Well. Now Sir Paul McCartney and I have something in common. Both Macca and I have each spent a Sunday afternoon walking about taking photos along Main Street in Metuchen. (BTW – The apparent connection is that Sir Paul’s wife Nancy grew up in nearby Edison.) This downtown spot is a lovely commercial area with a retro vibe that is full of nice shops, local places to eat, and scattered outdoor art. There’s also a great pizza place called Antonio’s Brick Oven Pizza that my friends at nj.com rated as the second best in Middlesex County.
It was a lovely Sunday afternoon in Metuchen for both pictures and pizza with my kid brother and his wife. Lunchtime it was, and we copped a parking spot smack dab in front of Antonio’s right at noontime, just as they were unlocking the front door for business. Things inside looked pretty standard for a pizza joint with the room perhaps a little larger and upscale than usual.
My past experience has given little credence to the brick oven experience, so seeing that in a place’s name does little for me. Even if this implies that it may have a hotter oven, they still need to know how to make a good pizza in the first place. And as far as oven alternatives go, bricks don’t taste as good as coal.
After starting things off with a spot-on good Caesar salad with chicken, I couldn’t wait to attack my two absolutely gorgeous cheese slices that were brought to our table. From their front tips to their rich tomato sauce-lined darkened crust, the scrumptious-looking cheese lightly shone from the glaze of its slim coating of oil. Served together on a pair of white paper plates, they made my taste buds anxious.
The slices were of a good size and were served piping hot. Their spectacular taste was no letdown. The delicious Mozzarella was pleasantly seasoned with oregano and melted just right into the tasty tomato sauce. The bottom crust was toasted to a good char and its crispness made this a rock-solid slice. Wow! This is exactly how a slice of pizza should be.
While there was nothing particularly unique about Antonio’s slice, it was just perfect in everything that a Snob like me looks for. Antonio’s Brick Oven Pizza is worth the journey and is also good excuse to come and visit this neat part of Metuchen.
Antonio’s offers several specialty slices and my kid brother loved his thick square Sicilian. I wonder which one Sir Paul would have tried.
PIZZA SNOB RATING ***** Sets the Standard
Antonio’s Brick Oven Pizza
453 Main Street
Metuchen, NJ 08840
732-603-0008
www.antoniosbrickovenpizza.com
