Word association: “brick oven pizza.” Quick, what are the first words that come to your mind? I would blurt out something like this: thin crust, blistered, bubbly, blackened, chewy, smoky! And then I’d stop playing that game because I’d be hungry.
Jerry’s Brick Oven Pizza in Pleasantville announces rather clearly what it’s about; it’s right there in the name: “brick oven.” After having tried the pizza, I can say it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but that’s not to say it’s bad pizza — actually, I liked it.
I ordered two slices (buffalo chicken and margarita), and I use the term “two” loosely. It’s hard to tell from the pic, but these were supersized slices — one slice was really the equivalent of two, or even three slices on a normal pie.
Both slices had a nice balance of ingredients and good flavor: the buffalo chicken was tangy and hot, while the sauce on the margarita was chunky and garlicky. It was the crust that didn’t seem quite “brick oven” — relatively thin and crispy, but lacking character and the requisite chewiness/smokiness. And where were the big bubbles and blisters in the crust? (Or am I getting brick oven confused with Neapolitan-style? Can someone clarify what exactly brick oven is supposed to be?)
Don’t get me wrong though, I folded these slices up and ate them with gusto. Maybe the words “brick oven” set my expectations too high, but Jerry’s is a welcome addition to the Westchester pizza scene.
GRADE: B+
Jerry’s Brick Oven Pizza
475 Bedford Rd.
Pleasantville, NY
914-495-3222
7 Comments
That pizza still looks a hell of a lot better than Boston pizza, grrr…. (although I found 2 names of places in Newton via chowhound.com that I now want to try. Have you ever used chowhound? You can use it nationally and internationally for restaurant recs.)
Doug, I am a little hesitant to make recommendations to you after the Thomas Stone debacle, however, you should get thee over to All’ Antica pizza @ the Scarsdale train station for some truly fine and creative pizza. I have yet to have a bad slice from there, and if you have room, try the baked orzo.
Doug,
The name “Brick-Oven” means that the pizza was cooked on a fire brick. This is the most common way to produce New York style pizza. The reason you did not get what you expected is because the fuel source was probably gas, which is again, the most common way to cook pizza. What you need to look for is a “wood-burning” or “coal burning” brick oven pizza. The high heat produced by these types of ovens will give you the “blister” and “char” you are looking for. This is not to say that “Brick-Oven” pizza is not good; it is far superior to pizza cooked on a metal screen which passes through a conveyor belt type oven. You find this type of cooking mostly in national chain restaurants. Try Tarry Lodge in Port Chester.
Joe,
This is great info — now I understand why I enjoy the coal-brick oven style of Grimaldi’s and Patsy’s so much. Makes a lot of sense about the high heat. Thanks for posting!
Next time in Pleasantville try Mina Pizza on Marble Avenue next to McD’s. Greek styled…but…damn good pizza and the bacon rolls are to die for. I’m a die hard NH pizza fan and it takes a lot for pizza to impress. Mina’s did in a heartbeat. Although I’ll give Jerry’s a whirl next time…maybe.
I’m sorry but that pizza looks horrible…….looks like the crust has no ‘bounce’ or flavor……..the basil even looks black and soggy……rather than vibrant green……
When I think of ‘brick oven’ pizza………..I think of an actual oven made out of bricks which uses firewood as it’s fuel source……
There’s a million of these ripoff brick oven joints out there that laud themselves as ‘brick oven’ pizzerias……but they are really just gas fueled ovens with a ‘fake’ brick fasade…..quite sad……..most of these operations are more interested in $$$ than the actual craft of making a great dough……
I just got back from Jerry’s and had an incredible pizza experience. Everyone has their own opinion but I love to try things out for myself, especially when it comes to food. I lived in Manhattan, Brooklyn & the Bronx so when it comes to Brick Oven Pizza I am a tough critic. Wood burning is great but never consistent. Some parts of the pizza are burnt and some parts are crispy. Jerry’s had giant slices and the ingredients were superb. Tasted like my Neapolitan aunt’s sauce and the dough was thin and crisp. After we were done my husband ordered Zeppole’s that were out of this world.