When you live in New Jersey, you tend to be a snob about many things: how fast you should drive on the highway, whether it’s pork roll or Taylor ham, bagels, or whether Central Jersey exists. But, perhaps one of the biggest categories to cause a squabble has become pizza.
And lucky for us, with Jersey Italians comes pizza places by the plenty.
In Hunterdon County, we hold just about 20 different pizza places, each with a different characteristic, a different specialty, and a different recipe. Now, 20 slices of pizza is quite a bit to conquer in 2 weeks, let alone one day. So, I set off to try just 3 to discover which pizza triumphs over the Flemington area. At each location, I ordered plain pizza with nothing but cheese and sauce decorating the top. My main categories were the following: options, the flop, the crust, the cheese-to-sauce ratio, and price. When things got difficult, I leaned on the service and seating, as well as past experiences and my partner, to create a well-rounded view of the restaurant.
My first place of judgement was Delizia Pizza Kitchen by the Walmart in Flemington. Better known simply as Delizia’s, I have been there many times throughout my life. However, it is known for more creative pies. So much so that I wasn’t even sure they sold just plain pizza. Nevertheless, I walked through the door with my tasting buddy ready to order just that, only to see two waitresses glance and offer no greeting. As we stood behind the counter, gazing at the vast options, I struggled to find the plain pie. My friend was still deciding when the man behind the counter asked what we wanted. I ordered my plain slice and saw them pull it from below the visible counter-taking note of its clear unpopularity. We wandered over to the fridge and saw a vast number of drinks to choose from. From classic lemonades and Snapples to root beers and cream sodas, Delizia’s absolutely had the best drink selection out of each place we visited. In comparatively the shortest amount of time, our order was ready. It was assumed that we were paying together, so we got two plain slices and two drinks for a total of $6.00.
The neon orange pools across the top of the pizza were large and not infrequent. I ignored my temptation to blot, if only to avoid an unappealing drip down my arm so that I could experience the fullest extent. The crust was clearly thin, much to my enjoyment; however, the flop was so immense that it was impossible to eat one-handed. Not even a pizza fold could save this one. While thin, there was no crisp to the crust whatsoever, and it was weighed down by the vast amount of cheese coating it. The cheese to sauce ratio was something close to appalling, with most color coming from the grease rather than the sauce. Despite my description, the slice was edible, and I made it to the top where the outline of the crust awaited me. I typically do not eat my crust because I find it to be boring and flavorless in general. However, for the purposes of accurately comparing different pizzas, I ate this outline of bread at the end of the slices at each restaurant. This particular outline was unsurprisingly doughy, but certainly crispier than the rest of the pizza. It was light in color, but I was able to eat it fully. This may come as a shock, but out of 5 stars, this pizza garnered a 3. Though the textures and stability were quite terrible, the flavors were decent. I also gave much grace to Delizia’s because I know that plain is not their strong suit. I am the first person to complain that if your base is not strong, then adding more is simply a cover-up. However, Delizia’s is home to more than just additional toppings on a plain slice, for their alternatives include white pies, bruschetta pies, and even pasta pies, among others, thereby altering this way of thinking. I do not suggest you take Delizia’s out of your pizza rotation, however, I do advise that you never order a slice of plain from this particular pizza kitchen.
Second on the list was Jack’s Pizza, located on Main Street in the borough of Flemington. As a kid, Jack’s was the place to be on any given half day at Reading Fleming Intermediate School. It was home to the best plain slices I’d ever had. But then it changed hands and became a Mexican restaurant as well as a pizza place. I went back for a plain slice once, and when it wasn’t the same, I never went back. However, it had been years since I had been back, and I was curious to see what my taste buds thought now.
When you walk in, it is evident that Jack’s is a Mexican restaurant first and a pizza place second, signified by the advertising for tacos & such outside, and the lack of pies inside. There were maybe 4 on the counter, all very simple. Even through the counter window, you could tell they were more cooked than those at Delizia’s. The crust was darker and visibly crispier. I ordered plain again and told my order to the friendly man behind the counter. The pizza took longer than Delizia’s, and we headed outside to eat. The pizza was visibly redder than that at Delizia’s, this time not from grease. The crust on the end was more bulbous, however, also slightly charcoaled, indicating a burn. When lifted, it was much sturdier than Delizia’s, as expected, but held visible burning underneath. My slice appeared to have basil cooked into the sauce, and when bitten, the fresh flavor filled my taste buds. The cheese-to-sauce ratio was completely flipped here, with the sauce overpowering the cheese. Though the ratio was still dramatic, the freshness of the sauce was much preferred to the rich, grease-filled cheese at Delizia’s. Prices were comparable, and any reservations we may have had about service vanished when the man came outside to check on us and our food during our meal. I have never had this happen to me at a pizza place before, and it certainly brightened the experience. I appreciated the freshness and attention to crispness, however, the burn and overpowering sauce earned Jack’s 3.5/5 stars.
My last stop was my home base of Virami’s. My family has gotten our pizza here for years, so I was very used to its taste. However, I had never before sampled three local pizzas in one day with such an analytical eye. I was aware of the biases I may have held, however, I was prepared to fall back on my tasting partner, who had been to none of the places before and had so far agreed with me about each. Though it could have been timing, Virami’s was the busiest by far. Their pie selection was in between that of Delizia’s and Jack’s, with more traditional pies and more being made in front of our eyes. A customer came in and began talking with the owner and chef, as I’ve seen many-including my own father-do before. It is clear that there are usuals here, and though the owner may seem grumpy and can be very intimidating for a teenage girl, it is evident that Virami’s cares about their customers and their customers care about them. With that in mind, I ordered plain as I had done two places before. It took the longest for my slice to come out there, and as I exited to sit outdoors, I appreciated the shakers to add cheese, red pepper flakes, and garlic that were next to the countertop. There is only one table to sit outdoors, but if you are lucky enough to get it, it is very nice and secluded, offering a very comfortable vibe for those eating there. When looking at the slice, it seems to be the middle of the two previously. If Delizia’s was less greasy, the crust more cooked, and the sauce more present, Viramis would be the same. The slice was perfect for folding, a nice crease forming close to the top while the bottom drooped slightly from the heat. When bitten into, the crunch was stellar. The sauce-to-cheese ratio felt even compared to the other two extremes, but was, in reality, still heavier on the cheese. The sauce tasted less fresh than that at Jack’s, but the crust was less burnt with a similar amount of crispness. As I ate the final edge, I was reminded why I typically skip this part. Without the allure of cheese and sauce, the crust was slightly dry and left something to be desired. My friend even said that it was a little hard to get through. Though the crust let us down, the freshness was missing, and the cheese was a little bit heavy, the care was evident. Virami’s took the prize as the better of two extremes, but still emerged as only a 4 out of 5.
After this taste testing experience, it became clear that Hunterdon County has led us to be missing a truly amazing pizza place. Granted, there are signatures at each – gourmet pizzas at Delizia’s, the unbelievable vinegary and fresh salad pizza at Virami’s, and possibly Mexican food at Jack’s – it is evident that out of those I tried, we do not have a 5-star-classic-plain in our midst. What I can say is, though none may have been 5 stars, they were miles above any that you could find across the state line. It is possible that there is one around us, and we just have to find it. My search will continue after this article is published, and I challenge you to find one as well.
