Bruchetta Pizza

[DonnaMarieNJ]

Who has the best bruchetta pizza in northern NJ? I like Forte's in West Caldwell. Anyone have any suggestions?

Oh, and I heard (not sure if it is true) that they had a fire in Forte's last night. I'm not sure about the damage or if anyone got hurt!!!

[Jaymes]

What is bruchetta pizza?

[Jason Perlow]

Is that like a pizza cruist, sauceless, adorned with uncooked chopped tomatoes, basil and rubbed with garlic in the style of bruschetta? I've never heard of it referred to in that way.

[rassele]

They have it at Godfather's in East Hanover on Rt 10. The use a lot of arugula, not so much basil. They also top it with fresh mozzarella, and almost always have it available by the slice.

[Jaymes]

Is that like a pizza cruist, sauceless, adorned with uncooked chopped tomatoes, basil and rubbed with garlic in the style of bruschetta? I've never heard of it referred to in that way.

Damn shame the Italian word 'bruschetta' has completely lost its meaning in the US. I even had one waitress tell me that "bruschetta is like an Italian salsa." It's come to mean the optional and varied toppings, instead of the bread. That's even worse than the fact that nobody here seems to be able to pronounce it correctly, although we have no problem with the hard 'ch' sound in Chianti.

Edited July 22, 2006 by Jaymes (log)

[Jason Perlow]

Welcome to Jersey, Jaymes.

Yeah, Bruschetta is technically just toasted bread with garlic rubbed on top. The tomato and basil thing is really just a variation that has eclipsed the original in terms of popularity here in the NY Metro Area.

[Andrew Fenton]

To be fair, you do see that kind of pizza in Italy. I used to eat it at pizza a taglio places all the time, sometimes with shaved parmesan (good) or tuna (better) added. Too bad the American places feel like they have to call it "bruschetta".

[Jaymes]

To be fair, you do see that kind of pizza in Italy.  I used to eat it at pizza a taglio places all the time, sometimes with shaved parmesan (good) or tuna (better) added.  Too bad the American places feel like they have to call it "bruschetta".

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Not quibbling about the kind of pizza. I know they have it in Italy. It's the complete bastardization of the word "bruschetta" (as well as the mispronounciation) that I find lamentable.

[Jason Perlow]

Oh they bastardize a lot more than the word bruschetta in Jersey. You ever watch the Sopranos?

[Jaymes]

Oh they bastardize a lot more than the word bruschetta in Jersey. You ever watch the Sopranos?

Nope. HBO is too high on the hog (as we say in the south) for me.

And you're right that there are a great many worse things to get one's panties in a wad about. But it does grate on the nerves when I ask a waitress, "What on earth is 'Chicken Bruschetta Salad'?" to have her tell me confidently (and a little smugly) that it's "cold chunks of chicken tossed with pasta and brushetta, which is a kind of Italian salsa." I mean, that's laugh-out-loud funny.

And I did.

Edited July 23, 2006 by Jaymes (log)