Pizza is Synonymous with New Jersey and This Place is a Must-Try
Updated: Jun 26, 2022
We can all agree that New Jersey has the best pizza in the country. What we will never agree on though is what pizza spot in the Garden State serves up the best slice. Everyone has their favorite and to be honest I could probably do this whole show on pizza spots only and try them all, so we had to be strategic on what spot was first.
I joined the Facebook group "New Jersey Pizza Joints" to get a feel for what places people truly felt passionate about. While I did get plenty of great recommendations for future episodes, one seemed to pop up more often than the others and that was Brooklyn Square Pizza in Jackson. I decided to do a little research on it and its owner, Peter Grippo, and was immediately sold.
I reached out to Peter via Instagram and even though he did not know me, I had never actually tried his pie, and at that point we had not even posted an episode, he invited me down to do the interview.
Learning Peter's story was incredible. Started working at his uncle's pizza shop in Brooklyn, eventually opening up his own place in Jackson, being diagnosed with cancer, opening up two more locations while he was sick, dealing with the pandemic, and everything else that goes into it. Despite all that, Peter is upbeat, friendly, funny, and knows how to bust chops.
After recording the episode he instructed a member of his team to make me his signature pie, the "Upside Down," for me to take home with me. Since I had some time, had about an hour and 15 minute drive ahead of me, and was actually starving, I decided to grab a slice of his "Gravesend" pie to eat there. Luckily I was sitting down because this pizza would've made my knees buckle.
The same thing happened when I got the pie home. We had it for dinner and it was next level. Crispy but fluffy. The right balance of cheese and sauce. Every ingredient of the highest quality, coalescing into a masterpiece. Everything about it I loved. If you haven't had a chance to try this pizza, please do yourself the favor and go try it!
