Joe Montana visits DeLucia's in Raritan: 'This isn't supposed to happen'

Jenna Intersimone, MyCentralJersey.com
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

When you’re NFL Hall of Famer Joe Montana, you can get anything you want on a pizza.

So when the three-time Super Bowl MVP went to DeLucia’s Brick Oven Pizza in Raritan on Friday, he ordered pies with buffalo chicken, sausage and jalapeno, pepperoni and hot honey, and anchovy and cheese.

“I got to shake hands and meet one of the greatest football players to ever step on the field. It’s insane,” said Christian DeLucia, owner of the pizzeria that gained national fame after earning a near-perfect review from Barstool Sports and One Bite Pizza Reviews founder and host Dave Portnoy.

It was that review that led Montana’s representatives to bring the former quarterback to the century-old pizzeria when he was visiting the area for an Edison convention.

From left to right: Cook and manager Steve Fraser, Joe Montana, DeLucia's owner Christian DeLucia, son Joey DeLucia, and Jenna Calo.
From left to right: Cook and manager Steve Fraser, Joe Montana, DeLucia's owner Christian DeLucia, son Joey DeLucia, and Jenna Calo.

“This isn’t supposed to happen to my little pizza shop in the little town of Raritan. I just wish my family members were still here to see it,” DeLucia said.

Meeting Montana was a surreal experience for DeLucia, whose first Super Bowl recollection was in 1982 when, as a 6-year-old, he watched Montana and the San Francisco 49ers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 26–21.

'I'm with pizza legends now': DeLucia's in Raritan has 2-hour wait after celebrity review

“The guy that Joe Montana was sitting with was like, ‘You liked that Super Bowl, didn’t you,’ when I told him about my memory,” said DeLucia, laughing. Montana was named the MVP of the game.

It was a surreal experience for DeLucia’s 13-year-old son Joey, too.

“Joey said, ‘Hey, I use you in Madden,’ ” said DeLucia. “He laughed real hard and said, ‘You better pick me over that Brady any day.’ He was such a nice man and has a great personality."

Jenna Intersimone.
Jenna Intersimone.

Contact: JIntersimone@MyCentralJersey.com

Jenna Intersimone has been a staff member at the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey since 2014, after becoming a blogger-turned-reporter following the creation of her award-winning travel blog. To get unlimited access to her stories about food, drink and fun, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Joe Montana visits DeLucia's Brick Oven Pizza in Raritan