The Finals of the Slice Showdown is here! Who has North Jersey's best pizza?
It's the final showdown: A relative newcomer — Grumpy's — will vie against an artisanal favorite — Aquila Pizza Al Forno — for the title of North Jersey's favorite pizza.
We never get tired of talking about pizza — probably because we never get tired of eating pizza. It's the perfect food: crunchy crust or pillowy dough, sweet and tangy tomato sauce, velvety cheese, and plenty of garlic and spices to boot.
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But all pizza is not created equal. The way those simple ingredients meld together can drastically change the end result. The amount of olive oil drizzled, the type of cheese sprinkled, the variety of tomato simmered — all of these factor into what could be a fantastic or failed pie.
And that's where you come in.
We are on a quest to find your favorite pizza. And — with a nod to our friends in the college basketball tournament — we're asking you to vote for your favorite March Madness-style, in brackets of elimination rounds. This is the championship round.
The Finals voting guide
Voting begins at 12:01 a.m. Monday, March 27, and ends at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, March 28.
You can vote once per day, per matchup, per round.
The winner will be announced on Friday, March 31.
More:Here are the pizzas you thought should have been in our March Madness bracket (but weren't)
North Jersey Eats' Favorite Pizza dates
THE FINALS: March 27-28
Winner announced Friday March 31
The finals: Grumpy's vs. Aquila Pizza Al Forno
Marcello Segura opened the doors to Grumpy’s just over a year ago, but he has developed enough of a following to earn a berth in Pizza Bowl 3 — a statewide competition arranged by Jersey Pizza Joints, a Facebook group with 68,000 members. He finished third in the North Jersey sectional finals. It’s an old school pizza joint: counter, a few tables, refrigerator for drinks. Nothing fancy. Segura uses a sourdough starter, which makes a for a lovely dough, crispy and flavorful. Go: 522 Saddle River Road, Saddle Brook; 201-880-0555, grumpysnj.com.
Every one of Jerry Arcieri's artisan pizzas at Aquila Pizza Al Forno is made by Arcieri. At his tiny (15 tables), BYO spot, he makes his own mozzarella, too — and his own dough. "The dough is the base for everything," he told us. "You can spend $10,000 on imported prosciutto, but without really good dough it doesn't matter." There are only five pizzas on his menu, though he offers a weekly special pie. Go: 7a Paterson Ave., Little Falls; 973-256-0050, aquilaforno.com
Check back on Friday, March 31 to see our champion!
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: North Jersey's best pizza: Vote for your favorite in the championship
