Bruno’s Pizzeria, Clifton – Review

by Alice Magdziak • June 10, 2011 • Food, Passaic, Slices of New Jersey • Comments (0) • 2689

Sometimes, it’s so hot outside that you need someone else to cook. You know?

Well, with the recent heat wave we decided just that and went to a place that used to be a childhood favorite but we hadn’t been in a VERY long time. Was it as good as we remembered? Driving up, we could see that the facade was under construction. They hadn’t changed owners, had they? Was it going to be the same as before??

Bruno’s Pizzeria, right off Route 46 in Clifton, was better than we remembered. Maybe back in the day with our children’s palates we couldn’t appreciate the herbacious marinara or the light and airy Sicilian pizza crust. Maybe we just thought it couldn’t possibly be as good as we remembered.

Upon entering, we could smell that marinara sauce cooking and we knew it was as remembered. We ordered the calamari for an appetizer on waitress Michelle’s recommendation. After all, it takes awhile to cook that giant Sicilian pie.

The calamari tasted fresh and was lightly fried so it wasn’t too chewy. That marinara was the star of the show, though. Is it basil in there? Is it fresh oregano? I know fresh oregano is much more bold and much different tasting than dried. I thought that’s what I was perceiving here. But, it’s always hard to guess what’s in a sauce that’s been cooking for a long time with all the flavors mingling together. Whatever… it worked.

Michelle was a delight, chatting with us while we waited for our pie to come out. We sat in the back room which was darker and much cooler than the front counter area. We had the room to ourselves so we could ooh and aah at dishes as they came out from the kitchen and whisked past us.

Finally, the pizza was ready.

This was no ordinary Sicilian pizza. I’m used to seeing a doormat of crust with another doormat of cheese on top. This was light and airy crust with just a sprinkling of cheese on it. (Actually, the cheese is put on before the sauce so there’s plenty of cheese, you just can’t see it all.) Clearly, the pizza man in the front knew what the money-makers were here. That delicious sauce and the unbelievably light crust. Extra parmesan was provided, like most pizza places, on the table if we wanted more cheese. But, after seeing this creation and knowing what that marinara already tasted like, we knew no more cheese was needed.

If you like Sicilian pizza, you seriously MUST go to Bruno’s in Clifton to try this pie.

We know when we’re going back since Michelle said she worked every Sunday.

See you there!