oven, which requires a 20-foot-long peel to retrieve the pizzas, was built in 1957. This New Jersey pizzeria is really something you have to experience for yourself. Be prepared to order by the year — Al preserves every pizza style he can for posterity.
"They range from the 1940 Genuine Tomato Pie (no cheese) to the 2011 San Marzano 'Tomatoes Over the Cheese' Pizza. But there are other intriguing options like Lasagna Pizza, thin-pan, Roman-style and Italian bread. Start out with a 1957-Style Pizza Extra Thin (14-inch round), or the popular Sicilian pizza — or just ask Al to make you his own spontaneous creation."
37. Delorenzo's Tomato Pies, Robbinsville
32. Star Tavern Pizzeria, Orange
"In the history of all things pizza, the bar pie is perhaps one of the most underrated styles. It’s a shame, save that it makes bar pie bastions like Colony, Eddie’s and Star Tavern in Orange, New Jersey, easier to enjoy without battling crowds. Owned and operated by the Vayianos family since 1980, “The Star” is run by former attorney Gary Vayianos, whose kitchen turns out super-thin, crispy crusts with a sauce-to-cheese ratio that delivers as much as you need and not more than the structural integrity can handle. And as the name might imply, it pairs perfectly with an ice-cold beer."
3. Razza Pizza Artigianale, Jersey City
"Razza opened just across the Hudson River from New York in Jersey City, New Jersey, in late 2012, and it quietly became locally renowned for its wood-fired pizzas prepared by chef-owner Dan Richer, who was a semifinalist for the James Beard Rising Star Award. Not only has Richer perfected his crust — it’s crisp from end to end and its inside is soft with a complex flavor — but he’s also meticulous about his toppings, which he sources locally.
"The mozzarella on his Bufala pie, for example, comes from water buffalo in New Jersey’s Sussex County. He had to wait years for the herd to grow large enough to ensure a steady supply of the notoriously difficult-to-perfect cheese. And as for the sauce, Richer told The New York Times that he waits for the latest vintages of tomatoes from California, New Jersey and Italy to be canned each January before blind-tasting and grading them all, then blending them like fine wine. When assembled, the pizza is as close to perfection as possible."
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