When Bruno Zacchini announced in March that he was opening a branch of Pizza Bruno in College Park, he was coy about the menu saying he’d be “offering some new things you won’t be able to get at our Curry Ford store.”
I hope you’re sitting down in your Juicy Couture tracksuits because Zacchini will serve, get this, New Jersey-style, not Neapolitan, pizzas when his pizzeria at 2429 Edgewater Drive opens in early October.
Why Jersey-style?
“I spend a lot of time in Cape May County and South Jersey and I wanted to riff on my love for Jersey-style pies,” Zacchini says. I wanted to aim for something different, something I like, and making New Jersey-style pies is my attempt to say this isn’t New York-style or Neapolitan.”
Unlike Zacchini’s Neapolitan wonders at Pizza Bruno on Curry Ford Road, his 16-inch contrarian pies at College Park will undergo a shorter dough ferment resulting in more browning for a crispier, and slightly thicker, crust. And in true Jersey style, the sauce will go on top of the cheese and toppings before it’s fired at 600 degrees for 8-10 minutes in an electric MPM PizzaMaster Deck Oven.
In addition to the 16-inch pies, Zacchini says Pizza Bruno College Park will offer fresh, extruded pastas, small bites (like fried squid), fresh mozzarella, salads, meatballs, soft serve for dessert and a natural wine program.
But NO GARLIC KNOTS, though he’ll serve his garlicky knot sauce with “something,” alluding to the bread program, which will include seeded Italian rolls, focaccia and other baked goods.
“I’m super stoked about it,” says Zacchini. “We have a phenomenal baker, Greg Celino, who’s our dough guru and head baker. [The bread program] is going to be his baby and I’m excited to see what we can accomplish.”
Pizza Bruno College Park will seat 42 — 36 in the dining room and another six at the bar. When the patio opens sometime after the October opening, it will add an additional 24 seats.
Tables inside will be reservation-only, while seating at the bar will be first come, first served. And for the first few weeks, no takeout will be available, and that includes third-party delivery services.
“I just want to really nail down the food, service and experience first,” he says.
When he does, expect large-format meals on weekends and lunch items, like hoagies and slices, on weekdays.
“I wanted to make something different with Pizza Bruno College Park, something unlike Pizza Bruno Curry Ford,” Zacchini says. “The whole experience should hit different, but in a good way.”
In the meantime, hit Pizza Bruno’s Instagram for all the details on the opening.
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This article appears in Sep 21-27, 2022.
