NJ beats NYC

[Bengoshi]

Some valid points here.  Hoboken also has some great slice joints. And another reason New Haven as No. 2 deserves its own category IMHO

https://nypost.com/2021/04/30/new-jersey-beats-out-new-york-for-best-pizza-title/

[psedillo]

Some valid points here.  Hoboken also has some great slice joints. And another reason New Haven as No. 2 deserves its own category IMHO

https://nypost.com/2021/04/30/new-jersey-beats-out-new-york-for-best-pizza-title/

I have an automatic reflex to dismiss anything from the New York Post without hesitation.

[waltertore]

As a NJ native who learned pizza outside Newark NJ I say Right On Baby    I grew up 15 minutes outside Manhattan and spent lots of time in NYC in the 60's-80's.  I watched NYC pizza go downhill in the late 70's onward.  I haven't been back in years and the new NYC is not one I knew which was one of multi generational families and food places.  Never a help wanted sign, never hire off the street...   NYC is now full of non natives.  My friend a 4th generation Manhattan native left last year.  He said he got tired of people telling him where to eat, etc,  who lived there a year.  He sold his home for a boatload and left like the majority of  his peers did.  Our pizzeria made this list for Nevada. 

[SammyMeatballs]

NJ beats NY, not NYC. I agree, NJ has consistently better pizza throughout the state than NY or CT.

[SammyMeatballs]

I have an automatic reflex to dismiss anything from the New York Post without hesitation.

LOL. They're just reporting what Food and Wine Magazine said in their findings.

[Jersey Pie Boy]

psd...good instinct..that would be your gag reflex 


As to the tri-state, I believe my user name makes my position clear   

[nickyr]

From the article:

“If you give another New Yorker a call and ask them what’s a good pizzeria in New Jersey, chances are they’re not going to be able to name one,” said Ahmed Elsayed, 28, a manager at L&B Spumoni Gardens — a popular pizzeria in Brooklyn’s Gravesend neighborhood.

That’s the whole problem! New Yorkers don’t even realize that anything (pizza or not) outside of NYC exists. They have no idea what they’re missing.

Anyone who can’t name The Star Tavern hasn’t truly lived.

[Peter B]

That’s the whole problem! New Yorkers don’t even realize that anything (pizza or not) outside of NYC exists.

This is absolutely true. 

[waltertore]

From the article:

“If you give another New Yorker a call and ask them what’s a good pizzeria in New Jersey, chances are they’re not going to be able to name one,” said Ahmed Elsayed, 28, a manager at L&B Spumoni Gardens — a popular pizzeria in Brooklyn’s Gravesend neighborhood.

That’s the whole problem! New Yorkers don’t even realize that anything (pizza or not) outside of NYC exists. They have no idea what they’re missing.

Anyone who can’t name The Star Tavern hasn’t truly lived.

Star has been our families home base for pizza for 60 years.  When I started venturing into NYC with my music all I heard was insults from the New Yorkers about NJ.  Now I get revenge.  When a person comes in our pizzeria and says they are from NY I share I am from NJ.  Probably 70% have one of those NJ putdown wisecracks I heard all my life.  Now I respond - " go to Dominos. I hear they make great pizza"   That shuts them up quick as they know there is no NY style pizza worth a crap in our part of the country    Here is what Star Tavern looked like in my day.  Wallaces Jazz Club was right across the street.  I had  a small liqour store in the front and you could walk through to the club or enter from the street right across from the Star entrance.  Wallaces was a super hip club even to New York music lovers. 

[Jersey Pie Boy]

Of course it isn't just about pizza.
It's this: New Yorkers' View of the World

[nickyr]

Star has been our families home base for pizza for 60 years.  When I started venturing into NYC with my music all I heard was insults from the New Yorkers about NJ.  Now I get revenge.  When a person comes in our pizzeria and says they are from NY I share I am from NJ.  Probably 70% have one of those NJ putdown wisecracks I heard all my life.  Now I respond - " go to Dominos. I hear they make great pizza"   That shuts them up quick as they know there is no NY style pizza worth a crap in our part of the country    Here is what Star Tavern looked like in my day.  Wallaces Jazz Club was right across the street.  I had  a small liqour store in the front and you could walk through to the club or enter from the street right across from the Star entrance.  Wallaces was a super hip club even to New York music lovers.

LOL

Of course it isn't just about pizza.
It's this: New Yorkers' View of the World

also LOL

[SammyMeatballs]

I used to do work with guys from the five boroughs, the island, North Jersey, upstate and myself, I'm from Connecticut. The NYC guys always bagged on the Jersey guys so I asked them ... "Why you always bag on them so much?"

They said "Because they're insecure"

I says "So what about Connecticut?"

"Connecticut? you don't even matter"


So at least you Jersey guys matter enough, they break your balls.

[nickyr]

I used to do work with guys from the five boroughs, the island, North Jersey, upstate and myself, I'm from Connecticut. The NYC guys always bagged on the Jersey guys so I asked them ... "Why you always bag on them so much?"

They said "Because they're insecure"

I says "So what about Connecticut?"

"Connecticut? you don't even matter"


So at least you Jersey guys matter enough, they break your balls.

LOL so sad. Pretty clear the NYers are the insecure ones :-)

For the record, I think Connecticut matters! Maybe not for anything other than pizza, but pizza is really all you need.

[SammyMeatballs]

LOL so sad. Pretty clear the NYers are the insecure ones :-)

For the record, I think Connecticut matters! Maybe not for anything other than pizza, but pizza is really all you need.

It wasn't strictly about pizza, just the NY state of mind rubbing off.

Thanks, we're also known for our sub-base and lobster rolls.

[waltertore]

I used to do work with guys from the five boroughs, the island, North Jersey, upstate and myself, I'm from Connecticut. The NYC guys always bagged on the Jersey guys so I asked them ... "Why you always bag on them so much?"

They said "Because they're insecure"

I says "So what about Connecticut?"

"Connecticut? you don't even matter"


So at least you Jersey guys matter enough, they break your balls.

I basically kicked their as# when I was younger or gave them a profane laced tirade that shut them up.  I am proud to be from NJ.  You didn't have to deal with tunnel/bridge tolls, parking nightmares, super high prices for rent (even then but nothing compared to today), and we had as good or better food in NJ, the beach, and Sinatra, Springsteen, Joe Pesci, Jack Nickelson, and Frankie Vali, 

[Peter B]

I never really cared for the dismissive label of "Jersey" by outsiders either.  I was born in Brooklyn, lived in Staten Island but moved to Northern NJ at about the age of four.  So virtually all of my memories are of NJ, and I consider myself a NJ native (and super proud of it BTW).  There are many things to like and dislike about both NJ and NY.  When it comes to being able to name pizza places, I don't see how that matters - especially when some of the ones that most of us could name have had the word "overrated" attached to them in recent times by a few folks.

[waltertore]

I never really cared for the dismissive label of "Jersey" by outsiders either.  I was born in Brooklyn, lived in Staten Island but moved to Northern NJ at about the age of four.  So virtually all of my memories are of NJ, and I consider myself a NJ native (and super proud of it BTW).  There are many things to like and dislike about both NJ and NY.  When it comes to being able to name pizza places, I don't see how that matters - especially when some of the ones that most of us could name have had the word "overrated" attached to them in recent times by a few folks.

I agree with your assessment on NY and NJ   I am happy to be living in Reno.  The NYC metro area has changed so much in so many ways.   The biggest change is the cost of living.  Like me, most everyone I know has moved from my hometown because you can't afford to live there.   It use to have a middle class but now requires  a millionaires salary to make it comfortably.   I was raised before the internet, cable tv, and food shows other than Julia and the galloping gourmet    Back then no one knew hardly any pizzerias outside their own neighborhoods unless they had relatives they visited that required our parents putting us in the car to get there and that was only a 10-15 minute ride.  Everything you needed was top shelf food wise within a walk of your home so why go further?  I still am not up on all the big names in pizza because I don't watch much TV and do very little internet other than this site for pizza. 

[hammettjr]

From the article:

“If you give another New Yorker a call and ask them what’s a good pizzeria in New Jersey, chances are they’re not going to be able to name one,” said Ahmed Elsayed, 28, a manager at L&B Spumoni Gardens — a popular pizzeria in Brooklyn’s Gravesend neighborhood.

That’s the whole problem! New Yorkers don’t even realize that anything (pizza or not) outside of NYC exists. They have no idea what they’re missing.

Anyone who can’t name The Star Tavern hasn’t truly lived.

But most NYers aren't pizza fanatics like we are. If you can walk to a decent pizzeria whenever you're hungry and want a quick slice, you're good to go. I'm not expecting people to rent cars and take day trips to eat pizza. They have no reason to because it's not important to them.

[quietdesperation]

does anyone seriously believe nj has better pizza than ny? or ny better pizza than nj? Just how would one come to that determination?

I agree with your assessment on NY and NJ   I am happy to be living in Reno.  The NYC metro area has changed so much in so many ways.   The biggest change is the cost of living.

walter, I respectfully submit that you've been out of the area so long that you've lost touch with local trends. When I moved to nyc in 1982, i paid $800/month for a shared two bedroom with my college roommate in brooklyn heights which, at the time, was transitioning towards gentrification.

fast forward to today, brooklyn heights is completely out of reach for most recent college graduates but my two kids, a couple of years out of college, live in crown heights brooklyn and their rent? $800. actually, my oldest (26) is about to move and pay $1000 rent for an apt on prospect park...just not the part of the park I'd have considered safe but now a family neighborhood. and instead of eating pizza, my kids are eating inexpensive roti and doubles.

so yes, while houses in your hometown may no longer be affordable, there are plenty of towns in ny and nj accessible to the middle class.

[Qapla]

I have lived in Florida for over 60 years. I went to NY for the first time in 2011 and another short trip in 2015. I went by train. The first time we got off the train in Newark ... the second time I rode it to NY Penn Station. While there we rode NJT, PATH and NY Subway to get around except for a trip to Trenton and Wallkill. A friend familiar with the area advised us to find a room in NJ because it would cost less. While shopping online for room and rental car deals what he said seemed to be accurate and we got a deal in South Plainfield.

Now, speaking from the viewpoint of a person who has lived in the country (on the same 30 acres) for 50+ years ... except for when we traveled to Wallkill, it was all the same to us. We did not see any difference between Newark and NYC. Compared to where we live, it was all crowded with really tall buildings. I had pizza in NJ and in NYC. They were both good and much better than I can find where I live - I can't say one was any better than the other, especially since the pizza I had in NYC came 4 years after the one I had in NJ.

Even though I know the Hudson separates the two cities, when you go between the on PATH you can't tell when you left one and entered the other ... so, it all seems the same.

So, who beats who ... NY or NJ - well, coming from someone who is from Florida ... who cares