Fresh Bread at Bivio in Montclair

For almost five years, pizza aficionados in the north Jersey area flocked to Bivio Pizzeria Napoletana in Little Falls like hummingbirds to sugar . Once you had a taste of Tomasso Colao’s authentic pizza made with his own natural yeast cultured dough, you were hooked. I count myself among the faithful. 

I wrote about Bivio Pizzeria when it first opened in 2011 and was a dedicated patron for Bivio’s entirely all-too-short run. Besides the delicate, innovative pizzas on offer, Tom was a master bread baker, and one of the joys of ordering a salad or appetizer was the incredible crusty bread that came with it. For awhile, you could also buy a loaf of Tom’s rustic breads to take home.

When Bivio closed in 2015, I was devastated (as were many of their other loyal followers). Of course, I missed the pizza and the bread, but also the vibe. Bivio had a special warmth that I haven’t found anywhere else in the area. A restaurant’s ambience starts with the management and Tomasso and his wife, Jackie, imbued Bivio with a genuine cordiality that made Bivio somewhere you wanted to be. From the soft lighting to the cool jazz, to the friendly yet professional service, Bivio had it all.

I’m still searching for that very special pizza but at least now I can once again get Tom’s bread. That’s right, Bivio groupies, Tomasso Colao’s handmade Italian bread is now available at the brand new Bivio Panificio in Montclair. Tom is firing up his wood-burning oven to turn out the breads we so loved at the original Bivio. 

I was there opening day to visit Tom and, of course, to get my hands of that bread! Tom’s new location is a small storefront in a quiet residential neighborhood, and when I arrived he was hard at work turning out those gorgeous rustic loaves. In the oven was the last batch for the day, “pagnotta,” a traditional peasant loaf with a deep, dark crust. He had already made baskets full of bastones and pane Bivio, and the aroma in the store made my heart sing. 

After visiting for awhile, I went home with two loaves (because, how could I not?), a bastone and the pagnotta almost too warm to even hold. I had planned to use the bastone with dinner that evening, but the minute I got in the car, I tore the heel from the loaf and ooh’d and aah’d the whole way home. Welcome back, Tomasso, Jackie, and the “baby” (their natural yeast culture), you were sorely missed.

Bivio Panificio

107 Pine Street

Montclair, NJ

973-941-9602

Wednesday-Saturday (call for specific hours)

Aquila Pizza al Forno, Little Falls

You might say that Jerry Arcieri, the owner of Aquila in Little Falls, has an obsession with pizza. After 25 years in the photo industry, commuting in and out of NYC every day, Jerry fulfilled his dream of opening a pizzeria. But Jerry didn’t just wake up one day and say “I’m gonna make pizzas!”

While working full-time as a photo editor, he attended the Institute of Culinary Education on Sundays and two nights each week. He earned a culinary certificate and then did an externship at Amano Pizza in Ridgewood (one of a handful of pizzerias in the US certified by the Association of Neapolitan Pizzaiuoli in Naples). And while his stint at Amano gave him valuable insights learning from a master pizzaiolo, he really needed daily hands-on practice. So Jerry did what any pizza-obsessed person might do, he built his own wood-burning pizza oven in his backyard in Bergen County. He developed his own dough formulation and then to perfect his craft, he held “pizza parties” every weekend for a few lucky friends and neighbors.

In 2013, he started thinking about opening a pizzeria, and scouted several possible locations in the north Jersey area. In addition, he made “pilgrimages” to several of the most well regarded pizzerias in the tri-state area (among them, Santillo’s in Elizabeth, Frank Pepe in New Haven, and Jim Lahey’s Co in NYC).

Jerry had visited Bivio in Little Falls, one of the area’s premier pizzerias several times and had admired the owner’s dedication to the time-honored craft of authentic Neapolitan pizza. In April 2015, he and Bivio’s owner (Tomasso Colao) reached an agreement for the sale of Bivio and after a few starts and stops Jerry took ownership in November.

 

Bivio was a much-lauded pizzeria in north Jersey (yours truly had the privilege of writing the first article about Bivio when they opened in 2011) so taking over such a venerated establishment took some “coraggio” on Jerry’s part.

But Jerry was a man with a mission, and with his wife Sofia’s support, Jerry launched Aquila in early December. I spent some time recently chatting with him about the challenges and surprises of running a restaurant.

The oven that was built in place for Bivio by a Neapolitan master oven builder, has taken a bit of time for Jerry to learn how to “tame” the 800-degree monster. He also needed to tweak his dough recipe from his original backyard recipe, using only the famous Caputo 00 flour, rather than a mixture of regular flour and 00 flour.

Thankfully, he was able to retain a lot of the Bivio team, so staff management has not been the challenge it could have been.  And he’s lucky that the staff is excited about contributing ideas to Aquila’s menu. Whether it is thinking about flavors and combinations for the pizzas, or suggestions for a new appetizer, they are enthusiastic about their work at Aquila.

Jerry knows a good thing when he sees it, so he kept the core of the Bivio menu, but is slowly adding to the appetizer and salad offerings. Right now, the cheesecake on the dessert menu is made by one of the staff, but they will probably expand desserts in the future when the timing is right.

During a visit to Aquila the first week they opened, I sampled the Margherita pizza (a staple on any Neapolitan pizza list). The flavorful basil scattered across the crisp crust, topped with San Marzano tomatoes and house made mozzarella made a simple but delicious dinner.

And while Aquila’s regular pizza menu is small (5-6 items), Jerry offers 1-2 specials each week. I asked him how he comes up with ideas for the specials. He said he starts with a base of white or red, then builds from there, always having a vegetarian and meat option. As I write this, the current specials are a Swiss chard, roasted garlic, Gruyere and ricotta cheese pie (white/ vegetarian); and San Marzano tomatoes, sausage, roasted fennel, mozzarella and Parmigiano cheeses (red/meat). You probably couldn’t go wrong with either.

 

You may be wondering about the restaurant name (I was). Many years ago, the building where Aquila is housed was home to the Eagle Hotel.  In Italian, Aquila translates to “eagle.” Jerry named his pizzeria after the hotel, which I think is fitting because it sounds like Aquila will be flying high for the next few years.

Aquila Pizza Al Forno

7A Paterson Avenue

Little Falls

973-256-0050

Open Wednesday-Saturday, 5-10pm

BYO

Shanghai 46 - Fairfield, NJ

Steamed Juicy Buns

We paid a visit to Shanghai 46 in Fairfield recently. Owned by Kevin Lin, who also owns Cheng Du 23 in Wayne, he is passionate about the food of this region.

We feasted on a non-stop presentation of beautifully crafted dishes, starting with the famous (and one of my favorites) Steamed Juicy Buns (pork or crab), the delicate Shanghai Shepherd Purse Wonton Soup, and the perfectly crispy-outside/moist-inside Shanghai Marinated Duck. And these were just the appetizers!

Kevin treated us to many courses during the evening. My favorites included the aptly named, Lion’s Head Meatballs. Fist-sized, these delicious pork and tofu meatballs with oyster sauce were so tender and flavorful. I also loved the Pickled Mustard Greens with Pork; the delicate Shanghai Udon Noodles; Roasted Garlic Chicken; and Moo Shu Pancake with Beef. Yes, there was alot of food!

Pickled Mustard Greens with Pork

New Jersey diners have many Asian restaurants to choose from and I think most people are more familiar with Cantonese or Szechuan styles. I asked Kevin what makes Shanghai cuisine different from cooking in other parts of China. He told me that it’s much lighter, and with subtle spices. Not overwhelming or heavy. A good example of this was a truly unique dish that I’ve never seen anywhere else: Pumpkin with Salted Egg Yolk. This dish consisted of thinly sliced pumpkin coated with egg yolk and lightly fried. Crispy, delicious, and addictive!

Pumpkin with Salted Egg Yolk

Shanghai 46 also serves some of the dishes that may be more familiar to many patrons of area restaurants, such as General Tso’s Chicken and Kung Pao Chicken, along with a few “Asian fusion” dishes. We sampled the Beef with Thai Basil from this part of the menu and it was very good. But what you really want here is the authentic Shanghai cuisine. This is where Kevin and his team excel.

Shanghai 46

14 US Highway 46 East

Fairfield

973-808-5888

Open 11:30am – 10:00pm

Closed Tuesday

Dim Sum served Saturday and Sunday

Note: The Cook's Tour was invited to visit Shanghai 46 and our writer received a complimentary meal.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Comes to NJ!

By now, most hard core BBQ fans have probably heard that Dinosaur Bar-B-Que has arrived in New Jersey. I would think that most of these people have already been to Dinosaur. At least once. I was there twice in one week. Yes, it's that good. We're talking competition style BBQ, my friends. This is the real deal. This is brisket that is smoked for 14-16 hours, and when you see the smoke ring, and taste the tenderness of the meat, you understand why the people at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que say "BBQ is not a science, it's not an art, it's a craft." Amen.

Sausage, Cheese, & Crackers

The newest Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Newark, opened about two months ago, after two years of renovation on a building that was once a distillery and a haberdashery (in Newark's hey day). It is in fact the fifth location for this young company, all in urban environments. They started out in 1988 as a mobile operation in Syracuse, NY. 


But we came to eat so let's get on with it! At a blogger's lunch in mid-June, hosted by Scott Kleckner, Dinosaur's VP of Operations, we were treated to a non-stop parade of appetizers, mains, and desserts. Important to note that everything is made in-house and from scratch. During the tour, Scott made it a point to show us the storage room so we could see that there are no boxed items and nothing frozen. Even the pickles are house made. 


Appetizers included a benign sounding "Sausage, Cheese, & Crackers." Whoa, there was nothing benign about this! House made smoked hot-link sausage served with pimento cheese, and black pepper cheddar crackers and pickled onions. Absolutely addictive!

Fried Green Tomatoes

They've got a hit on their hands with the authentic Fried Green Tomatoes. Crispy tomatoes served with a spicy smoked shrimp remoulade and topped with chives. 

Deviled Eggs

When was the last time you saw Deviled Eggs on a menu? Um, I'm thinking maybe never. Well, Dinosaur's version have a delicious Creole spice to them.

Salmon Fritters

It's not all about meat at Dinosaur. The BBQ Salmon Fritters were outstanding. House smoked (I can probably stop saying that; you get the idea)salmon tossed with red pepper, corn, and chives. They are crispy fried and served with a creamy creole mustard sauce. 


Still on appetizers...next up, the Bar-B-Que Shrimp. Wild-caught Louisiana Gulf shrimp sautéed in a Creole butter sauce and served over grilled corn bread. Just like being on the Bayou!

Gumbo

Staying with the Southern theme, Scott thought we should try the Chicken and Sausage Gumbo (and who am I to argue?). Smoked chicken, okra, and chorizo served over rice. That would be great on a chilly evening.

Korean Chicken Wings

Finishing up the first course, Dinosaur's famous Jumbo BBQ Chicken Wings. Their wings are spice rubbed, pit smoked, then finished on the grill. They come in four varieties: Mild (honey BBQ or sesame hoisin), Hot (Wango Tango with a Jerk glaze), Hotter (garlic chipotle), and hottest (Devil's Duel). These babies were finger-lickin' good! The Wango Tango was my favorite. 

The Pitmasters - don't mess with them!

The Newark location has 160 employees, including two pit masters. They have 12 people just in the finishing kitchen on the main floor. The three smokers are in the basement and they go through at least two cords of wood each week. That's hickory wood. They do all their own butchering, and all the BBQ gets inspected and approved by a manager before it gets served. This is a very hands-on operation. The managers must learn every aspect of the restaurant and learn to make all the food, even the sausage.

Ribs!

Now that we've digested the appetizers, Scott sent out the ribs. They do St Louis ribs here - dry rubbed and slow pit smoked. The ribs have a very light glaze of Dinosaur's own BBQ sauce. They sold over one million pounds of ribs last year. At the top of this post I mentioned "competition style" BBQ. That means the meat should not fall off the bone. There should be a slight tug when you bite it. Too many so called rib joints, overcook the meat and when that happens, the meat falls off the bones. This is not how it's done at the highest level of real BBQ. And Dinosaur knows what it's doing here.

BBQ Chicken

But maybe you're not a rib eater. Not to worry, Dinosaur has probably the best BBQ chicken I've ever had. Just to be clear, I almost never order chicken out because it's usually dry and boring. Not here. The BBQ Chicken is apple brined and pit smoked. It was moist, juicy, and melted in your mouth. The texture was like velvet. 


We asked Scott what they do with any ribs that perhaps don't make the cut for the manager's approval. Like any restaurant, they put it to good use. Here, they make an incredibly delicious BBQ Fried Rice. You read that right. It was fabulous.

Blackjack Pie

Even though we were bursting, Scott "forced" us to try two desserts. A smooth Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie, and the Blackjack Pie. I am not a big fan of peanut butter pies, but this was really good. My favorite was the Blackjack Pie. Who wouldn't love a pie filled with bourbon, pecans, molasses, and chocolate? Decadent, yet surprisingly light. 

Pina-Rita

There is a full bar with a large list of great cocktails, wines,and craft beers. They even put their smoking expertise to use here. Their winter beer is a Smoked Porter. The hops are smoked and then sent back to the brewer for finishing. 


Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, which is adjacent to the Prudential Center, will soon open an outside dining area. Inside, they've got seating for 200. In the future, they'll open a private dining room for 60, and will even offer "whole hog." Sign me up!


Three to six months before the opening, they put a sign out for "help wanted." They were inundated with applicants. They hired all locals, some for whom this is a second chance. Management didn't hire a Pastry Chef - they hired someone who needed a job and could be taught the recipes. Like the areas that the restaurants are in, it has more to do with the building than the location. They look for buildings with character. They use reclaimed furniture, the bar top is made from old beams. Seems to me they've got the right idea. By going into areas that are underdeveloped, they're transforming more than just buildings.



www.dinobbq.com
224 Market St.
Newark, NJ
862-214-6100


Open Monday-Thursday: 11:30am - 11:00pm
Friday and Saturday: 11:30am - Midnight
Sunday: 11:30am - 10:00pm