Went to La Rustique at 611 Jersey Avenue in Jersey City (map) this afternoon. I’d heard a lot about it through posts on Serious Eats, but also some comments from my latest post on John’s Pizzeria. The weekend they opened, I got a slice, and enjoyed the crispy crust, but I was in a terrible mood at the time (going through a breakup) and any kind of pizza would’ve been sufficient.
This time around–I was not impressed. The sauce was not strong enough of tomatoes for my preference, and I could barely distinguish the fresh mozzarella. Crust is phenomenal, crispy yet chewy when need be. I’ll forgive the sauce/cheese issue based on the fact I had a slice instead of a pie. I don’t want a pizza that is overwhelmingly crust. I had enough carbs today; a girl needs her serving of vegetables.
Expect a full analysis at Serious Eats in the next few days to come.
Note: I’ve just started reading SE god Ed Levine’s book Pizza: A Slice of Heaven, and my life is changing with every page. Never think about pizza the same again.
Would you be interested in pies like these if they became available in your neighborhood?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pauliegee/sets/72157603296443911/
I’m looking forward to meeting Ed and getting an autographed copy of Pizza: A Slice of Heaven at this event on Saturday.
http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/07/nyc-wine-and-food-festival-pizza-tasting-event-una-pizza-napoletana.html
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
La Rustique is still finding its way at its new Harsimus Cove location, in my opinion — what with the new oven and the expansion from a takeout-only joint to a “cafe.” The seating and BYOB option are welcome additions to the neighborhood and the pizza is still better than most others in JC.
I trust that in time they’ll get back to the transcendent level they were at at the old Paulus Hook storefront, which was good enough to win WiredJC’s Best Pizza in JC poll: http://www.wiredjc.com/index.php/topic,762.0.html
Yo Alison! It’s me, from the ice pizza class. Like your blog, you’re like a female me, except, uhh, your more interesting, write better and cook much more compelling bits!