Still living my temporary daily situation in the Greenville area of Jersey City, I tracked down another nearby pizza joint for a midweek late afternoon lunch, Vinnie’s Pizza III. Not quite sure where its Danforth Avenue address would lead me, I was surprised to find Vinnie’s at the western end of the avenue where it feeds right into Route 440, just across from former location of Roosevelt Stadium. Back in my Jersey days, I must have driven by this place a million times without ever noticing it.
I pulled into their plentiful parking lot noticing that it had two entrances: one on the Danforth side that led into the fancier dining room, and the other on the 440 side that took you to the counter. I chose the latter where I moseyed up to order two cheese slices (only $5.25 including a bottle of water) for my nourishment and delight. Inside, the separation of the two dining areas was noticeable, and I took one of the “cheap seats” at a table in the front,
My “two” slices started out as a big uncut slab that was not bifurcated until after its time reheating in the big pizza oven. I was then asked if I wanted them “warm” or “hot.” Liking mine as toasted as possible, I went for the “hot,” much appreciating their kind smart offer.
The “hot” choice did make for careful eating, but the roof of my mouth has been down that road before. While this practice can also cause some cheese slippage (which it did), from a taste perspective I never regretted today’s selection.
Sure, there was probably more cheese than it needed, but from top to bottom all the ingredients in Vinnie’s slice was superbly delicious. Not bland nor overly-seasoned, it was straight-laced down the middle, just a good solid quality slice of pizza. Thinking of some of my other Jersey City adventures, hot extra cheese is a fairly common trait among them. Well, that’s OK with me, and Vinnie’s tasty Mozzarella was good going down.
While I thoroughly enjoyed my pizza adventure at Vinnie’s III, and also suggest that if you are driving by on 440 that you give it a try as well, I’m still left with one lingering question: What ever happened to Vinnie’s I and Vinnie’s II?
PIZZA SNOB RATING ****1/2 Nearer Perfection
Vinnie’s Pizza III
341 Danforth Avenue Jersey City, NJ 07305
201-433-5599
www.myvinnespizza.com
