PORTA

Porta means door in Italian, and at Porta Pizzeria in Asbury Park, New Jersey, the restaurant's front door is one you'll want to walk through again and again!  Porta opened a couple of years ago, and we've been there many times (for dinner, lunch, and for the first time this weekend for jazz brunch), but yet I realized I hadn't blogged about it yet, and boy is it blog worthy!  The food here is AMAZING!  Everything from the pizza (cooked in ovens imported all the way from Naples, Italy), to the pasta and salads is incredibly delicious and at good prices!  The menu changes from brunch to dinner, and also changes with the seasonal ingredients available different times of the year.  That being said, so far in all the times I have been there, they have always delivered and never disappointed.

 The space itself is also very worthy of a mention because it is so cool!  It's a huge loft space inside (feels like something you would find in Williamsburg, Brooklyn), with a bar area, and big communal picnic tables where you sit to eat.  In the nicer weather, there is an outside area as well with more picnic tables, and there's also a bocce ball court.  They don't accept reservations, only walk-ins, but other than a Friday or Saturday night, I have never had to wait that long or wait at all- which is much appreciated with you go out to eat with two kids under the age of three.  And speaking of kids, this place is totally kid friendly.  It's loud, they have highchairs, and a menu pretty much any kid would be happy ordering from.

 They have a great wine menu too that has very affordable options.  Pretty much every time we've eaten at Porta, we've had this bottle of Lambrusca which goes for $20!

We were served bread with olive oil and seasonings while we sipped our wine and waited for our food.

 This time we started out with their Bibb Salad (we've had this salad almost every time we've been there because it's that good).  It has bibb lettuce, gorgonzola, roasted walnuts and comes dressed with an apricot vinaigrette- not too sweet, but just the perfect amount to cut through the tanginess of the blue cheese.  

For pies we had their Margherita with San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano, basil, and is drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.  These simple flavors are classic and delicious, and the kids love it too!

We also had a new one we've never had before- the Winter Betty which has goat cheese, homemade ricotta, broccoli rabe pesto, roasted garlic, thyme, chile flakes, and extra virgin olive oil.  This was AWESOME!  Rich is not much of a goat cheese person and even he loved it!  The taste of the goat cheese is very mild, and the chile flakes give it a nice kick.  This pie is one of my new favorites!  (Along with one not on the brunch menu, only on the dinner menu and not pictured here  known as the 14 and 1/2 which I highly recommend too which has spicy Calabrian chiles and soppressata).

We also tried an order of their Lasagna which has San Marzano tomatoes, ricotta, fresh mozzarella and basil.  I prefer some meat in my lasagna which this obviously doesn't have- so it wasn't my favorite, but it was still good, and the boys loved it!

For dessert we just could't help ourselves, and decided to order one of their Nutella pies.  Need I say more?  AMAZING!!!

So again, one walk through Porta's door, and you'll be hooked.  It's a great spot if you live near the Jersey Shore, but it's even worth the 1 hour and 15 minute drive down the parkway from New York City!

NEW YORK PIZZA SNOB NO MORE!

As a native New Yorker, I admit that I am a huge pizza snob! I have lived in many different cities, and have never seemed to find pizza that I have liked, except for New York Pizza. Well, my jet setters, that all changed this weekend. My brother-in-law, Pete, grew up in Connecticut and has always raved about how good the pizza is there. Being the snob that I am about pizza, I never really believed it, but was still intrigued to taste what he always talks about. Yesterday, Rich and I drove with his parents to New Haven, Connecticut to Frank Pepe's Pizzeria Napoletana and I was amazed!!!Frank Pepe's is located on Wooster Street, which is often called the "Little Italy" street of New Haven. Along this street you can find quite a few Italian restaurants, Pizzerias, and Pastry Shops. I had done a lot of reading about Pepe's before we went and learned that there is often a long line outside. We lucked out, and only waited about 15 minutes before we got seated. Pepe's has been around since 1925, and cooks the original Tomato Pie. This is a pizza that only comes with tomato sauce and grated Parmesan cheese on top...oh my gosh...it was one of the best pizzas I have ever tried! Their dough is thin, crunchy, crusty, a little sweet and very light. Mozzarella cheese is even considered a topping at Pepe's, so we ordered one Tomato Pie, one pie with half mozzarella and half pepperoni, one with sausage, peppers & onions...And one of their White Clam Pies... I also had read a lot about this pie, and it was delicious. If you are a clam lover, this is for you! It's loaded with big clams, which gives it a nice salty bite. Almost every pizza that we saw coming out of their oven was a White Clam Pie...this is what they are famous for besides the Tomato Pie! Slice, after slice, and none of us could stop eating! Pete, I have to give it to you, New Haven has awesome pizza! I can't believe it, but I am a New York Pizza Snob No More! :-)