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| One hell of a pie Photo Credit: TH |
Where: West Avenue and 13th Street, Ocean City, NJ
Order: 12-inch Piccini Special (fresh spinach and basil, San Marzano tomatoes, blend of mozzarella and mild provolone cheeses on a garlic/olive oil base), 12-inch Sharp Provolone and Broccoli Rabe (self-explanatory, right? also with roasted red peppers on a garlic/olive oil base), eight-inch red pie with mushrooms and bacon for the kids
Website: www.picciniocnj.com
Guy Fieri is a mixed bag in the world of food, a veritable John Cena figure in that some people love him and others despise him. Regardless, his show on Food Network, Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives remains a vital resource for anyone looking for great restaurants that aren't your normal chain fare or are high-fallutin' fine dining establishments. Not only is it a must-reference for eaters, both local and travelling, but the show is a boon for small businesses, perhaps the biggest success for those standalone establishments in these trying times. I've been to a few of these establishments, and not once has my meal been anything less than stellar. Triple D has a sterling track record.
Enter Piccini, located in Ocean City, NJ, off the boardwalk and on West Avenue, which is what Ocean Drive is called in that locale. Fieri profiled the joint for the December 18, 2015 episode of Triple D to glowing reviews for the Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza as well as the Vodka Chicken and Farfalle. Ocean City is known for quite a few things, including its ongoing prohibition on alcohol sales (giving it the nickname of "America's best family resort"), Johnson's popcorn, Jilly's Arcade and Amusement Park, and of course, Manco and Manco Pizza. Manco and Manco is one of the boardwalk's most enduring icons of the pie, although it's far from the only pizza joint one will find there. Every other block seems to have two pizza places for the walkers to partake, in addition other Italian/pizza joints off the boardwalk, including Voltaco's and Luigi's.
What sets Piccini apart from the rest, other than the appearance on the show that boosted Fieri's image more than any other, is that the pizza absolutely smokes any other place I've tried in that shore town. It compares favorably with other top pizza places I've tried, like Tacconelli's, Celebre's, and Nomad Pizza Truck, all in Philly or the Philly area, as well as the excellent pizza I've eaten in the New York area. Namely, it starts with the crust. Thin crust can run the gamut of textures from cracker-crisp to soggy and limp. Piccini has firmness and a little crispiness, but as you veer away from the edges, it gets a bit more elasticity, a little more chew if you will. Your mileage may vary, but personally speaking, that texture is nirvana.
Amanda and I got the Piccini Special and Sharp Provolone and Broccoli Rabe pies for us and a red pie (with tomato sauce and cheese) with mushrooms and bacon for the children. Right away, you could tell they were serious about toppings because the bacon looked real and crispy, while the mushrooms appeared to be chopped fresh and not canned. Their red sauce tasted fresh, vibrant, and bright, while the garlic white sauce was both pungent but not overpowering. Each white pie for the adults was generously topped and well-seasoned. The toppings worked well together. By itself, broccoli rabe can be too a bitter ingredient, even in the most adept of hands, which is why it needs to be paired with something like sharp provolone and roasted red peppers.
I cannot recommend this place more than I already am. It just goes to show that no matter what you think about Guy Fieri, he knows his shit when it comes to restaurants.
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| Photo Credit: TH |
