Sometimes You Just Luck Out

It is one thing to choose a restaurant for the first time sans prior knowledge of its food as you’re walking past. There are visual clues that at least hint to the flavor inside; the decor, the smells, the crowd (and sometimes reviews are hung in the window to help out the true skeptics). It is quite another to sit amidst boxes in your new apartment, in your new neighborhood and, desperate for nourishment, google for local fare when there really aren’t many sites with good reviews of local food.

It’s culinary Russian Roulette. Yet it is exactly what my family and I did last weekend.

Recent transports to Weehawken, we had had some knowledge of good nearby restaurants that don’t deliver, and some fancier sit-down places which, if they do deliver, would be too pricey and ordering would have been a trial. So we decided pizza even though my family is extremely picky about their pies. (It must be a thin, crispy slice for my parents or it’s quickly declared inedible.)

We didn’t want this to be the first thing we ever say to our new neighbors, so I just googled +pizza and +Weehawken. Sadly, not many good sites came up, but I did find a sketchy-looking page that mentioned Monetti’s. My mom, who I’ve mentioned to you before, shrugged, “Well, at least it has an Italian name.” So, I called.

Two pies arrived within 35 minutes, smelling promising. A quick look inside showed piping hot, thin crusts with plenty of fresh toppings (one pie had sausage and peppers and the other had mushrooms - which weren’t the canned kind, as far as we could tell).

Crunchy, but not burnt-tasting or dry, the crust held firm under the hot, stringy cheese and delicious sauce. The sauce, which my Munchmobile cohorts would delight in, was neither too sweet or tangy.

We didn’t have to curse ourselves for such a risky venture, thankfully. Could we have done better? Probably. But their menu is staying close by my phone. And, who knows? Maybe someday I’ll head over to the actual restaurant.

And now that the GOJ editors are dusting off our keyboards and forks, others just like me will have us to discover on late nights in new Jersey ‘hoods, desperate for good food.

Monetti’s (est. 1927)
201 Hackensack Plank Rd (on 32nd St.)
Weehawken, NJ
www.monettisnj.com (found only after I got the menu)
201-863-7474
201-863-0509
Delivery from 11am-11pm, 7 days/week

— by Donna M.
Both a Jersey native and recent transplant from NYC, Donna M. is obsessed with both good food and grammar.

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