Pick any city in the Pizza State, and you will find that it has at least one spectacular pizza joint. It’s a place that’s been there forever, for the most part is always open, of course serves slices, and most likely delivers. It also isn’t the kind of place you’d take your wedding party for the rehearsal dinner. But, all the locals love it and have a history there with stories to tell. And, of course they love to tell you that they remember when a slice cost only however many cents it once used to?
Meeting my brother Bru on a Sunday afternoon for lunch, I suggested that we cruise over to New Brunswick which is just a short hop from his home turf of Edison. It didn’t take long on the Google for the Snob to find out that the go-to place for pizza in Rutgers city was Filippo’s Famous Pizza.
I hadn’t been to NB in over a quarter of a century. It was so long in fact, that I couldn’t notice whether or not it had changed. We easily found Filippo’s in an old-weathered looking store front with a faded sign on the busy two-lane main downtown drag of George Street. Parking there was downright criminal. With all the city streets lined with cars, I eventually found a resting spot a few blocks away in an indoor parking garage that cost me more than my slice of pizza would.
We walked through their long large room and each ordered a pair of slices at the back counter, retreating to wait at one of the big booths in the front. While a sign boasted “Home of the Monster Pie,” we were just not hungry enough for 28 inches of pizza. However, good for us was that fact that our slices were big suckers that were likely cut from a Monster.
Filippo’s slices were long, lean and ultra-thin. Held upright, the front tips would sag. But, after a good fold, these thin guys held tight all the way through until the end crust was gone.
Wow! What excellent slices these were. The cheese and sauce came together just perfectly although to a rather odd-looking color. The coating of tasty oil on top barely dripped off. There was also just enough garlic in the mix to get the attention of your taste buds without being a distraction. While the crust was not overly-crisp, it had just enough to give it a slight crunch while staying totally tasty and chewy.
While Filippo’s slice isn’t unique enough to get you to drive an hour for, if you are close by, it’s well worth a visit. I’d put this one in the category of “Ultra-Thin NY Style” and that’s a good thing. The word delicious would be the other adjective I would use to describe Filippo’s pizza. Nice work!
PS That garlic taste did linger a bit later in the day—but in kind of a good way!
PIZZA SNOB RATING ****1/2 Nearer Perfection
Filippo’s Famous Pizza
226 George Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
732-846-9060
www.filippospizzamenu.com