Papa's Tomato Pies
| Papa's Tomato Pies | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1912 |
| Owner(s) | Nick Azzaro |
| Previous owner(s) | Giuseppe "Joe" Papa |
| Head chef | Nick Azzaro |
| Food type | Italian |
| Street address | 19 Robbinsville-Allentown Road |
| City | Robbinsville |
| State | New Jersey |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 08691 |
| Country | United States |
| Website | Papa's Tomato Pies |
Papa's Tomato Pies is a historic pizzeria selling Trenton tomato pies in New Jersey. It was founded by Giuseppe "Joe" Papa in 1912 on South Clinton Avenue in Trenton, New Jersey.[1][2] Papa's is the oldest family owned and longest continuously operating pizzeria in the United States,[3] as well as the second oldest pizzeria in the United States after Lombardi's Pizza (Lombardi's closed for a decade from 1984 to 1994 and was reopened under new management).[4][5]
History[edit]
Papa's Tomato Pies was established by Giuseppe "Joe" Papa in 1912 on South Clinton Avenue in Trenton and a few years later, moved to Butler Street.[2] In 1945, the restaurant moved to 804 Chambers Street and then, in 2013, moved again to Robbinsville-Allentown Road in Robbinsville, New Jersey.[6] Papa learned the trade from Joe's Tomato Pies, which opened in 1910, before opening his own restaurant. Joe's closed in the late 1980s.[1]
Joe Papa's daughter, Teresa "Tessie" Papa and her husband Dominik "Abie" Azzaro eventually took over operations in the 1960s.[2] During the 1950s and 60s Papa's would remain open until 3 am serving late workers and patrons who just left local bars.[1]
Papa's is currently operated by Joe Papa's grandson, Nick Azzaro, a third generation Italian-American. Azzaro has been making pizza for over fifty years and has worked for Papa's since he was 14.[5]
More recently, Papa's has also become known for its signature mustard pie, which features a thin layer of spicy brown mustard under the cheese and sauce.[7]
Ratings[edit]
In 2010, Papa's won the Munchmobile Pizza Patrol awards for the six best pizzas in New Jersey, winning the Award of Excellence.[8]
In 2012, Papa's was ranked one of the 35 Best Pizzas in America.[9]
See also[edit]
- De Lorenzo's Tomato Pies
- Antica Pizzeria Port'Alba, oldest pizzeria in the world
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Jill P. Capuzzo (2010-01-12). "The Original". NJ Monthly.
- ^ a b c "History of Papa's Tomato Pies". Mack's Truck of Wisdom. 2008. Archived from the original on 2014-03-19. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
- ^ Breslouer, Lee (2015-06-24). "The 21 Oldest Pizzerias in America". Thrillist. Retrieved 2023-06-17.
- ^ Nick Fox (2011-07-27). "Trenton Pizzeria Stakes Claim to Being the Nation's Oldest". New York Times.
- ^ a b Joel Rose (2011-08-15). "For Slice Of Fame, Pizzerias Spar Over 'Oldest' Title". NPR.
- ^ Mike Davis (2013-08-26). "Papa's Tomato Pies opens in Robbinsville after 101 years in same Trenton neighborhood". NJ.com.
- ^ Jeremy Schneider (2023-08-02). "NJ.com pizza trail, stop 9: America's oldest tomato pies still cut the mustard". NJ.com.
- ^ Peter Genovese (2010-01-29). "Pizza Patrol names best pizza in New Jersey". NJ.com. Retrieved 2014-03-17.
- ^ The Daily Meal (2012-09-18). "Best pizzas in America 2012". Fox News.