Brooklyn Square might just have the best pizza in New Jersey (and therefore the world?) and I get the chance to talk to Peter Grippo about what makes his pizza unique, his life growing up in Brooklyn, and how he runs his ship at the pizzeria.
This week Peter Grippo joins the show to talk about Brookyln Square, his pizzeria located in Jackson, NJ. Peter's pizzas have earned widespread acclaim as well as two major distinctions: a "Best Pizza in New Jersey" ranking from Pete Genovese, and an 8.9 from One Bite Pizza Reviews, the highest rating given to a square slice. Peter grew up in the Gravesend neighborhood of Brooklyn, the son of two Italian immigrant parents from a town called Caggiano in the Campagnia region. He worked at his uncle's pizzeria, Ciccio's on Avenue U, where he made his first pie when he was 15 or 16 years old. Today we discuss how he makes his pies, the process that goes into creating a new pie, the whopping 7 different sauces he keeps on hand for his different pies, and the buzz around some of the new slices he's introduced. Peter talks about how he wants people to feel when they come into Brooklyn Square and how he staffs his pizzerias with people who will make you feel at home. We lament the loss of the Brooklyn he grew up in while looking to New Jersey as a new hotbed of Italian bakeries, delis and pizzerias. Peter shares how he's influenced by his trips to Italy, and he ends with some very high praise for the guys in Brooklyn who are still slinging pizza.