Because there is nothing we wouldn’t do for food, we toured the tri-state area in search of the perfect pizza. After doing lots of research and taste testing, we narrowed the final two contenders down to Star Tavern in Orange, New Jersey and Naples Pizza in Farmington, Connecticut.
As we sat down to eat in the Sopranos-esque setting at Star, former hostess Ellen Doernberg informed us that it was perfectly acceptable to eat at least 3 pieces of pie. As if we needed permission—social norms rarely define the quantity of our food consumption. After careful consideration, we decided to order two pies, one with olives and one with mushrooms.
What a pie!!
*Note on vocab: Star Tavern, being the authentic second-generation Italian eatery that it is, strictly refers to its pizzas as pies. Pls abide by these rules when ordering.
True to Ellen’s word, the pizza was ah-mahzing. The waistlines of our jorts prevented us from finishing the pies during lunch, so we got the leftovers to go. Rumor has it that Alyssa finished the pizza in the backseat of the car on our way to fro yo. This has been confirmed.
Naples had more of a Gilmore Girls/Dawson’s Creek vibe than Star. In order to make an accurate epicurean comparison, Elaheh ordered a slice of pizza with olives. Not bad, but Naples simply sprinkled the olives on top of the cooked pizza, rather than cooking them into the cheese, as made at Star.
Luckily, there were plenty of house salads, eggplant fries, and kids’ portions of chicken parm to go around. The proximity of Naples to Alyssa’s alma mater, Miss Porter’s School, prohibits us from saying any negative things about the eatery. It had great food and an excellent ambience. Bias.
Sheets of Egyptian Cotton 