Abie Azzaro & A Review Of Burg Legend Papas Tomato Pies

Abie Azzaro & A Review Of Burg Legend Papas Tomato Pies

From a link on the FB Group Fans of Papas Tomato Pies:

Papa’s, like it’s better-known brother DeLorenzo’s, makes a
proper Trenton tomato pie (it should, it virtually invented
it. Er, well, it actually copied it from Joe’s, which
started in 1910, when Papa left that establishment to go
into business for himself). But Joe’s is no longer with us.
DeLorenzo’s is a relative Johnny-come-lately,founded in
1936. A proper Trenton tomato pie has olive oil drizzled
over a thin crust, then a layer of crushed tomatoes (no
sauce), then a layer of cheese, and then a last drizzle
of olive oil. Only fresh ingredients are allowed.
(If you’re a garlic lover, be sure to order your pie
with “fresh garlic”. It counts as an extra topping, but
it’s oh so worth it!). There are a bunch of wonderful
things about Papa’s: First, the pies are tremendous.
You can argue whether they’re better or worse than the
competition on Hudson Street, but it comes down to
personal preference. By any standard, Papa’s pies are
fabulous, among the best anywhere. (Papa’s crust is
more conventional than DeLorenzo’s).Second, if you’ve
ever tried to GET INTO De Lorenzo’s, you’ve either got
to go really early or really late, or be prepared to
wait for hours (particularly on the weekend), fighting
hordes of folks from Princeton, Ewing, and Hamilton
nostalgic for the Trenton of their roots. On the other
hand, generally, you can show up and be seated
immediately at Papa’s. It’s as if the collective
unconscious of the Trenton diaspora somehow forgot
about this wonderful institution. Now, it is true that
De Lorenzo’s is a little cuter…Papa’s current location
(they moved there in 1946 from Butler Street) doesn’t
have the “quaint” factor of that little house on
Hudson Street…but I hate waiting on line. And, Papa’s
actually has rest rooms you can use. Third, Papa’s is
open every day. Finally, at Papa’s the service is
friendly (a distinct differentiator vs. the
competition), the antipasto salad is huge, prices are
reasonable, and you can bring your own bottle. In
addition to the fantastic salad, there’s also a full
menu of simple, red-sauce Italian food. Even Atkins
dieters can eat here… my wife often orders a sausage
platter: just sausage, onions, and peppers. What’s
not to love?